‘Unite the oppressed without racism’

22 October 2013 06:45 pm Views - 2643

The question raised by many is, who can rescue the masses from the misery that exists. Misery of the working masses is either created or amplified by the Mahinda regime. Though the regime shouts from rooftops against those who are attempting to undermine Lankan sovereignty, many actions of the regime have opened the door for foreign domination.
Mahinda has done everything to satisfy the IMF and the foreign masters to put the country into a debt trap. In spite of Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal being supported by Secretary to the Treasury, P.B. Jayasundara, we are dragged into a mess, which is not easy to clear. Of course the super-rich are happy and consider that heaven has fallen at their doorsteps. But we see the domination of multi-national companies (MNCs) backed by the global powers everywhere.

"What are the forces striving to seek a genuine path of self-determination and freedom that shall liberate not only Tamil but also Sinhala from the clutches of foreign domination?"

They are free to go anywhere and grab anything, provided they get the permission from the top. Laws do not apply and the whole system is reorganised to support these alien developers. We are told to respect those who have come to invest and develop our country. State has opened the resources of the country; land, water, sea, earth resources and the savings of people to be used by the foreign developers. They need not fear, as protection comes under international security agreements. While the rich and the foreign developers enjoy everything the ordinary masses have to face rising prices and taxes, cut in welfare and increasing repression. Tragedy of the ordinary masses came to limelight at Weliweriya. Suddenly, people in the South realised what happened in the North could happen in the South too.

Thus we move into the second unresolved problem, that is the Tamil national problem. Mahinda admits that the demands of Vigneswaran are the same as the demands of Prabhakaran. In addition, the cost of the war and the tragedy of human rights violations haunt the country daily and consistently.  
The fact is that the Tamil people have begun to give expression to conflicting interpretations of the election mandate and to act according to their class interests. Who are the forces seeking accommodation with the system and the status-quo at the cost of betraying the struggle for liberation? And who are the forces striving to seek a genuine path of self-determination and freedom that shall liberate not only Tamil but also Sinhala from the clutches of foreign domination?

 In addition to these two main problems, people are facing a system of governance which has moved out of legitimacy. Corruption and political terror have virtually destroyed the State, while the law and order have become fiction. Arbitrary power, inefficiency and lethargy have made ordinary people helpless and weary. We see people coming out to block roads and surround 'power centres' to highlight and press for solutions to ordinary problems: school administration, construction of roads and bridges, police arrests and police inefficiency, heath problems etc.  

"Who shall unite the oppressed Sinhala masses--the workers, peasants, fishermen, students, young men and women-to join with oppressed Tamil and Muslim masses across the land?"

In this context, who shall charter a path towards the dawning of a bright new world of peace and freedom? Who shall unite the oppressed Sinhala masses- the workers, peasants, fishermen, students, youth, and women-to join with oppressed Tamil and Muslim masses across the land?  

Indeed, the question of choosing the path of struggle to win democracy and freedom is posed to all classes and political forces with increasing urgency.  The Mahinda Regime is facing its mounting crisis of survival by unleashing violent suppression against the oppressed masses without discrimination, fear or favour. Struggles of workers, fishermen, students and Weliweriya masses were beaten but the struggle of the masses is not over. War is not over says Mahinda regime; yes, war is not over in the North or in the South. War of the masses cannot cease until masses establish their own free democratic State and win their freedom!

In addition to State repression through police and military apparatus, the regime is dependent on the dark evil forces of reaction and chauvinism.  Fascist type groups under the banner of so-called Sinhala-Buddhist Patriotism operate with the help from the top to drown the people’s struggles in rivers of blood. They strike at the hearts of the oppressed Tamil and Muslim nationalities and religious communities.

In the final analysis, this is the combined strategy to impose and enforce the class dictatorship of the bourgeoisie.  Lanka is raped, pillaged and plundered and the people are sacrificed at the altar of global capitalism as never before. The need of the hour is to build unity, discipline and fighting capacity of the People of Sri Lanka. Above all, it should be a Force for Unity that rejects racism and chauvinism. If that happens, masses will rise in unity with the progressive people of the world, to bring this system of terror and destruction down.