Soon a garland will be plaited with flowers of various fragrances – Lal Kanthe

WEDNESDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 2013

Very soon a single garland will be plaited with flowers of various fragrances, not only trade union movement but all masses have the responsibility of building a people’s movement to win rights and a beginning should be made to struggle for a genuine new social order without restricting the trade union movement to fight for mere salary struggles says the President of National Trade Union Center (NTUC) K.D. Lal Kanthe.

Mr. Lal Kanthe Addressing the 15th Convention of All Ceylon Transport Workers’ Union held at Shalika Hall at Narahenpita yesterday (19th) said, “A large number or crises have cropped in the society at present. There are definite reasons for them and we should find definite answers for them. Many in Sri Lanka think that SLTB is an institution that provides a service. The government thinks of making it a profit making institution.  Employees struggle to protect independent transport service. However, there is no independent transport service in Sri Lanka. SLTB has been extremely politicized. Governments use it as one of their assets. In such an environment it is very difficult to maintain a trade union.  In such a situation maintaining the All Ceylon Transport Workers’ Union is important.

There is no free transport service, free education or a free health service in Sri Lanka now.  The government pays the teachers only. All other matters regarding education have to be borne by parents. Where is free health service if people have to seek channel service to get medicine and medical tests have to be got done privately? As such, protecting free transport, free education and free health services is a wrong slogan. It should be changed to ‘Let’s win free transport service, free education and free medical service.’

It is not only Mahinda Rajapaksa that is responsible for this situation. The citizens of this country too are responsible. The cabinet was expanded. The cost of maintaining them increased. However, masses are not concerned. Money is collected from school children. Parents don’t take any action regarding that. We can’t blame the parents either. For, circulars were issued to principals to collect money from students. Minister Bandula  Gunawardene is responsible for it. Wimal Weerawansa scolds P.B. Jayasundara calling him an ‘economic hit man’. Mahinda Rajapaksa scolds officials at the development meetings. They always blame those below them. The masses should find the reason for such acts.

A concept that existed before 1977 was that the government managed everything in the country. Goods and services were produced by state institutions. Everything was done with the initiation of the government. CTB enjoyed a golden age before 1977. It was so with education. Factories belonged to the state. The estates, agriculture, the ownership of seeds were with the state. It was a state mediated economy.

However, after J.R. Jayawardene came to power in 1977 measures were taken to move the economy away from the control of the state. The government withdrew from transport, health and education sectors. The government became an institute that maintained courts and police that is necessary for capitalism to exist. The government distanced from production. An economy that depended on fines, loans and taxes was established. The 78 Constitution was amended to maintain this. The July ’80 strike was against this. State employees were sacked. A white paper was brought to privatize education.  Now Mahinda Rajapaksa is prepared to drive in the last nail to privatize education.  After 35 years we have come to the same road JR constructed. During these 35 years everything was done to take away everything, including the SLTB and other services, from state ownership. Everything was made into commodities. Every relationship became money-oriented. Marx in 1848 said, “All fixed, fast frozen relations, with their train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed ones become antiquated before they can ossify. All that is solid melts into air, all that is holy is profaned..” Now, the religion too has lost its reverence. Students are picking coconuts to raise Rs.800 as a result of the journey that began in ‘78.  As such, there is nothing ‘free’ that has been left in this system. During JR’s time there was a saying that money should also be earned by killing dogs. Now, during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s period money is earned by selling children.

Any intelligent community would not tolerate a leader who doesn’t obey the law. However, the people in Sri Lanka tolerate a president who doesn’t care a tuppence for the law. We have become a savage nation in the world. We have a constitution that doesn’t allow the President to be punished whatever crime he commits.  We have become a nation that tolerates all these.

As a result of the 30 year war an enmity has developed between the Sinhalese and the Tamils. Separatism has not been eradicated. There is international pressure to hold a referendum to merge the North and the East. In such an environment there is an attempt to create an enmity between the Sinhalese and the Muslims.  ‘Black July’ of 1983 developed disunity between the Sinhalese and the Tamils. There is an attempt to create such disunity between the Sinhalese and Muslims and use it for a conspiracy of devolution of power for the North and the East. A group in robes and wearing various kinds of attire, knowingly or unknowingly caught in this conspiracy, is attempting to create a religious turmoil. At a time a stand that should unite all Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims is necessary, they are attempting to develop anger between them. There are three main languages and four religions in our country. People should not be divided basing on these differences.  The government’s favour is towards developing this anger. We didn’t achieve any victory by driving away Tamils from our villages. Similarly, we wouldn’t win anything by chasing away Muslims from our villages. The government should be allowed to solve religious and ‘Halal’ issues. Those who agitate should go to President’s House. After learning a good lesson by developing a conflict with the Tamil society, the need to create a conflict with the Muslim society is incomprehensive. Such maneuvers could be used to get people to forget issues of workers, independence of the judiciary, media freedom etc.

There are issues regarding education, judiciary and media freedom. How could there be a media freedom under a despotic family rule? Is there such a country in this world? There is no opportunity to write anything else but appreciations regarding Rajapaksa family. Criticism is not allowed. The media has the freedom to talk about anything other than Rajapaksa family.  The people should know that media freedom cannot exist with a dictatorship. Next, people should think of taking the leadership to topple this dictatorship. It is the only answer to achieve independence of the judiciary and free education.  There is no progress with Mahinda Rajapaksa or Ranil Wickremesinghe. There is no use in blaming those who maintain this social system. It’s their responsibility to maintain this system. We should think of changing this system and building a new social order. As such, there is no use for so-called strong opposition parties. Masses won’t be benefited even if these oppositions topple the existing government and form their own government as there won’t be any progress.  There is an opposition in the Parliament which is not strong. This opposition in the Parliament cannot do anything. There is no struggle within the Parliament to change the existing social system. For, it is a Parliament where ministers and MPs have become commodities.

The struggle to change the social system exists outside the Parliament. Also, isolated struggles carried out separately cannot achieve victories. The ‘common oppositions’ that enjoy Mahinda’s cup of coffee or that serve separatism and concur with imperialism will not serve any purpose.

A programme should be created to build a broad mass movement that would oppose imperialism, despotic family rule and to win rights. It could be achieved only by struggling to bring all people’s forces including the trade union movement to one strong force. We should present our proposals and dedicate ourselves regarding this. Without limiting ourselves for mere salary struggles a beginning should be made to struggle for a new social order. We are striving to plait a single garland with flowers of various fragrances. We have the responsibility of building a common people’s movement to win rights not only for the trade union movement but for everyone in this country.”