The MoU: The Same Old Imperialist-Chauvinist Charade Wrapped Up In Bourgeois Liberal Clothing
By Surendra Ajit Rupasinghe -December 3, 2014
Ajit Rupasinghe
My intention here is to critically analyse the contents of the immediate program outlined in the MOU signed in support of the common oppositional candidate, Hon. Maitripala Sirisena. This is with the objective of establishing how, and if, it addresses the fundamental structural fault-lines of the State and political system that have contributed to the prevailing political crisis. This will come in confrontation with those who hold the line of the “lesser evil”. There is no question in my mind that the Mahinda RajapaksaRegime has to be overthrown lock, stock and barrel. This is the most pressing task confronting the forces of democracy, freedom and human decency. My task is to show that the MOU is not designed to achieve a radical restructuring of the State and a democratic transformation of the Political Order. It is designed only to displace the Regime from power. This is to keep the structure of the supremacist, hegemonic unitary State intact and consolidate the Capitalist dictatorship under new terms of imperialist penetration and neo-colonial domination.
The Lankan State is a creation of British colonialism. It was set up to transfer power from the colonial masters to their loyal local comprador agents to perpetuate the system of neo-colonial domination. The neo-colonial State has been carefully crafted and founded on the integrated principles of majoritarian hegemony and Sinhala-Buddhist supremacy. This is the neo-colonial strategy of divide and rule embedded into the foundation of the colonial State and political order. Majoritarian hegemony and chauvinist supremacy are twin strategic pillars of the Lankan State. This is the class nature and essence of the Lankan State and its particular form of Comprador Capitalist class dictatorship. The MOU has not, will not and cannot address nor even approach the task of eradicating these structures, nor questioning the basic reactionary-chauvinist class character of the State. This is because its dominant composition is made up of political parties and forces of the very same ruling class that subscribe to this reactionary political ideology. Some of them subscribe to this hegemonic-supremacist ideology and politics out of conviction and others for the sake of political expediency. None would ever dare to invoke the wrath and stand up against the serpents of neo-fascism and feudal reaction. They have crept into the veins of the State and the System, including the armed forces. The MOU reveals how pitifully the Maitripala coalition has capitulated to this dominant ideology and politics. This is why the MOU has dismally failed to give even an indication of how it proposes to solve the National Question. Let alone even approaching a solution to the National Question, could it not even mention that the oppressed Tamil people must be liberated from military occupation? Could it not even mention their condemnation of the Gestapo attacks against the Moslems?