Safeguarding democracy

It is clear that we have to face the sad truth. From the time of its victory with a mass uprising at the Presidential election of January 2015, the Yahapalana government leaders have been steadily losing the politically motivated campaign to keep the masses on its side. This is mainly on account of its inability to show the general public that it is a dynamic and can-do government that has a plan and is implementing its plan. They started with many dimensional investigations and several programmes to win over the Tamil speaking minorities.

While progressive masses were jubilant, Mahinda camp screamed and shouted in fear. There was the appearance that a structural change in the state machinery is taking place. But before long both leaders of Yahapalanaya was talking about war heroes in Mahinda camp and the unity of the business community. The main problem is that they are not communicating a coherent message about their vision and plans to the people.

In this stalemate situation, many who supported the democratic revolution has already disillusioned. In a recent meeting of mass leaders who sacrificed to build the democratic upsurge that toppled the Mahinda regime, such as Professor Sarath Wijesooriya, Saman Rathnapriya, Azath Salley, strongly criticized the leaders of Yahapalana government. The main criticism is that the leaders of Yahapalana are compromising with the fascistic leaders.

Marxist leaders

The problem of liberalism has been exposed by Marxist leaders such as Marx, Lenin and particularly by Trotsky. In the struggle for democracy the vacillation of liberal leaders helped to right wing, dictatorial elements to take power. In this situation it is the duty of the left and workers' leaders to intervene positively to carry out the tasks of democratic revolution. Strangely enough, during the Second World War it was Winston Churchill who countered the vacillations of liberalism of conservative leaders.

Winston Churchill

Churchill was not a leftist of any kind and he was thrown into “wilderness” during the 1930s because of his opposition to increased home rule for India and his resistance to the 1936 abdication of Edward VIII. However Churchill took the lead in warning about Nazi Germany and in campaigning for rearmament. He understood the nature of fascism better than Chamberlin. On September 3, 1939, the day Britain declared war on Germany following the outbreak of the Second World War, Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty, the same position he had held during the first part of the First World War. As such he was a member of Chamberlain's small War Cabinet.

In this position, he proved to be one of the highest-profile ministers during the so-called “Phony War,” when the only noticeable action was at sea and the USSR's attack on Finland. Churchill at the outbreak of the Second World War, he was again appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. Following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain on May 10, 1940 became Prime Minister. His speeches and radio broadcasts helped inspire British resistance, especially during the difficult days of 1940–41 when the British Commonwealth and Empire stood almost alone in its active opposition to Adolf Hitler. He led Britain as Prime Minister until after the German surrender in 1945. If Yahapalana leaders are not prepared to listen to leftists they can at least follow the example of Churchill.

Joint Opposition

Mahinda camp believes that last May Day was a turning point. Apparently they were waiting for the day to show their might. Vulgar attraction created by money, liquor and travelling facilities was bogus affair from top to bottom. May be it is a display attractive only to the miserable and marginalized. However, the fascistic Joint Opposition was partially successful in political and psychological terms when it used media to make people believe that it succeeded in ensuring large scale participation of its supporters at its May Day event; but the evening news explained well how this show was carried out!

Fascistic politics are not based on reality. Hence they are happy, so their programme is implemented. Since then they have increased many fold the sabotage actions. Unfortunately leaders of Yahapalana government are undisturbed about the negative development taking place. Some say they are our confident and dismiss Mahinda group activities as primitive politics rejected by civilized humans. Of course there was some uncertainty whether Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lanka to join the country in its celebration of the International Day of Vesak would be turn embarrassing to the host government. Prior to his visit fascistic politicians such as Weerawansa, Gammanpila and chauvinist sectarian leaders from the Sinhala majority community called for black flag protests. This was to be done as a protest against what they called Indian expansionist actions.

Two controversial matters currently being negotiated between the two countries are the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) and the Trincomalee harbour project that revolves around the lease of oil tanks. While conscious workers understand that if properly handled ETCA could be helpful to expand the job opportunities and open the Indian market for our goods, there has generated a formidable opposition amongst sections of the local business community and professionals. The general belief is that medical doctors of the government medical doctors association is opposing because they fear that they will not be able to withstand Indian competition.

Those who sought to give an ulterior motive to the Indian premier’s visit were also able to draw on memories of the Indian interventions recorded in Mahavamsa up to that of Rahul Ghandi. All these are depicted as supportive of Tamil Hindu community in the country, and chauvinist political campaigns are launched to save the land of Sinhala Buddhism.

Presidential election

Mahinda group is expecting to grow from the position they had in the last Presidential election. At the last Presidential election held in 2015, nearly 5.8 million people voted for former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. It is assumed that most of them continue to keep their trust and confidence in the former president. They say the crowds that thronged Galle Face Green would account for a small fraction of that political base. That day, Joint Opposition members claimed that public participation at their event was more than those of all other May Day rallies combined together. What was needed was organisational skill and determination to bring them down to one location, and of course, the financial resources to pay for their travel.

It appears that the Joint Opposition considered more to be at stake for their futures, do or die event, and so outdid the others in money and effort to gain the psychological edge; Having done that they are going for the kill. Bodu Bala Sena is the front line of Mahinda movement!