Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) Leader, Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratna asserted he would continue to stand and strive for a free and dignified social fabric, that would assure security and protection for women, children and individuals in a society free of terror, intimidation, criminality, corruption, racism and religious fanaticism.
He was speaking on the occasion of the 35th Anniversary of the NSSP held at the New Town Hall, Colombo 7. The celebration was presided over by a 7-member committee of the party leadership.
He said the NSSP was formed 35 years ago and he became its leader with the express objective of setting up the leadership of the proletariat in governance. It is by amalgamating the struggle of the working class with that of all sectors of the communities that we can build a powerbase for the masses. Therefore, we earmark the leading position to the working class in our broad struggle for the emancipation of the masses. “When the tyrannical 1978 Constitution was formulated we fought against it, and ended up in prison. We held protests and put up back flags.
When the so-called Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) was brought in 1979 we visited the Parliament carrying a coffin and held a protest. We proclaimed to the whole country, the PTA meant the end of democracy. We rose against the repression of the government even then.
Also we took the leadership role in the 1980 July strike. When we were conducting our struggle against State tyranny, the NSSP was proscribed. Though the JR – Premadasa Government proscribed our party, we continued our struggle undeterred.
We always take part in all the democratic struggles throughout the country. We always involve ourselves in safeguarding the welfare of the working class of this country. The progress and welfare of the children rested on the education system of the country. Various governments have tried and are trying to prune the free education system of the country at the instigation of the international forces. We fought against such measures at that time. Today too we are fighting against such moves.
There are various projects in the pipeline to alienate the national resources to foreign companies at the instigation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). We opposed such moves and continue to do so in the future as well.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa is trying to control the Judiciary and the intellectuals. If he succeeds in those measures, the whole country would look like a nation of jesters. The government is trying to create an anarchist situation for reasons best known to itself.
M.A. Sumanthiran, Parliamentarian of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), said at a time when the country’s left movement has abandoned its obligations, it is praiseworthy that the NSSP is continuing to act according to its policies.
Sumanthiran paid a colourful tribute to the NSSP for the role it played in supporting all the activities of the TNA launched to safeguard the rights of the Tamils in the country.
Ariyaratne Ganegoda