2024 July 25

Vickramabahu Karunaratne

An inflexible intervention for the liberation struggle of the Tamil people!

The Socialist People’s Forum expresses its condolences on the passing of Vickramabahu (‘Bahu’) Karunaratne, General Secretary of the Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP).

The Socialist People’s Forum considers Bahu’s role in the 1970s and 1980s as a historic chapter in the struggle against authoritarianism, and capitalism, and for the renewal of revolutionary socialism in Sri Lanka. His leadership in the struggle within the Lanka Sama Samaja Party against coalitionism (popular front politics) is a memorable chapter of the ‘new left’ movement.

Challenged by the repression of the JR Jayawardena regime, let us recall the hope of working people’s power in Wickramabahu who led the July 1980 strike.

Bahu will be remembered for his inflexible intervention in the liberation struggle of the Tamil nation. He was consistent in his conviction that the only solution to the national question of Sri Lanka is to accept the self-determination of the Tamil people.

The Socialist People’s Forum has strong disagreements with Bahu’s politics in the last period of his political life while respecting his historical political intervention.

Vickramabahu Karunaratne, goodbye to you!

Dharmasiri Lankapeli

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