Explaining his stance on the opposition to government the JVP Politbureau member K.D. Lalkantha opined as follows during a discussion held recently.
QHow forceful is the opposition of the JVP towards the government at present?
The protests that surfaced basing on the VAT bill and the budget which followed, there is a considerable agitation mounting up against the government. If we take into consideration the private bus strike, the threewheeler drivers strike and the strike by the GMOA, and the success of these strikes, it portrays the opposition by several sections of the society towards this government. We as members of the JVP are involved in creating a broad awareness among the people on these matters and using the parliament in conveying this message to the people and strengthening the building up of this opposition to the government.
QSometime back it was the JVP which said that no sooner the government came into power it was useless in carrying out protests and peoples struggles, but to make use of opportunities as and when required. Are you following this concept now?
Since the Central Bank Bond scam it has been proved that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is protecting fraudsters. With the proposed increase of salaries and other perks to MPs also proves that they are not different from the earlier regime. By this time the government seems to be drifting away from their path of investigating into frauds and corruption. Their slogan of ending frauds and corruption is slowly going into the past. Now this slogan has fallen on the people and they are having a firm grip on it. With the local government elections round the corner, the new constitution and the budget proposals becoming effective from January would result in a massive protest against the government. On that set up there is room for this government to fall before 2020. The government by this budget had prepared the ground for this eventuality.
QWhatever you say the government is not the least concerned about your protests and struggles?
The UNP spearheaded by the President and the Prime Minister has become the machinery that quells the mounting opposition to the government. The protests resulting from the government’s moves of oppression are calmed down by the intervention of the President. This is giving breathing space to the government. After a successful bus strike, the moment the President agreed to hold a discussion, agreeing to end the strike without winning any of the demands, clearly showed that they have some confidence in the President. The government is dependent on this life-line for its existence.
It is clearly evident that the Prime Minister and the UNP is hell bent on thrusting much difficulties on the people, and misusing their power. This is clearly observed from the behaviour of the UNP ministers.
QAs a trade union leader who is in the forefront of trade union activities, do you think that the recent bus strike was successful?
From the angle of the number of buses that ran on that day, it was a success. The entire private bus operation was at a standstill. A large number of threewheelers also joined in this protest, but at the end of the day there appeared to be no gain whatsoever. Looking from that angle the strike was a failure.
QDo you mean to say that the strikers were hoodwinked by the moves of this government?
When in the midst of a successful strike action, accepting an invitation from the President for a discussion and abruptly ending the strike was wrong. Discussions should have been held while the strike action was on. The moment you end the strike your bargaining power ceases to exist. Therefore as I see, abandoning your bargaining power and opting for discussions was a weak decision taken by the strikers.
QDid the JVP also give a push to the strike?
There was no direct support extended by us to this strike. With the launch of the strike we hoped that it would be successful. We motivated them, but however those who gave leadership to this struggle behaved in such a manner that the expected result was not won.
QAll eyes are now focused on the local government elections that are to be held. It is being dragged on with the issue of the electoral system. There is a talk of the JVP not being in favour of the proposed new system. Are you scared of this new electoral system?
No government has the right to postpone elections until a new electoral system is in place. If there is a problem in delimitation, they can have the elections according to the existing system by approving it in parliament. Government is scared.
The minister-in charge of local government is a SLFP member who is working according to the agenda of the party, which led by President Maithripala Sirisena, is bent on postponing elections. Minister Mustafa is saying various things and postponing the elections. We will never boycott any democratically held elections. We will take part in any election and are not scared to face them. We will use our strategies and enter the elections.
QWhat is your idea in commemorating Fidel Castro at the presidential house under the patronage of the President?
The JVP always stood for the socialism in Cuba, and represented the revolutionists including Fidel Castro. We always maintained that this type of examples should be established in our country.
Those who described that socialism was a failure and Fidel Castro also failed and insulted these leaders, were forced to commemorate Fidel .
QThe Prime Minister was on the opinion that the MPs are undergoing financial difficulties,and had decided to provide them with petty cash of several hundred thousands of rupees. You Lal Kantha, as a former cabinet minister do you justify this payment?
In this year’s budget it is clearly indicated that taxes and fines have been imposed and the cost of living is going up, but no mention of a source of raising income. It has struck a big blow to the permanent income earning sector. The income increase is only shown among the MPs. The budget has no discussion on the increasing of income avenues. Grants and concessions provided for MPs are not made available to others. It is a shame to accept these in the face of the suffering masses. There existed a vast difference in the way we administered as ministers. They just cannot think how we conducted. Today those in the Parliament would readily accept these perks. Whatever these people may say about it, I consider it as a shameful act.
QThe JVP is not aware of Kumar Guneratnam and deny that he has been in your party. He has now stepped on to the political arena. Do you have anything to say about him?
We know about him, but he was not in our party. There is now a political interest shown about him. It is good that he is now free and we are happy that he can now get involved in politics.
QDoesn’t his advent hurt your JVP?
No it wont hurt us. His Political activities are quite different from ours. It is not relevant to us who Kumar Guneratnam is or what his Frontline Socialist Party is.
QAs a onetime bird of the same feather, now being distanced due to ideological differences, is it proper to speak after attempting to bury the past, while continuing to speak about humanitarian, progressive politics?
We speak about those who were with us, and despite them having left us we do not say they had never been with us. Those like Senadheera who left us - we never deny that they were with us . But we cannot apply the same yard-stick to those who were not with us.
There are many in the society presently who acclaim that they are JVP members. Only the party can decide whether they are JVPers or not. There is a system of doing that.
Courtesy
Sunday Lankadeepa
