Lalkantha’s gundu fails

JVP Parliamentarian K.D. Lalkantha portrayed himself as a trade union giant until last Thursday. Many believed that his trade union was highly influential. Many people overestimated the strength of Lalkantha’s JVP trade union and feared that it could pose a threat to any party in power.

But all such notions and beliefs put paid last Thursday after his National Trade Union Centre (NTUC) organised a general strike which was an utter flop in Sri Lanka’s trade union history.

On Wednesday night, Lalkantha was in the seventh heaven in the belief his trade union federation could bring all day to day activities to a virtual standstill. Lalkantha was so confident that he even offered to resign from Parliament if the strike fails.

The JVP propaganda unit worked overtime to paint this rosy picture. To put pressure on the Government, the JVP even sought support from the LTTE. The TNA, the Tiger proxy, also openly campaigned for the JVP-led strike.

The JVP’s stratagem was exposed when Lalkantha called for the postponement of the Provincial Council elections to the North Central and Sabaragamuwa as one of the four conditions on which they would cancel the strike.

Any right-thinking person would naturally question the connection between the Provincial Council elections and the general strike, which they claim had been organised against the rising cost-of-living.

On the other hand, the main opposition UNP, in a desperate situation after losing 17 elections under the leadership of Ranil Wickremesinghe, backed the strike to the hilt. Despite vast political differences and issues, the UNP teamed up with the JVP for the general strike.

Apart from the JVP, UNP, TNA and LTTE, several other organisations lent a helping hand. Some INGOs and NGOs with vested interests also extended their fullest support to the strike in the hope they could put pressure on the Government and halt the ongoing anti-terrorism operations in the North.

Some newspapers carried banner headlines ‘Labour bomb ready to explode” while the majority in the local media, electronic and print, predicted a complete blackout. The JVP manipulated the pro UNP and LTTE media to paint a gloomy picture. The media reports predicted that essential services would be crippled as a result of the general strike.

But what happened eventually? The JVP suffered the biggest setback in its political history as the July 10 General strike turned out to be a dismal failure. Hardly anyone sensed there was a strike on as all essential services functioned as usual.

Apart from a few isolated ‘lunch break picketing’ campaigns by a few die-hard JVP supporters and their goons, Lalkantha exposed the bankruptcy of his highly overrated trade union and political nudity of the JVP.

The JVP could not muster any support from the working class, though the JVP put a Rs. 5,000 wage hike as one of the demands.

The masses did not support the JVP-led strike not because of the hardships they face due to the high cost-of-living, which has resulted mainly due to the sky-rocketing world oil prices, are bearable.

But they did so due the fact that most of the people put the country before self to back the Security Forces in Sri Lanka’s relentless battle against terrorism.

Patriotic and peace-loving people of this country are willing to make any sacrifice for their motherland. That is precisely why they opposed the strike and showed their gratitude to the Security Forces.

If by any chance the JVP trade union action had disrupted day to day life and crippled essential services, it would have forced the Government to deploy additional forces to maintain law and order. At the same time, a successful general strike would have given ample opportunities to the LTTE to go for civilian and VIP targets.

By rejecting the JVP-LTTE-UNP plea for a general strike, the working class has shown that they value Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity more than anything else. Though the masses are affected by the high cost-of-living, they are still ready to make sacrifices to see terrorism being wiped out completely.

People repose faith in President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his Government.

Most people, irrespective of political affiliations, still believe that President Rajapaksa is the only leader who could wipe put terrorism and achieve dignified peace. They are acutely aware that the Government would have better solutions to control the cost-of-living once terrorism is eradicated.

The budgetary allocation on defence could be cut down drastically once terrorism is eradicated in the near future and millions of rupees could be ploughed for development and the well-being of the people.

The masses are confident that the gallant Security Forces would soon destroy the Tiger power in the Wanni and Mullaitivu. It is in that earnest hope that the working class opted not to support Thursday’s strike.

President Rajapaksa commended the working class for their cooperation in thwarting the strike organised by reactionary indigenous and alien conspirators, at a decisive moment for the motherland. As the President categorically pointed out, the country should first survive to implement its policies, irrespective of the party in power.

Though Lalkantha originally said the strike was a 70 per cent success, his own rating diminished to 60 per cent success by Thursday evening.

Lalkantha had to eat humble pie when he said they could not be ‘too satisfied’ with the success of the strike.

Lalkantha and his JVP bandwagon should realise this bitter fact even at this late stage.