“The struggle the Tamil Speaking People engaged in, for their rights though recorded in history as one, for change of our social landscape, has developed to the extent of a full blown destructive war compelling protection of our society, completely deviating from the said purpose for which it was meant, due to the barbaric violence and murders unleashed by the LTTE Fascists on our Sinhala and Muslim brother communities.”________________________________
(May 02, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) “As the struggle, the working class engaged in democratically rising for their rights on that eventful day in Chicago, was a struggle for justice, the workers from all over the world rose on behalf of that struggle,” Douglas Devananda, Secretary General of the EPDP and Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare said in his May Day massage.
“The workers on that day had to pay with their blood when demanded for a wage to suit their labour. The blood shed by the Chicago working class, had a propelling effect which enabled them to achieve many of the rights of the workers world over. However, the globalization that is sweeping across the entire globe is observed to be having a thinning effect of the worker rights. As such a situation has arisen for the workers to work hard to protect sustain their rights. The Eelam People’s Democratic Party having ascertained this situation is making a concerted effort to cater to that responsibility cast upon the working class on this May Day,” he added.
According to the Minister, “The struggle the Tamil Speaking People engaged in, for their rights though recorded in history as one, for change of our social landscape, has developed to the extent of a full blown destructive war compelling protection of our society, completely deviating from the said purpose for which it was meant, due to the barbaric violence and murders unleashed by the LTTE Fascists on our Sinhala and Muslim brother communities. At the beginning for the liberation struggle of the Tamil Speaking People, the working class and progressive democratic forces of the South continued to join hands but later on, our Tamil liberation struggle lost its progressive and humanitarian outlook and developed into an unjustifiable, anti-human war due to the brutal attacks levelled against the innocent Sinhala and Muslim civilians. Our liberation struggle that received friendly support from the International Community and neighbouring India, has been today reduced to a hollow, worthless Fascist terrorist war, receiving disapproval and wrath from both India and International Community.”
“Though the Muslims are linked to the Tamils through the bond of the same language use, they being made to be our enemies prevented the rising up as Tamil Speaking People in the society. This reduced us to a narrow single race bringing our own downfall. There still exists in the world today, justice for demands of the rights of the nations, but the struggle for the rights of the Tamil Speaking People has resulted in deprivation of whatever the rights they had enjoyed and today it’s in the nature of a long protracted destructive war.”
“All the forces that value democracy in this country without any reservation need to support the efforts taken by the present government to establish democracy and carry out developmental activities in the East, after having freed it from the clutches of the Tigers.”
“The war that erupted due to the ethnic problem has destroyed the entire economy of the country, at the same time displacing thousands form their places of birth as destitutes. The war has denied the rights of the working class and also has destroyed their places of work. In the past few years, the LTTE grabbed whatever the rights left of the workers in the North and East, carried out extortions in the guise of compulsory taxes, murders, threats to lives and unending sufferings has been part of the lives of our people. Fear for life, violent experiences causing unending sorrow have been our legacy of this cruel war.”
“Because of the inability to make use of the opportunities by those engaged in a horrendous war in the name of the Tamil Speaking People to establish peace after having ended the war, our people have been further deprived of their rights. The sufferings of the people can not be brought to a halt by issuing statements alone on the dreadful violent incidents that take place due to war that serves no purpose. All the political forces need to put their heads together to arrive at a peaceful settlement to end the fallouts of this dreadful war and bring about solace to the suffering masses. All those who wish well to this country should join hands to bring about inter-racial unity, equality and brotherhood, forthwith. As political freedom is the wish of the people, the war that has scant regard for the achievements of the people would bring no good to the human society. Comrade Douglas Devananda, Secretary General of the EPDP and Minister of Social Services and Social Welfare requests all the democratic forces primarily the working people to work with a common agenda for development of human society, humanity and to protect the rights of the working class and liberation of the oppressed .”
- Sri Lanka Guardian
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