( May 23, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) According to many an unbiased observer, the token strike organized by the Coordinating Committee for Trade Union Alliance (CCTUA) was, if not a total flop, an embarrassing indictment on the incapacity of the most vital and critical sector that needs to be galvanized by the so-called joint-opposition. The opposition remains neither 'galvanized' nor 'joint.'
Never in the history of Sri Lanka's trade union action has there been such a pathetic exhibition, or lack of, a well-concerted effort at agitational politics. The cruel reality of gross incapacity of the self-proclaimed 'joint-opposition' was there for everyone to witness.
The first of its kind, the now-famous 1953 Hartal, was a countrywide demonstration of civil disobedience against the policies of the then incumbent United National Party Government. It was not only the first mass political action in post independence Ceylon, but also the first major social crisis, and left an indelible impact on the political history of the country.
Led by the Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) and other leftist parties who called on the public to resist the government through industrial action and civil disobedience, the Hartal was primarily a protest of the labour-class, with a tinge of violence that saw sabotage and the destruction to public property, as a means of frightening the government into abandoning its policies. The demonstrations associated with the Hartal lasted for 24 hours, but it left at least 10 people dead, and claimed the office of Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake, giving birth to highly embellished anecdotes of Dudley's 'weak stomach.'
The sole purpose of any political agitation is to cause disturbance and disruption to the vital service-sector of the country. Sri Lanka has more than 1.3 million state sector employees and any strike by them could cripple the $59 billion economy. But agitational action undertaken by any political entity has to be geared towards, and centrally organized by, the trade union sector. For this, an ever-ready, robust and motivated working class is an essential ingredient in the effort.
Sadly, as various media reports indicate, only a few hundred people had joined the demonstrations, although there were loud boasts of huge crowds descending onto the streets of Colombo and elsewhere.
It is understandable that government intimidation would keep many glued to their workstations. At a time of economic hardships, when putting three square meals on the table is a struggle, not many would be bold enough to risk his job, even though Tuesday's agitation was aimed at easing the latest burden heaped on the common man. This is where the opposition failed the masses.
The United National Party, the main element of the 'joint opposition,' had a very active and motivated trade union division during the times of J.R. Jayewardene and R. Premadasa. The estate sector trade union, Lanka Jathika Estate Workers Union (LJEWU) also functioned as a very realistic challenge to the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC). The school teachers union attached to the UNP was in fact one of the main factors that was responsible for mass-canvassing of votes during the '77 general election campaign.
All that however, now belongs to history and the UNP is now left with a skeletal trade union division. Against a backdrop of political impotence, how much can the people expect from the Party and its Leader whose acceptability is plummeting by the day?
In a very broad sense, the action organized by the so-called 'joint-opposition' was a brutal slap on the face of the opposition rather than the government, against which the whole action was instigated. The wonder is that the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the so-called saviours of the working-class, too found itself between a rock and a hard place.
One must realize that the so-called 'joint-opposition' is largely the masses still adhering to the policies and principles of the UNP. When it comes to elections, more than 90% of the opposition votes come from the UNP base and if any sane person realizes this, it's better for themselves and even more so for the country.
The government led by the Rajapaksas is far too formidable for any party in the opposition to play around with. The sooner they realize it the better for all of us, for, the average man has, no doubt, found that the government is well-armed in every sense of the word and the so-called one-day token strike has only contributed to the disarming of the opposition. - Ceylon Today Editorial
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