By Vickramabahu Karunaratne  –

Dr. Vickramabahu Karunaratne

I had to think twice before I started writing this; because, I was not sure, whether it is proper for a humble columnist like me to confront the Editor in chief of this paper. However I know Rajpal is a democratic progressive. Nearly a decade I have been writing this column, mostly attacking the establishment, and Rajpal without a murmur, has allowed all that to come out. Having considered that I thought it is my duty to take up this issue raised in a most gentlemanly manner by Rajpal. He said in his article last week “I think if people such as Nimalka and Vickramabahu understood that being ‘Nationalist’ today is the best posture against the right-wing global Establishment, they would not have indulged in such absurd political contortions such as promoting themselves as ‘progressive,’ when they are in fact playing into the hands of the global Establishment that is working overtime against the interests of this country…
It is of course true that there are a thousand things that are wrong with the government, which makes the oversight of international bodies a good thing sometimes. But the oversight of international bodies is not the same as the interference of internationally funded non-governmental organizations for instance, which are known to subvert national interests as in Venezuela for example.”

It is true that we as leftist should be in the fore front in the struggle against the global Establishment that is working overtime against the interests of this country. In fact this Establishment is working against the interest of the oppressed people in the entire Globe. But is this government in conflict with this global Establishment? It has got in to a debt trap enslaving our country. IMF while praising the development efforts of the government, has tied the government to a so called development programme which satisfy only MNCs and their local agents and brokers. In fact a whole layer of new rich families have come up binding the Rajapaksa to these rapacious masters. Newer in the recent past this bondage has been so cruel and so open. All resources are, one by one, passed onto the hands of foreign powers. Every form of repression is directed against the working class undermining Labour laws, provident fund legislations, and trade union rights. It is hilarious to see every week emissaries of all kinds visiting here to check whether the government is following the path it has promised to the masters. How on the earth one could say this is a nationalist government when in all aspects, politically, economically and socially it follows the path laid by the global Establishment.

This government fell into this tragic condition by pursuing a war with the support of the global masters including India. War is a path for enslavement for such powers. Such a war will strengthen the right wing oppressive sections in the society and such forces in turn will link up with the global Establishment. Any one with open eyes could see what has happened; progressives such as Rajpal have made the mistake of accepting Sinhala chauvinism as Lanka nationalism. On the contrary Lankan nationalism should be able to mobilize all oppressed sections in this country against the actions of the global Establishment and its agents here. Indian nationalism thrived, at least for a period, as it stood for secularism, devolution on state wise and revival of all cultures. It dissociated from Siva sena and Hinduthva extremism. To the extent we allow discrimination and minority dissatisfactions to thrive, we will be helping global powers to intervene in our affairs.

“Those against the global Establishment, automatically identify with the local Nationalism that offers the only antidote to the dynamic of neo-liberalism and corporatism that operates as the global currency of power. But here in Sri Lanka, the ‘Nationalist’ establishment is seen as being somehow rightward, the reason being that ‘Nationalists’ are seen to be in power now.”, Said Raj.  This Lankan establishment is not nationalist. ; at least not the men at the top. All those who believed in this myth are breaking away in great disbelief. It is high time Rajpal the progressive open his eyes to the stark reality before him. Yes this is pity. It also promotes a fallacy. The truth is that progressive people become right-wing Establishment totems, because unfortunately they are defending set of robbers who are dismantling all welfare and subsidies of the people and dance to the tune of the IMF. Break this fallacy by not defending rogues; be true nationalists and play the real role that is in need; to defend the economic sovereignty of Lanka, mostly, from rapacious foreign onslaughts. Thus correct the narrative that is so skewed.