In the meeting held in New Town Hall on 20 October, Frontline Socialist Party leaders explained their solution to the crisis faced by the Lankan society. Comrades Nagamuwa and Pubudu indicated that the solution lies in socialism with proletarian democracy. Of course, finally the solution is in socialism but Lanka is still a backward country where national democratic tasks are not completed. Lankan bourgeoisie is incapable of completing anti imperialist democratic tasks. Both capitalist parties have failed to pull the country out of backwardness and to move into the path of development.

Under Neo liberalism, Lankan bourgeoisie has become just an instrument in the hands of IMF and global capitalist system. As such, more than any time in the past, the proletariat is burdened with fighting imperialist intervention and completing the democratic tasks. Of course, the struggle will lead to joining in the struggle for world socialism. We cannot achieve socialism in one country. Speeches of both comrades were useful not only in our country but even in develop countries as they generally explained the tactics of bourgeoisie and reality of socialist project. Both speeches have immediate relevance in the developed world where tyranny of modern technology is a complete reality.

In Lanka Mahinda regime is a product of backwardness. It draws power from the bloody repression of Tamil liberation movement. Sinhala majority is poisoned with chauvinist ideology of false patriotism. According to this vision, Tamil liberation is an instrument of imperialism of western powers! Even today Tamil Diaspora is campaigning in the western world to undermine the patriotic efforts of Mahinda regime. Hence devolution and Tamil freedom are slogans of western imperialism. Muslims, as Tamil speaking people, are tied to this conspiracy. They all must renounce the call for more devolution and power sharing which are tied to Eelam and separation! As long as these Tamil campaigns are there, Executive Presidency cannot be removed and armed forces cannot be demobilized. With this racist ideology Mahinda has developed a fascist type movement which has penetrated and undermined the Parliament, judiciary, armed forces, police and public administration. Open chauvinist thuggery is launched using organized Buddhist monks. The actions of Bodu Bala Sena and Ravana movement are supported and protected by the regime.

Death threats are made to those who oppose and specific suppression is launched against the non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Demonstrators who peacefully demanded redress udder human and democratic rights were attacked brutally and dispersed; Often using chauvinist organized thugs. Such thuggery was used against students, fishers, slum dwellers and workers. All media are threatened to keep in line with chauvinist campaign of the government. Ravana organization has barged into many public and company offices to demand what they think as patriotic policies! All this led us to classify this regime as a fascist styled regime.

Not only us but also many civil organizations have indicated and noted the special chauvinist repression, in particular the gangster method of attacking with stones, swords and guns. This method is used in addition to normal state terror by the security forces including police. This style of attack was used to suppress students, fishers, media and civil organizations.

This fascist style repression is aimed at finally, holding on to power by rigged election. Unless the opposition is prepared to face this fascistic threat inevitably Mahinda will retain Executive Presidency for the third term. In a situation where even judiciary has been brought under fascistic power this is inevitable if we do not fight together to defeat fascist type repression. However, mass consciousness has developed against this setup rapidly in the past period. As such situation is not hopeless. Of course, the left has to take the initiative of building a campaign to arrest the fascist style operations of the regime and to establish a condition for a free election.

It is in this duty the Frontline Socialist Party has failed to get involved. Failure to challenge the regime on pending issues is the beginning. There are two important national democratic issues. Firstly, the so-called development programme of the government dictated by the international lending organizations including the IMF. Lanka is rolling along the path to create an international entertainment centre for gamblers, racketeers and perverts at the expense of industrial production.

What is worst is the complete neglect of agriculture with food production, environment, culture and traditions. Secondly, the Tamil national problem, which has grown to be an international problem, threatening the independence of Lanka. Based on Sinhala Buddhist chauvinist sections Mahinda regime is dismantling even the present Provincial Council set up. In Tamil areas it has become an empty broken house, a centre for non devolution. It has increased the misery and hate among the Tamils and Muslims. All chauvinists including Hela Urumaya are demanding the removal of police and land powers with reinstatement of central power to control the periphery.

In this situation the liberal bourgeois leader Ranil Wickremasinghe has come out in support of 13^th Amendment with police and land powers to a merged province of North and East. Also to release political prisoners and to remove Executive Presidency, to be replaces by an Executive Prime Minister answerable to the Parliament. In economics he wants to change the development scheme to revive food production and local industries with fresh negotiations with global capitalism.

This has attracted not only the minority communities but also Sinhala industrialists, left and rationalist workers, non chauvinist Sinhala peasants and fishers. In this scenario left has to introduce a programme well beyond this and propose a fighting front against the chauvinist Mahinda regime which is servile to the global capitalism. Mahinda regime conceals its total submission to the neo liberal project by shouting against the west for latter’s support to devolution. His anti imperialism is just a cover for suppression of Tamil people. Only the left that kept the independence from the chauvinist coalition can supply leadership to an action movement that could incorporate the UNP too. Complete breakdown of common action movement in the last periods shows the importance of the role of revolutionary left. The sectarian attitude of Frontline Socialist Party, coupled with their reluctance to support the process of devolution and the autonomy for Tamil people, clearly show that they will not play a positive role at this juncture.

Vickramabahu Karunaratne