In memory of Late Comrade Wesley Muthiah, an epitome of the old LSSP.
Posted on August 3rd, 2011
By Charles.S.Perera
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Sri Lanka Sama Samaja Party ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ founded in 1935 ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ marking the beginning of a great Marxist movement that changed the political scene of Sri Lanka, is today moving into history.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Marxism merely means adhering toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ political theory of Marx and Engels , ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ that human actions and institutions are economically determined and that class struggle is needed to create historical changes to offset ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ capitalism.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LSSP ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which was based on these theories was called a Marxist party which drew lot of venom fromƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the opposition capitalist based parties.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LSSP however was once the main Opposition Party and even the second Largest Party in the Parliament ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ way back in the 1940s.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It started as a workers party and resorting to theoretical rhetoric to attract the workers in the government and private sector to unite them for a revolution of the proletariat against the ruling class.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It failed to advent beyond urban workers to the peasants and villagersƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which doomed it from the beginning to an early death unwept, unsung and unlamented. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ YetƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ perhaps breathing its last, it ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ remains ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ today the oldest of all the political parties in Parliament.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But unfortunately the JVP which attempts to replace that great political momentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ trying to identify it as a ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Marxist political party has not even a ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Marxist political programme. But what it has is ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ a program of disruption, creating ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ political mayhem ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to withhold the economic and social development of the country . JVP hopes to gain ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ popular attention and win their support ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by critical vituperations and mudslingingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ at the policies and progressive projects of the Government in power.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ JVP has neither Marxism nor Socialism, but manifestations ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and orations of criticism, of all activities of the Government to keep in tow aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ loosing political base.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It had beenƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ accepted as a dictum that political parties based on Marxist socialism in order ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to gain popular political support should ride behind the political movements which have alreadyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ gained the approval of the masses. JVP as a self proclaimed Marxist party should have therefore followed suit,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to find a political space to eventually come out as a major political force.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ JVP hadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the potential of being a popular political party, but withdrawing its support to the government has resulted in its falling headlong ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in to a political morass , with nothing new to propose to the people other than criticism of the party in power.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Any political partyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ calling itself a socialist or a Marxist movement should in the present political context of Sri LankaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ unite its forces not only to assist the governmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ socialist programme of development but also to defend the country against foreign forces gathering together to undermine the development processes of the country, destabilize itƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to break its unitary status.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In this situation it is sad the once active Lanka Sama Samaja Party has failed to make a significant contributionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ either in presenting a progressive programme, or taking a more prominent role in the activities of the present GovernmentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s effort of development.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In the political debates in Sri Lanka there is a marked absence of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party. Its incapacity to find a means toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ be heard and seen in the public arena has made itƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ already a ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-deadƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ political voice.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In this situation we cannot forget the contribution of ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ an ordinary member of the LSSP the Late Wesley Muthiah, who did not seek office or favours but ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ even living in UK ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in the latter part of his life carried out and organized very effective publicity programmes to bring the party sympathizers together, and organized and carried out ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ many projects to help the under priviledged people and unemployed youth in Sri Lanka, and kept the Lanka Sama Samaja Party ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ alive, heard and talked about. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ In parallel to such programmes, WesleyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ organized lectures , social functions, and get togethers of party sympathizers as measures ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ keeping the Party alive without ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ allowing it to fall in to oblivion. .
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ But unfortunately the lack of this type of organizations, meetings and social eventsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by the LSSP in Sri Lanka has resulted inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ its fallingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ into the category ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-vanishing speciesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the younger generation ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sri Lankans to-day seems to have already ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ forgotten the existence of the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LSSP . The last of the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- MohicansƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the Party ComradesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Vasudeva Nanayakkara and Tissa Vitharana ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ despite being Ministers in the present Government do not play active roles to whisk the LSSP back ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to the political lime light.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The Late Comrade Wesley Muthiah was a man with an abundance of energy, he was able to meet people, speak to them and arouse their interest in the Socialist movement. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That was how he was able to capture the imagination of his friend Comrade Sydney WanasingheƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to participate with him in his projectƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to write theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ land mark ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-epicƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ of the history of the Lanka Sama SamajaParty that went into several volumes -“Britain, World War 2 & the Sama Samjists” in January,1996, followed by, ” Bracegirdle Affair” (1998), ” We Were Making History” (2002), “The Case for Socialism”(2004), “Two Languages One Nation-One Language Two Nations” (2005), ” Socialist Women of Sri Lanka” (2006), and “Colvin R de Silva: Selected speeches and writings”, (2007)- ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ each covering a specific period of its history.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ When eventuallyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Lanka Sama Samaja Party would be relegated to history, the future generations of Sri Lankans will at least have the written history of it- thanks to the Late Comarades Wesley Muthiah- and read the story of a great leftist movement that started with the Suriya Mal movement of Comrade Dr.S.A. Wickramasinghe, and branched out to be the Lanka Sama Samaja Party.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Late Wesley Muthiah where ever he was, ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ did not fail to organize small groups of LSSP sympathizers and organize activities to bring the party toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ even aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ few people inclined towards socialism. In Matale, Wattegama, Elkaduwa, Nuwara Eliya, Talawakelle, Moratuwa, or in London Wesley did not fail to leave a remarkable ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ imprintƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of the LSSP.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Wesley was a rare individual overflowing with energy which he used immensely to keep alive the ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LSSP , unfortunately today the LSSP cannot count on any one to fill the empty space leftƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ by his premature departure.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Comrade Wesley Muthiah had not envisaged an eventual ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ dwindling insignificanceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of LSSP to which it has fallen to-day.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ He once referred to Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and said there would always be some one who will rise from an unexpected quarter to bring back to life LSSPƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ infuse into it the former vigour and popularity even if it would not be what it had been before.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Therefore on this fourth death anniversary of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Late ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ comrade Wesley MuthiahƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it is apt in his memory toƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ hope for some one to arise from within the present LSSP or from elsewhere to bring back to life ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and infuse into Lanka Sama Samaja Party itsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ former vigour and popularity before it breaths its last.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Wesley was a Methodist Christian, but his generosity and compassion, his hateless disposition, and selfless devotion to socialism madeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ him basically a Buddhist.
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ May he attain Nibbana.
August 4th, 2011 at 2:04 am
Good write up.
A very few people in Sri Lanka today know or heard about such stalwarts of yesteryears and I still remember the funny looks and remarks I got from renowned book stores in Sri Lanka, when searching for one of his book “The Bracegirdle Affair”.
Please keep up the good works & Thanks.