Dilrook Kannangara

Ungrateful fools of the JVP have forgotten their own slogans! There was a time when JVP activists were trying to die over privatisation of everything under the sun. All governments whether the green camp or the blue camp, were hell bent on privatising anything they could sell. From profit making enterprises to national icons, from sensitive state entities to potential money spinners, everything was under the reckless privatisation spell. Even the national carrier was privatised recklessly. Bank of Ceylon and the Peoples Bank were almost privatised. Ceylon Electricity Board, Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, Sri Lanka Post were also planned to be sold out until the Rajapaksha government bailed them out. It was never the Rajapaksha economic policy to sell the nationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s valuables to bridge the budget gap.

Have the JVP activists forgotten this?

If so it is high time they remind themselves of that era; it may be coming to haunt them again.

The next biggest thing taken up by the JVP was bowing down to World Bank dictatorship. All Sri Lankan governments bowed down to the Work Bank, the ADB and the IMF. They were willing to do anything to please them. At one point the government in power was willing to gift the North-East of the island to LTTE for a paltry sum of US$4.5 billion. Rajapaksha changed all this nonsense and restored national dignity the way the JVP wanted it. Today the World Bank finances our projects not the projects they specify. IMF comes down to our terms and conditions in extending loans. Financing terms donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t interfere with the territorial integrity and sovereignty anymore. ArenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t these victories worth celebrating?

American imperialism was another slogan heavily used by the JVP. Now who is under the remote control of American imperialists? He is an American himself!

The third JVP demand was not to listen to the West and forge a stronger relationship with China. DidnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t Rajapaksha government do that? The West now listens to Sri Lanka as an equal partner. This small country is no longer a brothel for Norwegians, French or English dirty interferers to come and pay a visit to the nationƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s enemies hiding in jungles. Who restored the dignity of Mother Lanka?

JVP leaders have forgotten all these when they started to enjoy good times. If only bad times can remind them of the bygone past, it is very unfortunate of them.

Fourth demand of the JVP was a reduced Cabinet. Who compelled the Rajapaksha administration put up with a jumbo Cabinet? ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s the JVP. JVP contested the 2004 general election with the SLFP and obtained 39 seats. However, when it came to serving the people JVP backtracked. Rajapaksha had two options. Go for another undue general election in 2006 or get onboard whoever was willing to sustain the government. Although politicians with a previous record of corruption joined in, did they commit at least 10% of their previous corrupt acts? No.

On the other hand JVP even stopped extending support for the war effort!

Can this behaviour be the conduct of the ground level JVP activists? No. JVP parliamentarians have distanced themselves from ground realities.

Corruption is another slogan of the JVP. Who is more corrupt, the Rajapaksha administration or the Ranil-Mangala-Ravi-Hakim-Danuna-Fonseka clan? The answer is obvious. Anyone can promise to end othersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ corruption but when it comes to own corruption, they go silent. If Fonseka is not corrupt, he has no reason whatsoever to lose his temper when Hicorp is mentioned.

It is time JVP voters distance themselves from the UNP and realise the improvement in the state they were in four years ago. Fat cat JVP leaders are now in their own little world of power and henchman-ship. Indeed they have now turned to fat cats; very fat to be precise like the well known crook of the UNP who cannot differentiate between Alimankada and Pamankada. Today JVP leaders are forced to whitewash corrupt UNP leaders. And they do it without any shame. But the average JVPer cannot follow him to be degenerated. ItƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s high time all JVP members and voters rally around the peoplesƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ president who ended the World Bank dictatorship and reckless privatisation of public assets.