Courtesy The Morning

23 May 2025 | BY Prof. Tissa Vitarana

The world is in a state of economic, social and political crisis. There are those who predict the end of the world, which includes some religious leaders and their followers. But, all the leaders of the great religions did not live in a capitalist society; it was feudal, slave or tribal. 

To understand what is happening today, a scientific understanding of the capitalist system is required and this was provided by Karl Marx. Marxists scientifically showed that it was conflicts due to exploitation of the vast majority of humanity by a small elite minority, the super-rich, that led to the collapse of the great slave and feudal civilisations of the past. They showed that the capitalist system too would collapse, and that for humanity to survive, the only hope was to live in harmony in a socialist society. This would be a stable system as it would be free of exploitation of humans by humans, and without divisions based on classes into elitists and those who are poor. The Lanka Sama Samaja Party (LSSP) has adopted gradual regime change to save Sri Lanka and a beautiful life on it, as best we can.

Since its formation in 1935, it was the LSSP that led the fight against the malaria epidemic, and for complete independence from colonial rule under British Imperialism. The LSSP alone was banned and its leaders like Dr. N.M. Perera and Dr. Colvin R. de Silva were jailed. While the capitalist and feudal political leaders were satisfied with the limited independence gained in 1948, the LSSP continued the fight for complete independence which would include sovereignty, which still remained with the British ruler. This was finally achieved only 24 years later when Dr. de Silva became the Minister of Constitutional Affairs in the 1970 Coalition Government and he drafted the 1972 Republican Constitution that was passed in the Parliament. Only then did we get full independence (India led by M.K. Gandhi, J. Nehru and B.R. Ambedkar took only three years to gain sovereignty). This is a good indication of who were the real nationalists in both the countries, and the real anti-imperialists. When the United National Party Government placed the burden of the food crisis on the poor by raising the price of rice by three times, it was the LSSP that organised the hartal, the nation-wide protest against it, losing nine of our cadres, led by D. Edwin Weerasinghe Gunasekera.

In 1935, the LSSP made 22 demands which included free education and health, and complete trade union rights for all employees, which they won, through general strikes and other struggles. The LSSP built up a strong trade union movement in the Government sector (the Government Workers Trade Union Federation) and also in the private sector (the Ceylon Federation of Labour). They led strikes and protest marches in support of their demands for living wages and other workers rights. These are now enshrined in the labour laws of the land which the employers have to observe mandatorily. It was in the 1970 Coalition Government, where the LSSP had 19 Parliamentarians out of a total of 95, that the British-owned plantation sector was nationalised when Dr. de Silva became the Minister of Plantation Affairs and established the State Plantation Corporation. R.A. Leslie H. Gunawardana of the LSSP became the Minister of Transport and with the help of Anil Moonesinghe formed the Ceylon Transport Board and the state bus service, ending the monopoly by the private Bus companies whose main interest was to make money without properly serving the passengers. Dr. Perera, as the Finance Minister, produced a balanced budget, and not a deficit budget, like all others including the present Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna/National People’s Power (JVP/NPP) Finance Minister (Rs.2.2 billion for this year [2025]). The latter has continued to resort to foreign borrowing and our debt has increased to United States (US) Dollars ($) 84 billion. Dr. Perera reduced borrowing to the lowest level in our history. Together with Hector S.R.B. Kobbekaduwa, using household waste, he achieved a considerable level of food self-sufficiency. By discouraging imports, he promoted the national economy by increasing local food production and value added industries. Dr. Perera developed a scheme to ensure that no one went hungry, and that prices were kept low by linking producer and consumer cooperatives through an official identity card, preventing exploitation by middlemen. His economic policies helped Sri Lanka to emerge from the periodic severe capitalist economic crises, which were made several times worse by the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries fossil fuel crisis of 1972/1973, when oil prices increased seven times, by burdening only the exploiting super-rich. There were no indirect taxes like Value Added Tax (VAT) on the people, which the NPP/JVP is continuing at present.

Inspired by the LSSP leaders, as the Minister of Science and Technology, I established 263 Vidatha Centres, one in every then available Division, and I am informed that over 30,000 small and medium entrepreneurs have arisen country-wide and more than 1,000 of them are successful exporters. To become a developed country without poverty, we must develop a hi-tech industry that can compete abroad as well, and I set up a Nanotechnology Centre at Homagama, the only one in South Asia. 

As true socialists, we have no blood on our hands and have never damaged public or private property. No elected LSSP member has been guilty of stealing or the misuse of public property or their power. As true scientific socialists, with the necessary knowhow and experience, it is the LSSP that can make the system change that will enable Sri Lanka to minimise exploitation and poverty and mobilise the people to make our country a sustainable developed country.

Issues and problems: LSSP solutions 

Climate change impact on agriculture: 

Excessive drought and rain and at wrong times destroying crops, especially rice. The cause: carbon dioxide gas from fossil fuel (petrol, diesel, gas and coal) used for energy here and abroad. Global warmth together with unpredictable weather can lead to food shortages and starvation.

Replacing fossil fuels for energy by renewables like solar is an urgent global need though the international fora is continuing for its implementation globally, mainly in industrial states. US President Donald J. Trump does not accept this possibility, and, by shifting industries back to the US, a major threat can arise globally. Stop the Trump threat.

Hunger: 

The income of 70% of families in Sri Lanka is below the poverty line. They cannot have three meals a day. Many parents have one meal a day and children two. The rice gives energy to work and play. But, growing children need protein, vitamins and minerals. When this is absent, especially in the first five years of life, physical and mental development drops and this can eventually result in mentally subnormal dwarfs. The malnutrition level which was 14.3% has doubled. Present and future generations will suffer permanently. 

Properly identify families in need, by the public health service (Public Health Inspectors, Public Health Nurses). The LSSP will ensure that an honest committee of members and officials execute and use the funds.

Poverty: 

Poverty is increasing worldwide, and so is the gap between the super-rich and the poor. This is both within countries and between countries and is leading to political instability and social unrest, and localised wars. Even the middle class is badly affected. So long as the economic exploitation of the vast majority of humans, like the workers, by a handful of super-rich capitalists, the hegemonists, continues to increase, poverty will grow. This is being made worse in Sri Lanka as the JVP/NPP Government is continuing to place the burden of the crisis on the poor, working and middle classes by levying VAT and other indirect taxes. By reducing the liability for direct taxation from Rs. 400,000 to Rs. 150,000, the middle class has been badly hit. This is directly felt by the Government servants (the Pay As You Earn system). Why no increase of the super-rich tax?

Introduce the LSSP’s ‘solidarity economic system’, that is now widely practiced in capitalist Europe and developing economies like India. The ownership of an enterprise is vested in the employees at all levels, and not in a company or a capitalist. Employee councils manage the enterprise. Besides their salaries, the employees get equal shares of the profit. State banks provide low interest credit. This has led to high yields and all waste and stealing has stopped (tea land in India).

Agriculture, Govt. and private debt: 

Foreign and local debt has reached colossal levels. The foreign debt which stood at $ 52 billion has risen to $ 84 billion and the country was declared to be bankrupt. The President Ranil Wickremesinghe Government agreed to implement the International Monetary Fund conditionalities and obtained further loans, adding to our debt. He obtained a five year moratorium (delay in repaying the loans and interest) which the present JVP/NPP Government is taking advantage of to obtain further loans, adding to our debt. It is the next Government that will have to repay the debt with interest. Farmers and their wives are deeply in debt to traders and mill owners. Suicides go unreported.

For all types of agriculture, there is a separate fund in the Central Bank. At a low interest of 7% and without any security, this can be obtained by farmers and farmer organisations at the time of cultivation, from rural banks. The repayment can be made after the sale of the harvest. LSSP representatives will ensure that all farmer organisations are informed so that the loans could be obtained in time. For rural enterprises, if they are submitted through the Vidatha Centres, low interest loans without security will be made available from the People’s Bank. There must be a gradual shift away from chemical agriculture to organic farming (swabha daham govithena) with the maximal use of domestic waste. End exploitation by the mill owner mafia, by supporting the small miller-farmer link.

Acute shortage of medicines in govt. hospitals: 

The lack of medicines in Government hospitals and clinics forces poor patients to buy these medicines from private pharmacies. They cannot pay the very high price and without the medicine, they fall ill and die prematurely. These go unreported, but estimates are that thousands die monthly.

When the LSSP was in the Coalition Government of 1970/1975 and Dr. Perera was the Finance Minister, he got the Prof. Senaka Bibile Medicinal Drug Policy properly implemented. The result was that medicines were available for practically every illness at all government hospitals free of charge. The Osu Sala was established in Colombo. Franchise Osusalas were established in other areas to compete with the private sector to reduce the price and ensure quality. The LSSP Health Department Unions and the Government Medical Officers Association gave full support.

Direct American threat to SL:

The US is in desperate need to make Sri Lanka its main military base in the Indian Ocean to service nearly 100 military ships. Its base in the Diego Garcia island which belongs to Mauritius, had to be returned to it by the end of 2024 on a decision by the International Court of Justice. Wickremesinghe agreed to sign the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the US to allow Sri Lanka to be used as a US base, but, as he had no mandate from the people at a General Parliamentary Election, he could not. The JVP/NPP Government must under no circumstances sign the SOFA which allows the US to bring in any arms without Customs inspection and use all our ports. For any crime, US soldiers commit, the Sri Lankan law does not apply, only the American law. Like in Okinawa, Japan, the US soldiers can get away with rape and even murder. The Millennium Challenge Corporation Agreement allows the US multinational corporations to control the Sri Lankan private economy. Sri Lanka will become a colony once again.

Under no circumstances should Sri Lanka sign these two Agreements, or even get into a position that it can be forced upon us to do so.

Danger from India: 

The immature JVP/NPP Government is mishandling the relationship between our two Governments at all levels. The 1970 Sirima R.D. Bandaranaike-led Sri Lanka Freedom Party/LSSP-led left-centre Coalition Government dealt with the Indian Government on equal terms. The sovereignty of Sri Lanka was respected at all levels of activity. It would appear that since then it has declined and reached the lowest level with this JVP/NPP Government. No discussion as it would appear, occurred at both the Cabinet of Ministers and Parliamentary levels, and after signing the Agreements, the public has not been informed. What has appeared in the print media is alarming. For instance, the purchase of medicines is to be given to one Indian pharma company. All digitalising is to be done by one Indian company which would have all our data. India would gain control of the Sri Lankan power grid. The Defence Pact – terms unknown. The JVP/NPP is betraying Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, and probably its independence, to India.

The JVP/NPP should not have signed any agreement with India on the lines mentioned in the media. If it has signed it, then it should be made public and also moved in the Parliament. It could then be brought up in the Supreme Court. There, it should be rejected as it violates the Constitution. This can then be conveyed to the Indian Government as being null and void. The JVP/NPP Government should resign forthwith and a fresh General Election held by the Election Commission. It is becoming clear that the JVP/NPP is not capable of governing the country, and the quicker it quits the better for the country and the people!

(The writer is the Leader of the LSSP)