By Saman Indrajith
It is only through a struggle that democracy in Sri Lanka can be secured and the socialist dream realized. There is no other way to achieve this objective, leader of the Front Line Socialist Party, Kumar Gunaratnam alias Kumar Mahattaya said yesterday.
Gunaratnam who was freed from the Anuradhapura prison on Friday after serving one year term for violating visa regulations, told a press conference at the auditorium of the National Library, that his release does not mean the dawn of democracy in the country.
“I came out after serving the full term. The government seems to have shelved their idea of deporting me, thanks to protests, demonstrations and agitations by progressive forces. That is a victory for democracy. But while considering mine as an individual case, we can see that hundreds of other political prisons are still behind bars”, he noted.
Scores of others who fled the country in fear of suppression still live in exile as there is no clear assurance that they would be taken into custody once they return homeland. We have to continue our struggle for their rights and for my birth right to do politics in this country”, Gunaratnam said.
“I have been granted a two month extension of my tourist visa. So, I am forbidden to do politics here. Last time I was accused of violating immigration rules by doing politics on a tourist visa. But we hope we may be able to secure my political rights. For that we made requests to the government to grant my citizenship and we are waiting a response to decide our future course of action”, he explained.
Asked what he would do after securing his citizenship he replied: “I would seek the support of left and progressive forces and do politics to win the rights of the suppressed. We would do full time politics.”
On whether his party would support any of the two main parties in politics, he said: “We have nothing to do with capitalist parties. We would never join or support them. We cannot do so. We may win back people who currently go behind those parties. Except for winning the supporters of those parties, we have nothing to do with them.”
President of the Federation of University Teachers’ Association, Prof. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri said: “We would always support any struggle that would widen the opportunities for more democracy. The release of Gunaratnam would give further inspiration to such struggles. We are still not sure whether he would regain his political rights. But we would continue to support the struggle to ensure the political rights of people”.
Leenus Jayathilake of the United Workers’ Association, Sarath Kahagalla of the Independent Teachers Union, Vidarshana Kannagara of Praxis Collective, Dhammika de Silva of United Socialists’ Party, Dinuka Saputantri and Pubudu Jayagoda of the Frontline Socialist Party also addressed the media.
Courtesy: The Island