Features

Sri Lanka’s second freedom struggle against imperialism to win economic sovereignty

Published

9 months ago

2025/07/7

Commemoration of the 82nd Anniversary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka in Colombo on 03 July.

Address delivered by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Sri Lanka Dr. G. Weerasinghe at the commemoration of the party’s 82 anniversary of the party.

We take this opportunity to pay tribute to the founding leaders of our party, Dr. S.A. Wickramasinghe, Ven. Udakendawala Siri Saranankara Thero, M.G. Mendis, Pieter Keuneman, A. Waidyalingam, P. Kandaiya, and all the leaders who have led the party to this day, as well as to all the brothers and sister comrades who sacrificed their lives in various struggles of the working class movement during and after the freedom struggle, as well as to the dozens of party leaders who were killed later, and to all the comrades who have died with our movement.

What the Communist Party has done during the last 82 years – Some people ask.

According to some, the 7 decades (77 years) that have passed since the Dominion’s independence in 1948 were a wasted time. Is this statement true? Let us examine briefly the history.

General strikes of 1945, 1946, 1947

– Those were the General strikes that won rights such as the 8-hour workday, overtime pay, holiday schemes and retirement pension rights for public service. These strikes were led by the trade union movement, working with the Communists and the Sama Samaja Parties.

Free Education

– A huge amount of work was done by the Communist/Sama Samaja Movement to establish free education by placing the demand for free education before the country and carrying out the campaign for it in and outside Parliament.

Freedom Struggle

– The Leftist Movement played an important role in integrating the freedom struggle with the struggle of the working class movement to gain Independence in the Dominion status of 1948.Leading the 1953 Great Hartal and people’s victory in 1956

– Leading 1953 Great Hartal that emerged at a time when the people’s cost of living problems were acute and paved the way for the people’s victory in 1956.

– Providing the Employees Provident Fund to the working people in the private sector is a huge victory achieved by the Communist Party Trade Union Movement.

Nationalized enterprises, relations with the socialist world and the national economy

– Relations with socialist countries including the Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China were established.

– Nationalising transport, ports, energy and other enterprises, large estates including the Sterling-Pound Estates, laying the foundation for a national economy through establishing factories such as Oruwala Steel, Kelaniya Tyre, Minneriya, Pugoda, Thulhiriya, Veyangoda textile industries etc.

– Facilitation of free educational opportunities in the socialist world to provide higher education opportunities to thousands of Sri Lankan youth.

– Translated Russian and Soviet literature and all political books, including the books of the socialist world, into Sinhala and Tamil languages and made them available to Sri Lankan readers at affordable prices.

– Introducing excellent Sri Lankan artists, musicians, writers, dancers, singers, and various people related to the art to the world stage.

– Completed political freedom by introducing a Republican Constitution in 1972.

To those who claim that nothing has happened in the past 76 years and that the building of the country has only begun now, we have to say that Sri Lanka has achieved many achievements that are respected both nationally and internationally, and that the left movement led by the Communist /Sama Samaja Parties has led or contributed to many of those achievements. Many of those achievements have been achieved when the left movement worked together with the broad progressive movement in the country.

The achievements that Sri Lanka speaks of with respect, such as free education, very low maternal and infant mortality rates, high literacy, very high life expectancy at birth, and human development indicators, have been achieved because of the above-mentioned welfare-oriented populist measures adopted over the past 76 years.

However, the policies followed since independence underwent a fundamental change in 1977. In fact, almost all of the above-mentioned successes were achieved by 1977.

We stated that political freedom was completed in 1972. But for political freedom to be meaningful, economic freedom is necessary. A country must have economic sovereignty. The economic sovereignty of a country cannot be lost due to the emergence of economic relations between countries.

Do we have economic freedom/economic sovereignty in Sri Lanka?

On 08/04/2025, while releasing the book titled “Sri Lanka’s Economic Revival, A Reflection on the Journey from Crisis to Recovery”, its author, Mahinda Siriwardena, Secretary to the Treasury (Ministry of Finance) of Sri Lanka, stated that “no matter how powerful the political pressures, we urge the people of the country to consider the serious consequences that may arise if we do not follow the path chosen with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and to take the same path to regain economic sovereignty”.

As one of the few key figures leading the country’s economy, the Treasury Secretary states that the country currently lacks economic sovereignty and that it must work with the IMF to achieve it.

At the aforementioned book launch meeting attended by the President and the Governor of the Central Bank, Mahinda Siriwardena stated that the country went into crisis because the main political leaders of the country at the time rejected his advice as a solution to the crisis of 2020-21 and did not accept internationally accepted solutions, and went for solutions originated in Sri Lanka. He further says that the programme with the International Monetary Fund was joined after 2022, and that the crisis erupted due to the delay in starting the program.

Sometimes, various people are named as being responsible for the crisis, or allegations are made that the country went bankrupt due to factors such as distributing carrom boards to sports clubs from state funds.

Therefore, let us briefly examine the economic crisis that erupted in 2022.

The economic crisis erupted in 2022 as a triple crisis;

• As a foreign exchange or dollar crisis

• As a public finance or rupee crisis

• As a debt crisis

If we find out the reasons that led to these three crises, we can find the truth.

1. The import/export policy that started in 1978, which caused the trade deficit that has persisted since 1978

2. The tax policy that started in 1978, which caused the state revenue to fall since 1978

3. The borrowing policy that caused the debt mountain that rose since 1978 due to the above two reasons

It is clear that the above policies created the crisis we faced.

Therefore, the Communist Party of Sri Lanka very scientifically and very clearly states that the import/export policy that caused the dollar deficit, the tax policy that caused the rupee deficit, and the borrowing policy that was implemented due to these two factors, were born from the economic strategy implemented since 1978. Therefore, the crisis was born out of the economic strategy, not individuals. Even today, it is difficult to find a solution to our crisis because of statements made with political motives without a scientific analysis of the origin of the crisis.

As the title of Mahinda Siriwardena’s book suggests, the country has already recovered from the economic crisis, or if not, is recovering. Is that statement true?

On April 12, 2022, Sri Lanka declared “bankruptcy”.

In March 2023, the International Monetary Fund agreed to a four-year programme with Sri Lanka. The IMF will provide Sri Lanka with US $ 2.9 billion in tranches over those four (04) years, assessing how the agreed program is being implemented in the country.

The program has now been in operation for more than two years, and the programme will be completed by March 2027.

Is the crisis being resolved – what is its current situation?

Oil queues are gone and goods are being imported as usual. It is said that thousands of vehicles have been imported so far, including automobile imports.

Some see this situation as the country returning to normal due to the resolution of the crisis. It is clear that since the debt payment has been stopped, the country is spending the foreign exchange traditionally received by it on importing various goods including fuel and automobiles.

The central issue of the crisis is the “debt” mountain. What is happening to it? According to Central Bank statistics,

2022 total external debt – US$ 49.7 billion

2023 total external debt – US$ 54.2 billion

2024 total external debt – US$ 57.1 billion

It can be easily predicted that this will have exceeded US$ 65 billion by the time the debt is paid in 2027. The IMF is working to resolve the crisis in our country, including the debt crisis. By the end of the funding program, Sri Lanka’s foreign debt, which was at the beginning of the crisis, is set to increase by $15-20 billion by 2027.

Loss of livelihoods,

According to the Department of Population and Statistics;

– About 20% of small and medium-sized enterprises, which were about 1.3 million in 2018, or about 230,000, had permanently or temporarily ceased their entrepreneurial activities by 2023. Nearly 500,000 jobs were lost due to this.

– By 2023, 15.1% of Sri Lankans have lost their jobs.

Poverty,

According to World Bank statistics;

In 2022, 25% of the country’s population was below the poverty line, and by the end of 2023, that number had increased to 27.9%.

People leaving the country,

People registered with the Foreign Employment Bureau and leaving the country

2021- 122,000

2022 – 310,000

2023 – 297,000

2024 – 312,000

This number does not include thousands of professionals who leave the country every year.

For example, from 2022 to date, about 2000 nurses, about 1200 doctors, and about 1000 specialist doctors have left the country.

The widening gap between social classes

According to the United Nations Development Program report released in 2023, the top 1% of the country’s population owns 31% of the country’s wealth, while the bottom 50% of the population owns about 4% of the wealth. A terrible gap has been created.

Therefore, what we need to understand is that the economic crisis in our country is not just a situation caused by a few individuals and that this country has by no means escaped that crisis yet.

The Four Noble Truths of Getting Rid of Economic Crisis

Our responsibility is to save the country from the crisis it is facing. To get rid of the crisis, we must find solutions to the causes that led to it.

Our Sorrow – Economic Crisis

The Cause of the Sorrow of Economic Crisis– The sorrow of the economic crisis arose because of the maintenance of import expenditure exceeding export income for more than 40 years, the collapse of state revenue due to the ridiculous tax policy implemented over a similar period, and the increase in the country’s debt of various types due to both of these factors.

To eliminate suffering

or get rid of the crisis, we must get rid of the above-mentioned causes that caused us to suffer, and for that, we must adhere to a program that addresses the causes that caused the crisis, or the path to eliminate suffering.

Such is the Four Noble Truths of the crisis.

The central issue of the crisis is the mountain of “debt”.

Dollars must be sought to pay off the debt. The country needs to pay off at least $3.5 billion a year in debt by the end of 2027. Can Sri Lanka do that? Is there a program in place for that? Dollars can be found by selling products and services to other countries outside Sri Lanka. For that, the country must be brought to a production economy. It must go to an industry-based production economy.

The second factor in the crisis is the collapse of state revenue

Therefore, a fair tax policy must be adopted to increase state revenue. It should not be a tax policy that makes the super-rich richer and the poor poorer.

This crisis can only be faced by the people facing it as a whole country. It is impossible to recover from the crisis without achieving national unity.

It must be understood that the world’s economic, technological and scientific power has shifted to Asia, and the global south is surpassing the global north.

Asia, including China, India, the ASEAN region, is gaining economic power in the world after 500 years. Geo-politics is changing in line with those developments.

Therefore, aligning with the emerging global South is a key condition for resolving the country’s economic crisis.

Many political forces are refraining from expressing an opinion on the current crisis and are talking of other smaller issues. The basic, main, and critical issue in the country is the economic crisis. It is not a problem caused by a few individuals as some say.

Except for a few of the nearly 150 countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America that gained independence after World War II, every other country is still underdeveloped because there are reasons common to all of these countries. That common reason is imperialism.

The challenge facing the political forces that have always stood for a national economy which is connected to the world, is whether they accept that the crisis originated from the imperialist economic strategy implemented in the country since 1978 – Or not?

If we do not accept how the crisis arose and erupted and think that the country should continue on the same path that brought it to crisis, then we can go on like that and end up in the dustbin of history.

We say to those who think that they will continue this program even after their coming to power, without speaking openly, clearly, and feeling shy to the country about the problems facing it that such people will not be an alternative to the current government. What the government is doing now is following the same path as the previous government. The UNP and SJB forces will do it better than them.

If we accept that the crisis arose and escalated through the economic strategy implemented for over the last 40 years, then the patriotic forces that accept this position must work together and face the challenge of saving the country. For that, we must form a clear position about how the country entered the crisis, explain it to the people, and embark on the difficult path of recovering the country from the crisis.

Before us is the patriotic struggle to win the economic sovereignty, economic independence of the country. It is a fight against imperialism, it is our second freedom struggle.

Victory to the second freedom struggle to win the economic sovereignty of our motherland!

Victory to the anti-imperialist struggle!

The Communist Party is dedicated to fulfilling its duty with all its might

Victory to the Communist Party!

Victory to the battle to save the country from the crisis!

The future struggle to overcome the crisis is essentially anti-imperialist and patriotic

The motherland is at a critical juncture.

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Features

Illegal solar push ravages Hambantota elephant habitat: Environmentalist warns of deepening crisis

Published

5 hours ago

2026/03/19

Sahan Weerasooriya

Land earmarked for the project

A large-scale move to establish solar power plants in Hambantota has triggered a major environmental and social crisis, with more than 1,000 acres of forest—identified as critical elephant habitat—cleared in violation of the law, environmental activist Sajeewa Chamikara said.

Chamikara, speaking on behalf of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform, said that 17 companies have already begun clearing forest land along the boundaries of the Hambantota Elephant Management Reserve. The affected areas include Sanakku Gala, Orukemgala and Kapapu Wewa, which are known to be key elephant habitats and long-used movement corridors.

He said that what is taking place cannot be described as development, but rather as a large-scale destruction of natural ecosystems carried out under the cover of renewable energy expansion.

According to Chamikara, the clearing of forests has been carried out using heavy machinery, while large sections have also been deliberately set on fire to prepare the land for solar installations. He said that electric fences have been erected across wide stretches of land, effectively blocking elephant movement and fragmenting their natural habitat.

“These forests are not empty lands. They are part of a living system that supports wildlife and nearby communities. Once destroyed, they cannot be easily restored,” he said.

The projects in question include a 50 megawatt solar development undertaken by five companies and a larger 150 megawatt project implemented by 12 companies. The larger project is reported to be valued at around 150 million US dollars.

Chamikara stressed that these projects are being carried out in a coordinated manner and involve extensive land clearing on a scale that raises serious environmental concerns.

He further alleged that certain companies had paid about Rs. 14 million to secure support and move ahead with the projects. He said this points to a troubling failure of oversight by state institutions that are expected to protect forests and wildlife habitats.

“This is not only an environmental issue. It is also a serious governance issue. The institutions responsible for protecting these lands have failed in their duty,” he said.

Chamikara pointed out that under the National Environmental Act, any project of this scale must receive prior approval through a proper Environmental Impact Assessment process.

He said that clearing forest land before obtaining such approval is a direct violation of the law.

He added that legal requirements relating to archaeological assessments had also been ignored. Under existing regulations, large-scale land clearing requires prior evaluation to ensure that sites of historical or cultural value are not damaged.

“The law is very clear. You cannot go ahead with projects of this nature without proper approval. What we are seeing is a complete disregard for legal procedure,” Chamikara said.

The environmental impact of these activities is already becoming visible. With their natural habitats destroyed, elephants are increasingly moving into nearby villages in search of food and shelter. This has led to a sharp rise in human-elephant conflict in several areas.

Areas such as Mayurapura, Gonnooruwa, Meegahajandura and Thanamalvila have reported increasing encounters between humans and elephants. According to Chamikara, more than 5,000 farming families in these areas are now facing growing threats to their safety and livelihoods.

He warned that farmers are being forced to abandon their lands due to repeated elephant intrusions, while incidents involving damage to crops and property are rising. There have also been increasing reports of injuries and deaths among both humans and elephants.

“This is turning into a serious social and economic problem. When farmers cannot cultivate their lands, it affects food production, income and rural stability,” he said.

Chamikara also raised concerns about the broader environmental consequences of clearing forests for solar power projects. While renewable energy is promoted as a solution to reduce carbon emissions, he said that destroying forests undermines that goal.

“Forests play a key role in absorbing carbon dioxide. When you clear and burn them, you are increasing emissions, not reducing them. That defeats the purpose of promoting solar energy,” he explained.

He added that large-scale deforestation in dry zone areas such as Hambantota could also affect local weather patterns and reduce rainfall, which would have further negative impacts on agriculture and water resources.

Chamikara called for a shift in policy, urging authorities to focus on more sustainable approaches to solar power development. He said that rooftop solar systems on homes, public buildings and commercial establishments should be given priority, as they do not require clearing large areas of land.

He also recommended that solar projects be located on degraded or abandoned lands, such as areas affected by past mining or other low-value lands, rather than forests or productive agricultural areas.

“Renewable energy development must be done in a way that does not destroy the environment. There are better options available if there is proper planning,” he said.

Chamikara urged the Central Environmental Authority and the Department of Wildlife Conservation to take immediate action to stop ongoing land clearing and investigate the projects. He stressed that all activities carried out without proper approval should be halted until legal requirements are met.

He warned that failure to act now would lead to long-term environmental damage that could not be reversed.

“If this continues, we will lose not only forests and wildlife, but also the balance between people and nature that supports rural life. The consequences will be felt for generations,” he said.

The situation in Hambantota is fast emerging as a critical test of whether development goals can be balanced with environmental protection. As pressure grows, the response of authorities in the coming weeks is likely to determine whether the damage can still be contained or whether it will continue to spread unchecked.

By Ifham Nizam

Features

Why Mahatma Gandhi’s teachings need to be at the heart of conflict resolution

Published

5 hours ago

2026/03/19

Sahan Weerasooriya

Mahatma Gandhi

All credit to the Tamil Nadu government for taking concrete measures to perpetuate the memory of the renowned Mahatma Gandhi of India, who on account of his moral teachings stands on par with the likes of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Confucius and Jalaluddin Rumi, to name a few such all-time greats. The time is indeed ripe to draw the world’s attention to the Mahatma’s humanistic legacy which has resonated in the hearts of peace-oriented sections the world over down the decades.

Under its mega developmental blueprint titled ‘ Tamil Nadu 2030’, the Tamil Nadu government, among other things, intends transforming villages into centres of economic growth in conformity with the Mahatma’s vision of making the village the fundamental unit of material and spiritual advancement. Thus will come into being the ‘Uttamar Gandhi Model Villages Project’, which will be initially covering 10 village Panchayats. (Please see page 3 of The Island of March 11, 2026).

The timeliness of remembering and appreciating anew the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi resides in the utter lawlessness that has been allowed to overtake the world over the last few decades by none other than those global powers which took it upon themselves to usher in a world political and economic order based on the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Mainly in ‘the dock’ in this regard are the permanent members of the UN Security Council.

As is plain to see, the international law and order situation has veered out of control. Principal priorities for the international community or what’s left of it is to prevent the current mainly regional war in the Middle East from degenerating dangerously into another world war, coupled with the task of eliminating the possibility of another nuclear holocaust.

The most scorching of ironies is that the world’s ‘number one power’, the US, has virtually lost its way in the ‘Global Disorder’ it has been party to letting lose. For instance, instead of making good its boast of militarily neutralizing Iran and paving the way for the constant flow of fuel and gas from the Strait of Hormus by itself and Israel, it is now appealing to the rest of the West to come to its assistance. Not surprisingly, US allies are indicating their unwillingness to help pull the US’ ‘chestnuts out of the fire’.

Oil and gas are the veritable life blood of countries and going ahead it should not come as a surprise if impatience gets the better of the major powers and the nuclear option is resorted to by some of them under the dangerous illusion that it would be a quick-fix to their growing economic ills and frustrations.

All the above and more are within the realms of the possible and the need is pressing for humanistic voices to take centre stage in the present runaway crisis. As pointed out in this column last week, Realpolitik has overtaken the world and unless the latter is convinced of the self-destructive nature of the major powers’ policy of ‘meeting fire with fire’ to resolve their disputes, annihilation could be the lot of a good part of the world.

For far too long the voice of humanity has been muted and silenced in the affairs of world by the incendiary threats and counter-threats of the big powers and their allies. No quarter has been bold enough in these blood pressure-hiking slanging matches to speak of the need for brotherly love and compassion among nations and countries. But it’s the language of love and understanding that is the most pressing need currently and the Mahatma in his time did just that against mighty odds.

At present the US and Iran are trading threats and accusations over military-related developments in the Gulf and it’s anybody’s guess as to what turn these events will take. However, calming voices of humanity and moderation would help in deescalating tensions and such voices need to go to the assistance of the UN chief and his team.

The Mahatma used the technique of ‘Satyagraha’ or the policy of non-violent resistance to oppose and dis-empower to a degree the British empire in his time and the current major powers would do well to take a leaf from Gandhi. The latter also integrated into the strategy of non-violent resistance the policy of ‘Ahimsa’ or love and understanding which helped greatly in uniting rather than alienating adversaries. The language of love, it has been proved, speaks to the hearts and minds of people and has a profoundly healing impact.

Mahatma Gandhi defined the ideal of ‘Ahimsa’ thus: ‘In its positive form, “Ahimsa” means the largest love, the greatest charity. If I am a follower of “Ahimsa”, I must love my enemy or a stranger to me as I would my wrong-doing father or son. This active “Ahimsa” necessarily includes truth and fearlessness.’ (See; ‘Modern Indian Political Thought; Text and Context’ by Bidyut Chakrabarty and Rajendra Kumar Pandey, Sage Publications India, Pvt. Ltd., www.sagepub.in).

In the latter publication, the authors also defined the essence of ‘satyagraha’ as ‘protest without rancour’ and this is seen as ‘holding the key to his entire campaign’ of non-violent resistance. From these perspectives, the teaching, ‘hatred begets hatred’ acquires more salience and meaning.

Accordingly, the voice of reason and love needs to come centre stage and take charge of current international political discourse. The UN and allied organizations which advocate conflict resolution by peaceful means need to get together and ensure that their voices are clearly heard and understood. The global South could help in this process by seeing to the vibrant rejuvenation of organizations such as the Non-aligned Movement.

An immediate task for the peace-oriented and well meaning is to make the above projects happen fast. In the process they should underscore afresh the profound importance of the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, who is acclaimed the world over as a uniting and healing political personality and prophet of peace.

If the Mahatma is universally acclaimed, the reason is plain to see. Put simply, he spoke to the hearts and minds of people everywhere, regardless of man-made barriers. The language of peace and brotherhood, that is, is understood by everyone. The world needs more prophets of peace and reconciliation of the likes of the Mahatma to drown out the voices of discord and war-mongering and ensure that the language of humanity prevails.

Features

Exciting scene awaits them …

Published

5 hours ago

2026/03/19

Sahan Weerasooriya

The Future Model Hunt extravaganza, organised by Rukmal Senanayake, and advocacy trainer Tharaka Gurukanda, held in late January 2026, has brought into the limelight four outstanding contestants who will participate, at the international level, this year – Sandeepa Sewmini, Demitha Jayawardhana, Diwyanjana Senevirathna, and Nimesha Premachandra.

Nimesha took the honours as Mrs. Tourism Sri Lanka 2026 and was featured in The Island of 05th March,

Sandeepa Sewmini was crowned Miss Supranational 2026 and will represent Sri Lanka at the big event to be held in Poland later in the year.

A Business Management and Human Resources student, she will be competing under the guidance of Rukmal Senanayake from the Model With Ruki – Model Academy & Agency.

The Mister Supranational Sri Lanka crown went to Demitha Jayawardhana, a 20-year-old professional model and motocross rider.

Apart from modelling he is engaged in his family business.

Demitha Jayawardhana: Mister Supranational Sri Lanka 2026

Demitha is also a badminton player with a strong passion for sports, fitness and personal growth.

In fact, he is recognised for his strength, discipline, and passion for fitness.

A past student of Wycherley International School and St Peter’s College, Colombo, Demitha is currently in his second year of Economics Management at the Royal Institute of Colombo.

He will represent Sri Lanka at the 10th edition of the Mister Supranational pageant, in Poland, in August, 2026.

Mister and Miss Supranational are annual international beauty pageants, held in Poland, and are designed to discover new talent for the modelling and television industries and produce instant celebrities.

The competition focuses on elegance, intelligence, and social advocacy, with contestants, representing their countries.

The newly appointed Miss Teen International Sri Lanka 2026 is Diwyanjana Senevirathna.

She was crowned at the Future Model Hunt and will represent Sri Lanka at the Miss Teen International 2026 pageant in India.

Diwyanjana is noted for her grace and dedication to representing the country at this prestigious event that aims to celebrate talent, intelligence, charm, and individuality, and provide a platform for young girls to showcase their skills.