By Saman Indrajith

Chief Government Whip and Highways Minister Johnston Fernando in Parliament yesterday pleaded with JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake to abandon his plans to involve schoolchildren in street protests as such a move would worsen the prevailing crisis.

“We know that crisis and perpetuating crises is your long suit. You and your party cadres are happy only when the country is in turmoil. Your desire is to see more people suffering in queues. You love to see blood. You should stage rallies and protests. It is your political right. But do not drag innocent schoolchildren into this mess. Your party tried to bring all schoolchildren to the streets on Wednesday. Thankfully, that plan failed. We call on you not to do so again. Do not push the country back to the 1988-89 period again.”Fernando said.

“We have just recovered from the pandemic. We got all people vaccinated in record time and the economy showed signs of recovery when you launched street protests.

“Do not take the youth and children to the streets. Instead of thinking how to grab power through protests, engage in democratic politics. It may be hard for you to abandon your old habits. Now, people are realising that your party cadres are behind the protests. They would not fall for your tricks again.

“President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will not resign just because Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his men shout slogans. The president is elected by the people and he will not step down. Even Madam Sirimavo Bandaranaike faced a similar crisis in 1971. Thousands of youth were killed because of the JVP uprising. Then another 60,000 youth perished in the 1988-89 period. Do not push the country back to that situation again.

“I am thankful to Opposition MPs who expressed their suggestions to solve the crisis. We must understand that there should be a country for all of us to live in. We could do politics only if there is a country.

“There are shortages but they will not last forever. We are taking every possible measure to solve these problems. But the issue of shortages is not a political crisis. Both government and opposition MPs except the JVP respect the principles of democracy. We do our politics within the constitutional provisions. It is the JVP that encourages people to violate the Constitution. Anura Kumara Dissanayake said at a recent rally in Nugegoda that the Constitution was not needed and people should go beyond the constitutional provisions. He should understand that people will no longer fall for the JVP’s tricks. Those who fell for their tricks and believed their stories are now resting in peace,” the Minister said.