By Saman Indrajith

The JVP youth wing has called on the public to take to the streets to send the incumbent government home and thereby end the prevailing crisis engulfed by uncertainty.

Addressing the media at the JVP headquarters in Pelawatte, National Organiser of the Socialist Youth Union Eranga Gunasekera said that prices of all essential commodities have been increased by around 40 percent and people are in dire straits. “The price of a loaf of bread is over Rs 120 now. If this government remains in power, the people will not be able to celebrate Sinhala and Tamil New Year in April. The country has come under a cloud of uncertainty. This cannot and should not be allowed to continue any further. We call on the youth to take to the streets against the incumbent government. We have made arrangements to stage a protest on Friday starting from the Maradana Technical Junction, in Colombo, at 10 am. We hope not only the youth but also the people will join us to urge this government to resign immediately,” Gunasekera said.

Gunasekara added that not only the incumbent government but also all successive governments, since independence, should be held responsible for the state of affairs in the country. All these governments, especially those in power after 1977, continued to sell the national assets to foreigners. The leading buyers were India, China and the US and thereby let the country be in the grip of those countries.

“The most recent example was the selling of the Trinco oil tank farm. The British colonial administration built 101 oil tanks near the Trinco harbour because they had the vision of the value of such a storage terminal. Two tanks were destroyed during World War II. Each of these tanks is 45 feet in height and linked by a pipeline longer than 56 kilometers. The British have built that system to stand against storms and hurricanes and possible enemy attacks. They also built the Dolphin jetty in the Trinco harbour to optimize the use of the oil tank farm. The government, in 1964, purchased it from Britain, for 250,000 sterling pounds. Though we took it over, successive governments could not optimize its use. In 2002, Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government leased it to India for 35 years, but the agreement could not be validated as that government collapsed within six months. India used the oil tank farm by-force, claiming that they have a right to do so. In 2017, Ranil Wickremesinghe tried, once again, to complete the process. The SLPP came to power, promising to save the national assets. They leased the oil tank farm to India for 50 years. This is only a single example of for follies by the governments we had. We must change this political culture but the most urgent need is to send this government home,” Gunasekera said.

SYU National Committee Members Attorneys-at-Law Shanika De Silva, Arun Hemachandra, Members Shaini Bhagya, Ven. Koswatte Mahanama Thera and JVP Kotikawatte-Mulleriyawa PS Member Nilimi Garlack also addressed the press.