May Day Resolutions of the JVP

This moment, when the International Workers’ Day – 2016 is commemorated the world capitalism and imperialism has again and again confirmed that it is unable to get free from its long term crisis and there is no solution within capitalism to this global capitalist crisis. The rights won by the downtrodden masses lead by the working class in its history are being slashed and they are oppressed due to the gigantic economic depression confronted by the capitalist system and this burden has been heaped mercilessly on the common people including the working class. When people are confronted with unemployment, debt burden and slashing of rights already won on one side, on the other wars and conflicts escalate throughout the world as imperialists have intensified their usual plunder of resources. Also, people all over the world have taken to the streets against the oppression unleashed on them.

In Sri Lanka too capitalism is in crisis while the new ‘yahapalana’ government that came to power defeating Rajapaksas’ family rule is following the same path of overloading the masses with the burdens of the crisis and is slashing rights of the masses to gratify imperialists and multi-national racketeering companies.

The JVP taking into consideration the current national and international conditions presents the following resolutions before this dignified Red May Rally:

National Sector:

The present administration too follows the same bankrupt economic policy maintained throughout the past by the capitalist governments in Sri Lanka that depended on loans, taxes and fines but totally neglecting production. The leaders of the government themselves say Sri Lanka’s debt at the moment exceeds Rs.9,500 billion resulting in the country being trapped in a debt trap in which every citizen in the country is indebted to the tune of nearly Rs.500,000. The government that is plagued by a massive crisis and asks the people to be prepared to consume ‘bitter decoction’ is slashing people’s rights, burden people and take more loans to further confine the country in the debt trap.

This Red May Rally that firmly believes Sri Lanka should come out of the ‘borrow to eat’ economic policy for a new economic policy and a new economic system that is based on production and its benefits are distributed justly, calls upon all distressed Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher, Malay masses and progressive and left forces to come forward to build the necessary people’s power to create a new economy, new society and a new Socialist society in Sri Lanka.

when all production avenues have been weakened and Sri Lanka’s bankrupt economy is submerged in a crisis, the present regime, instead of finding correct solutions for such issues and give incentives for production, is prepared to sign an Economic and Technology CooperationAgreement (ETCA) with India which would completely wipe out the already weak production avenues, breakdown the service sector in the country and aggravate the employment issue of the young generation.

This Red May Rally demands the government not to sign ETCA agreement which harms our economy, deprives Sri Lanka of her production avenues and the job market and hands over the services sector to India.

The present regime too has failed to take steps towards building national unity and find just solutions for the issues confronted by the masses in the North and the East despite 7 years have passed since the termination of the 30 year long separatist war that existed in the country. At this moment, when masses, without any North South difference, are preparing to struggle against the present regime to find solutions for their issues, the capitalist leaders in the North as well as certain sections in the government and Rajapaksa clique are attempting to rouse communalism again to break the unity that is being built. This Red May Rally, considering this a situation that should be defeated, calls upon all Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim masses not to be deceived by the programmes that cause communalism but to come together with trust for genuine national unity.
People living in the North and the East are confronted with several issues. Main among them are lands, housing and employment. Previous regime as well as the present one has failed to untangle the land issue of the people in the North and to take measures to give them back the lands they lost, mediate to build new houses in place of the houses that were damaged and other essential measures. This Red May Rally firmly believes that finding solutions for these issues should not be further delayed and demands the government to mediate immediately to specially solve the lands and housing issues of the North and the East, solve issues related to the disappeared and take steps to release all political prisoners who are being detained without legal action.
The working masses of the state, private and estate sectors that shed their sweat on behalf of the country’s economy have been further oppressed due to the existing economic crisis. The present regime that has failed to provide a salary and other essential rights necessary for them to make their ends meet is, instead, preparing plans to cut rights of the working masses including their right for pension. This Red May Rally vehemently condemns the attempt by the regime to grab rights of working masses and demands the government to
Add all allowances of state employees to their basic salaries
Give immediately the minimum salary increase of Rs.2500 to employees of the private sector

and

Increase daily wage of estate sector employees to Rs.1000 and take steps to sign the collective agreement that is being intentionally delayed.

The present administration is carrying out a move, intentionally, to breakdown agriculture, specially cripple paddy cultivation, by slashing the fertilizer subsidy and coming out with falsehoods to justify it, denying farmers the necessary seeds at reasonable prices, not taking steps to pay a fair price for farmers’ produce, conspiring to withdraw 100,000 hectares of paddy fields from paddy cultivation and sell to multi-national companies agricultural lands at very low prices.

This Red May Rally vehemently condemns government’s programme to oppress the farmer community and demands the government to immediately withdraw steps to destroy agriculture, take immediate measures to provide farmer community with superior and standardized fertilizer at reasonable price, solve land issue of the farmer community, legalize a certified price for farmers’ produce, implement it and immediately make available the farmers’ pension that was wrested from them.

The fisher community in Sri Lanka is confronted with severe difficulties due to non availability of basic facilities and high cost of fishing equipment. Sri Lankan fisher folk in the North are further tormented as the fish resources in the Northern sea are arbitrarily plundered by Indian fishermen. This Red May Rally, while condemning the irresponsible manner the government acts to solve these issues, demands the government to immediately find solutions for essential issues of the fisher folk, take steps to provide fishing gear at reasonable prices, stop the Indian fishermen’s plunder of resources in the North sea and take steps to make the environment suitable for fishermen in the North to engage in their industry.
This Red May Rally believes that following measures should be taken to defend the indisputable rights of the 7.5 million youths in the country and demands the government to

Establish new state universities to enable university admissions to all students who get qualified at the G.C.E. A/L examination.
Raise the number of university admissions to 1/3^rd by 2020. The number admitted to universities in 1990 was 21% from students who qualified at A/L examination and at present this number has been reduced to 17%.
Stop political intervention when recruiting for state employment and follow the competitive examination system.
Give back the pension right which is a right of the youths recruited for government service.
Make permanent in 180 days all newly recruited employees for state and private sectors.
Establish a performance task force to go into issues of the youth employment and take measures
Bring in laws to abolish giving or taking of dowry at marriage
Punish, without considering their positions, all those involved in poisonous drug racket.

The policy of the previous regime as well as the present government of gradually abolishing free education to give into privatization of education and the practices connected with it has jeopardized education in Sri Lanka and harmed the student population. This Red May Rally while condemning the policy of the government to privatize education demands the government to

Stop slashing free education immediately
Abolish Malabe (SAITM) private medical shop
Allocate ,as promised, 6% GDP for education
Stop immediately the repression against students who struggle democratically for the just rights of education.

Art and Aesthetics created as a great product of human labour for the social development of all humanity has been made a tool of the existence of the capitalist class throughout history. Rulers in Sri Lanka who have come to power since ‘independence’ followed a very lethargic policy regarding arts and humanities and by now several crises have developed in literature, fine arts, cinema, stage, tele-dramas and other sectors of Visual & Performing Arts. Instead of protecting creative rights of creators and providing them with the necessary technical knowhow and infra-structure facilities, a massive slashing of arts and humanities is being carried out. This Red May Rally, while emphasizing the previous and present regimes are directly responsible for this situation, demands the government to take immediate measures to solve all crises in all the sectors of Visual & Performing Arts, stop slashing of Visual & Performing Arts and confirm the rights and claims of creations of all creators.
Sri Lanka’s environment is threatened with destruction due to projects certain capitalist governments are carrying out in Sri Lanka jointly or under subjugation and due to certain moves of irresponsible companies and individuals. The environment should be protected for the existence of man and all living things and it is necessary to act for the stable existence of the environment. However, it is evident that the government has blotted out its responsibility for the steadfast existence of the environment or preventing environmental pollution and destruction. This Red May Rally condemns government’s irresponsible position and demands the government to take necessary action to protect the environment and take legal action necessary for the stable development of the environment. It also calls upon all environmentalists and people to come forward to protect the environment.
The present regime that came to power promising that legal action would be taken against those who were involved in large scale financial frauds, corruption, murders, abductions and other crimes committed during Rajapaksa regime now follows a lukewarm and stagnant policy. Also, stalwarts connected with the present regime too have been accused of committing frauds and corruption as well as charged of misusing power. This Red May Rally, considering this as a serious situation, demands the government to hasten investigations against those who have committed frauds, corruption, murders abductions and other crimes and take measures to punish all perpetrators without considering their positions.
The prices of fuel including that of crude oil have come down in the world market. The prices have been dropping throughout last year. However, the benefit of the low prices in the world market has not been given to the people. Instead, the government is plundering this benefit by levying high taxes and getting massive profits. This Red May Rally condemns the policy of the government of not giving relief to people when it has the opportunity to do so and demands the government to take steps to reduce the prices of fuel so that people in this country could get the benefit of reduced prices in the world market.
When Sri Lankan workers who are employed under trying conditions in foreign countries such as the Middle East, Europe, South Korea and Japan to earn foreign exchange for the country are confronted with several issues the governments in Sri Lanka never took adequate measures to solve them. Hence, this Red May Rally demands the government to go into the issues of Sri Lankans employed in foreign countries and take measures to find solutions for them.

International Sector:

As a result of trade and military manoeuvres of imperialist countries to divide again and again regions and markets several countries have been made anarchic states without any rule of law and engulfed in wars and conflicts. Due to this millions of people from North Africa, the Middle East and Western Europe, overcome with fear of war, famine and other oppressions, are fleeing their villages and countries as immigrants. The biggest human migration after the second world war has caused death to millions of children and adults and made millions more refugees wandering throughout the world. This Red May Rally, while extending its hands for these fraternal people, demands the rulers of these states including the European Union and the USA to:

Provide necessary facilities for these people,
Accept masses who have been made refugees by them and
Take measures to stop communal, religious and anti-immigrant moves against them.
‘Wikileaks, Snowden, ‘Panama Papers’ reveal the corrupt, unprincipled and larcenous nature of capitalist and imperialist states, their state leaders and the so-called leading companies in the world that talk highly about democracy, transparency, credibility and personal freedom to the world. Interfering in everything from listening stealthily to telephone conversations of state leaders of independent states, toppling governments, fabricating lies against political opponents in a bid to interfere economically and militarily in their countries, defrauding trillions of dollars – amounts similar to the GNP of the whole world through offshore companies maintained in tiny islands in Atlantic Ocean have proved terribly the despotic, corrupt and unprincipled nature of the capitalist system and its rulers.

This Red May Rally, while expressing its gratitude to the persons and institutions that took the initiative to expose the secrets which imperialism protected greedily, calls upon people all over the world to rise against these corrupt rulers, companies and individuals, to come forward to topple the capitalist system maintained by a few very rich individuals with people’s money and to create a Socialist administration.

As a result of global recession an extreme right fascist political tendency surfaced in socially, economically and administratively weak countries, spread globally and specially exist in North America and Europe. The capitalist administrations and companies willfully support these rightist cliques and groups to prevent masses that are tired of socio-economic crises uniting with left movements. These rightists fascist parties and groups getting strong and being strengthened occurred during the economic recession that existed before the second world war and it ended in a world war that took lives of 50 million people and razed to the ground productions of human labour that had taken several centuries to make. This Red May Rally that sees the rightist political parties and groups that speedily arise throughout the world as a massive threat to world peace and consensus in the future calls upon the people of the world to rise against rightist extremist political cliques and clasp hands with leftist and democratic forces.

This Red May Rally firmly believes that imperialism lead by the USA and the outdated capitalism could be defeated and a new Socialist society could be created in place of it only through a united struggle of the downtrodden people led by the working masses of the world and calls upon all socialists and communists throughout the world to come forward to build the Leninist International to achieve this great task.

01.05.2016

Colombo.