Hats off to Rupavahini workers

The year 2007 was remarkable for the sinister acts of the government and its henchmen against the people of the country. The year came to an end with a serious act of ministerial thuggery on an officer of the Rupavahini Corporation on December 27, which was obviously meant to terrorize, in general, its workers, who were disgruntled about the non-resolution of their problems as employees.

Mervyn Silva being escorted out of the Rupavahini Corporation

It is not simply Minister Mervyn Silva with a part of his retinue of thugs, who stands exposed due to this act of political thuggery but the entire government, for tolerating this and other such acts by him. What is consoling to the working class and the people is that the Rupavahini Corporation workforce stood up against this thuggery and brought the thugs under control by their collective protest action.

For once, the workers of Rupavahini were able to give full coverage to a struggle of this nature. We hope that this momentary media freedom enjoyed, ironically, by workers of a media organization under government control, would help the entire media system to find its way to full freedom of expression and the people to achieve their right to receive information and find the truth.

Any retaliatory action that is taken by the Rupavahini management or the government against these workers should be denounced and resisted by the people including the working class.

By H.A. Seneviratne, General Secretary, Workers' Solidarity Organization

No more chandikama

The incident that took place on December 27, where a Parliamentarian had the audacity to go into a state media organisation and throw his weight around just because some third-class clipping of his was not aired, speaks volumes as to the state of affairs in our country.

What these so-called Parliamentarians do not realise is that our country has become the laughing stock of the whole world. At this juncture, I applaud the personnel of Rupavahini for rallying round and giving a bellyful, so to speak. Well done! Unity can do wonders and it is about time the nation speaks out in this manner if everything fails, to let the government know that things cannot go on for long with chandikama.

By Pearly Dunuwila, Katugastota