The PA government is the cat's paw of mudalalis and big businessmen who set the tone and policies, a radical leftist leader has charged.
"But we have different values. If we get rajya balaya, which we hope to do in ten or twelve years we will implement those values. At present we are working towards that goal by educating the people on their right to have proper education, health, housing and manageable cost of living, said Dr. Kamal Karunadasa, General Secratary of the Sri Lanka Progressive Front, an off shoot of the JVP.
"Remember we suffered during UNP time. We spent three years in the jungles. You want to know the difference between the UNP and the PA government? There is nothing much of a difference except little more freedom. But even that is limited, what with the press being harassed at every turn and people being killed and harassed as in Negombo, he said.
The PA is not a socialist government of the people as it claimed to be. It is a thorough bourgeois government in every way.
"Don't get us wrong, we are still loyal to the ideals of the JVP, only difference is we want to capture power with the ballot and not with the bullet as it was earlier. Remember that whatever happens we remain a Marxist Leninist Party with socialist ideals," SLPF leader said.
Do they support the LTTE? We most certainly do not but we are in total sympathy with the rights, causes and aspirations of the Tamil people. We feel strongly that their rights and aspirations have been overlooked by successive governments. Tamils are in our opinion victimised and suppressed people. We were shocked over what happened to Krishanthi and her family. We felt angry that the murderers were defiant even in court. The army is beginning the same tactics, we believe, in the South with our party people," Dr. Karunadasa said.
Has Parliamentarian Nihal Galappatti come up to the expectations of the SLPF? He has not. He is ineffective. He has given no reason for not renewing his membership of the SLPF when he is our only representative in Parliament. He forgets that he is there because we suffered in the jungles in the past and not because of his prowess. He is now a bourgeoisie and does little work for the people, we are sorry about this," Dr. Karunadasa said.
What about Deputy Minister Mahinda Wijesekera?
He was second in command in the JVP after Rohana Wijeweera. After he joined the PA Government as a Deputy Minister he does little work for the people nor does he allow others," he said. At Ruhunu University Dr. Karunadasa is a lecturer. Mahinda Wijesekera has organised the Podu Sishya Balvegaya.
"He managed to create chaos and so the faculties of Arts and Science have remained closed. He is trying to make the Podu Sishya Balavegaya to become a factor and support the PA government. He has forgotten his beginnings and he is completely with the PA working against all of us in progressive parties," Dr. Karunadasa charged.
"We are equally sorry that Somawansa Amarasinghe, our official leader after Mr. Wijeweera now lives in Paris and he won't come back. We really don't know why?" he said.
From where does the SLPF get funds?
"People help us. We need about Rs. 20,000 a month just to carry on our work," he said.
The Sunday Times contacted Deputy Minister Mahinda Wijesekera for his comments on what his erstwhile friends had to say. Mr. Wijesekera said, "There were serious clashes at the Ruhunu University between the Podu Sishya Balvegaya and the JVP. Once on my way to Dondra I found them fighting and I went in. If I may say so myself, it took courage since no Minister or Deputy Minister will enter a University easily. I promised the Podu Sishya Sangamaya to make an appointment with the Minister of Education so that they can place before him their grievances. I did so bringing twenty five of them over here giving them lunch in Parliament. The Faculties will be opened before December 10. I do not need character certificates from the JVP. I am a PA member. I have my ideals whatever they be," he said.
They eat seated on the floor and chew stones with their rice. They are the students of the Ruhuna University.
Three thousand students of the University's arts and science faculties have been locked out since August 26. Sampath Mallawarachchi, President of the Podu Sishya Balavegaya came to The Sunday Times with two of his colleagues, Indika de Silva and Sudath Priyadharshana. They were three angry young men with a cause.
According to Sampath, JVP elements were trying to get a hold on the university and they were not concerned about student grievances. There were fisticuffs between the two groups and Sampath showed a cut, which he claimed was as a result of the fighting.
"We are not angry with the JVP. We even invited them for talks but they are not willing. "We are not connected to any political party," said Sudath. "We only want to learn and depart in peace. But of course we will fight for student rights and facilities.
The three student leaders dismissed reports that Deputy Minister Mahinda Wijesekara is helping the Podu Sishya Balawegaya so that he could form a People's Alliance student union in the Ruhuna University.
"That is wrong. Mr. Wijesekara, unlike other MPs from the South, is very helpful and accessible , though he is from Devi-nuwara," Indika said adding that Mr. Wijesekara spent two days in Matara every week when possible.
The student leaders commenting on the closure of the university said it had seriously affected their studies.
They said the students suffered due to the lack of facilities.
"Do you know how we eat?" an agitated Sampath asked.
"We have no chairs and tables at the canteen. We sit on the dirty floor, sit in a circle and eat the rice. The canteen food is hopeless and in the rice one sees sometimes more stones than grains of rice. We have injured our teeth eating the rice with stones. The food is not fit for even animals. We are a little better than dogs.
"We have no adequate telephone facilities. There is only one telephone booth for the entire student population. We cannot tell our problems to Minister Mangala Samaraweera because we cannot meet him. It is not his fault. The fault lies with those security men who surround him. We are not allowed to get any where near him.
The students said all that they wanted was better living conditions and facilities. They said so far only Mahinda Wijesekara had shown some concern about their grievances.
"He arranged a meeting between 25 student leaders and Education Minister Richard Pathirana. We believe the faculties of Arts and Science would be to opened by December 10," student leader Sampath said.
UNP MP Sarath Kongahage in a question in parliament has asked why President Chandrika Kumaratunga's attention has not been drawn to a statement reported in the "Sunday Leader" and criminal defamation charges not filed against the Editor of the paper.
Mr. Kongahage speaking during the debate on the vote of the President said: "I also wish to refer to a newspaper report which appeared on the 20th of October 1996, in the "Sunday Leader." In its political column, this newspaper reported something very volatile, something very incriminative of our President."
"I do not believe what this newspaper says but since President Kumaratunga is noted for taking editors of national newspapers to court through the Attorney-General and having them charged with criminal defamation, I am asking the President why her attention is not drawn to the statement and why she does not refer this to the Attorney-General of the country and take this editor again to Supreme Court or whatever court and charge him for criminal defamation."
"President Kumaratunga said, "If the LTTE attacks any place of religious worship, she would personally attack the Tamils and cited the Maharajahs as an example"," Mr. Kongahage quoted the newspaper.
The MP said President Kumaratunga had all the right to go to the CID which is under her and make a complaint and take this Editor to court.
"What I say is that the President who has taken editors of national newspapers before court with criminal defamation can take Lasantha Wickramatunga to court again and charge him for criminal defamation if this statement is not correct. This is what I am asking," Mr. Kongahage said.
"If she is not afraid she must go to the Attorney-General and ask him to prosecute Lasantha Wickramatunga. Otherwise we are supposed to (interruption) think that this statement is correct," he said.
The Sri Lanka Association of Printers, (SLAP), with a membership over 400 leading printers, claimed that they were not invited for a meeting organised in May this year by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLSI) to re-design the calendar.
SLAP President S. Mahesa told The Sunday Times they were not invited for a hastily arranged meeting by the SLSI to discuss the calendar for 1997.
"How does the SLSI expect us to accede to its request to redesign the calendar without informing the printers," he said.
Government Printer Neville Nanayakkara who claimed that his institution is the official maker of calendars, in Sri Lanka said he too was not invited formally for this meeting organised by the SLSI.
Meanwhile, the Director General of the SLSI, C.D. R.A. Jayawardene referring to a news item in "The Sunday Times" last week said:
"The Sri Lanka Standard on Numbering of Weeks (SLS 123) is based on the International Standard ISO 2015. This practice of numbering the weeks is now increasingly used in trade communications, planning activities, shipping schedules etc.
"The SLSI took steps last year to promote this standard in the country by convening a meeting of all publishers of calendars in November 1995 and then in May 1996. Hence it is by no means a last minute move to re-design the calendar.
"Further there was no compulsion on any organization to strictly adhere to the standard in 1997 as stated in the news item. If this could be done even in the year 2000 it will be an achievement for Sri Lanka. "
Smoking will be banned in all public hospitals from next month, a health spokesman said.
Visitors or patients will be prohibited from carrying or possessing cigarettes, cigars or beedis.
Hospital employees will be allowed to smoke only in their common rooms, according to a circular. The hospital crackdown comes amidst increasing evidence that cigarette smoking is causing serious health problems not only to the smoker but also to the non- smoker.
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