The Protest Movement (Opinion)
Colonel Alcott rallying the troops
In the past month Colombo has seen protests by students, teachers, nurses, midwives, trade unionists, political parties, investors, ministers and more. Almost every day I go out I see someone protesting something and, if not that, taking their Gods for a walk through the town. One day I drove past Vihara Maha Devi Park and saw some people protesting against an investment company. The next day I saw protestors again and stopped for some literature. I was quite confused to find a flyer for the bank in question. They’d gotten their own people to stage a counter-protest. Since the LTTE stopped bombing the streets it’s been an explosion of placards and slogans. This is a good thing, though it is an awful lot of it.
The defacto IGP Protests, SI Ratnayake
Through all these protests the only thing constant is Sub Inspector Rathnayake and his marvelous moustache. I see this dapper fellow at every protest and we finally got up the nerve to talk to him. Actually, we circled around the block three times trying to shoot (photographically) from the car before finally getting out and asking for a shot. He’s very nice and kindly obliged. But I digress.
Despite this governments thumping majority and its seeming ease in passing stuff through Parliament, I suspect that this seeming stability is more a product of Ranil Wickremesinghe’s oppression of the opposition than anything else. On individual issues from salaries to education to police brutality to even finance, people are willing to take to the streets. That said, I think Sri Lankans simply like taking to the streets, but there is definitely a volume of protest that I have never seen.
Students protesting in front of Fort Railway Station
This is partly because of the governments good deeds – with no LTTE the streets are safe – but also a reference to the governments wrongs. In the most recent example, a student was killed by police while protesting in Matara and his compatriots in Colombo occupied Olcott Mawatha in Fort. This potentially explosive issue is built on long-running student grievances now catalyzed by a martyr.
One wonders, however, if this discontent was always there and the end of war just enabled it to come out. On one level, it is safe to wander around and gather without the constant threat of suicide bombs or the respondent roadblocks and secure convoys. On another level, Emergency Regulations, while still in effect, have visibly been relaxed. On a higher level, the media simply has more pages available for this since it’s not war/death/destruction all the time. This all makes for a perfect storm whereby it seems like Colombo is racked by protests.
Student protestors against police brutality
Whether anything comes of them, who knows. People have been protesting forever and the issues have been somewhat forgotten because there’s a war on. Now there isn’t, so perhaps these bread and butter issues rather than bombs will define our streets.
syndicated from www.indi.ca with permission
Most of these are initiated by the JVP and members are forced to join it. We saw this happening already in 1988-89 period. This is the way JVP operates . Now that they have no voice in the parliament they have reverted to their standard practice to disrupt and create havoc in public life. The government should not take them lightly as it can gather momentum. They need to act wisely and get these innocent people on to the government side as they are now doing with the ex-LTTE cadres. JVP is a hindrance and need to be uprooted by any means to see any development of the country.
need to uproot these kind of idiots from our society first, because they are the most hindrance elements in our country in an efforts to resolve socio- economic problems in our country.
Bankrupt JVP, this is what they back in the day & Gov should act wisely now to get rid rid of this bunch of idiots!
To eliminate JVP from Srilankan soil, you need to eliminate social injustices from the country.
WELLDONE KUMAR.YOU ARE 100% CORRECT. JVP THE ONLY PARTY WHO FIGHT AGAINST INJUSTICE.
Protests of all kinds show the agitation of the people against the rulers. If everything is ok then people need not get on streets and the Government is popular, but it is the otherway around here, perhaps it might culminate with a change
Its slowly dawning on the people of this country that this government is incapable of providing leadership and solutions to the people of this country. That is why the two main elections were rushed through in the euphoria of the war victory before reality began to bite the people. Now its business as usual to the family members and scraps for a few chosen ministers to make some commissions in any way possible. Increasing taxes, new taxes, cutting down on subsidies, cuts on healthcare and education and everything possible. If the garment exporters entertain any expectations of relief on the loss of GSP plus , just forget it, this government will not lift a finger to help. Comparing Lee Kwan and MR is like comparing an Elephant and a maggot and the people of this country should prepare for another trip to the 1970 – 1977 era.
This has become real a pain in the neck for us parents.and a stress factor for our children .our children are forced to participate . they do all sorts of tricks to avoid but some get caught and sent to front like forced enlisted soldiers ,ask any uni student its only a very minute factor that is creating trouble .what about children murdered by extremist students at Jayawardene pura hitting by computer monitor,colombo medical, student stabbed to death ,peradeniya some time back and unfortunate disabled girl commited suiside recently.at sabaragamuwa a student died due to excessive ragging last year.and numerous cases of students having nervous breakdowns.but at jaffna university students are seriously at study.because of the govt writ over the penninsula.and the students are benefited .Uni has become a real madhouse in the south.Uni authrorities do not take action because there is no one to back them if the going gets tough ,the the govt gives away and thereafter don look like donkeys .it is time that parents get together to stop this madness and give the dons the nessesary backing Minister seems to be having a lone battle .enlist the parents soon
its not someone is protesting for something its jvp is protesting for everything.if they get a cold also they will come and protest against gov.
If the JVp is not protesting, this govt will have a gala time killing,abducting and harrassing people as no one is coming forward to show the government’s broken promises to innocent working class. So the “Sahodara Samagama” can do anything to prosper themselves not only the ‘brothers’, the mamas, baanas, sisters, in laws (Beverley), nieces and nephews. Ane ratata giya kalak. Parawal haduwata madi. Lankawen bagayak inne badaginne.
though LTTE has been eradicated, other social and political crisis still remain unresolved. GOV should take step to solve these problems. all what we see is GOV does not have any intention to find the appropriate solutions to them rather they try get advantage of so called patriotism.
Stupid ruwan you are ignorant of JVP stance.