Sarath Fernando given  Nanjundarswamy award for lifetime achievements

by chaminda

The 75th Birth Anniversary of the Late Prof. M.D. Nanjundaswamy, the leader of KRRS ( Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sanga ) was commemorated on 13th February, 2011  in Bangalore at a gathering of around 5,000 farmers and farmer leaders organized by the Prof. Nanjundarswamy Foundation and the Green Brigade.

One of the activities was the granting of the M.D. Nanjundaswamy international award for Lifetime achievements to Bharathiya Kisan Union president Mahendra Singh Tikait and to Sarath Fernando the Moderator of Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform ( MONLAR ), Sri Lanka.  The awards were presented by the Chief Minister of Karnataka B.S. Yeddyurappa.

Prof. Najundaswamy was convinced that peasants, the poor landless people have a right to a life of dignity and did not compromise his struggle to establish this right and he was able to build KRRS as a movement with over a million members. His struggle was relentless against the global plunder of the earth, its resources and humankind. he believed non violent direct resistance as the path of struggle with which he fought the Seed TNCs, the WTO and for the right of small farmers to have control over the world's resources. He was the South Asian leader of Via Campasena through which he expanded his struggle and the dream to the rest of the world.

Rajya Raitha Sangha founder - President and Socialist leader Prof. M.D. Nanjundaswamy (69) passed away at Kidwai Memorial Hospital in Bangalore at around 6 am on 3rd February 2004. He was ailing from lung cancer. He leaves behind his wife, a son and a daughter.
A firebrand Lohiaite Prof. Swamy, popularly known as MDN, played a vital role in bringing the first ever non congress Government to power in Karnataka in 1983 when he mobilized the farmers to support the Janata Party. It was Prof. MDN and his friends who toured Karnataka extensively educating the farmers against the then Congress regime's anti farmer policies under late R. Gundu Rao. It was he who gave 'Green Towel' to farmers thus building the Green Brigade.

Prof. MDN, though a Socialist, had a good rapport with Mr. L. G. Havanur, who prepared a revolutionary report on backward classes, popularly known as "Havanur Report," during the regime of late Devaraj Urs who implemented it providing social justice to the neglected sections of the society. It was known in the Socialist circles that Prof. MDN, an authority on socio - economic issues, had contributed much in the data collection for the report. Incidentally, Mr. Havanur was teaching at Renukacharya Law College in Bangalore when Prof. MDN was its Principal.
A close associate of Socialist leaders like Dr. Rammanohar Lohia, Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan and Shanthaveri Gopal Gowda, Prof. MDN was responsible for starting Samajawadi Yuvajana Sabha unit in Karnataka. Prof. MDN was one of the leaders who launched Navanirmana Kranti organisation of JP in Karnataka thus bringing the Total Revolution wave to the State. P. Lankesh, K. P. Poornachandra Tejaswi and other like minded leaders were his comrades in arm during those days.
Born in Mysore (a resident of Saraswathipuram then) to an illustrious father M. N. Mahanthadevaru, advocate, Prof. MDN did his B.Sc., BL in City. He had been a Rockfeller scholar in The Hague Academy of International Law and Doktorand scholar in West Germany. Prof. MDN, a close friend of the then West German Chancellor Mr. Willy Brandt, frequently visited the country as well as other countries, which adopted Socialist ideology.
A believer in 'power to the people,' Prof. MDN led the Raitha Sangha into the election politics and groomed many young leaders. He was elected to Karnataka Assembly in 1990 from Dharwad rural constituency. Prof. MDN was known for his short temper and never compromised on values. A strict disciplinarian, he dumped many leaders and friends when they did not toe his line. This attitude gave him an image of a dictator. This forced many leaders to desert him to join other parties.
Mr. K. S. Puttanaiah was one such leader in Karnataka who broke away to lead a faction of the Raitha Sangha. Prof. MDN parted his way with many of his close friends and also broke his ties with the Janata Government as he was disillusioned over the manner in which late Ramakrishna Hegde was running the Government. Prof. MDN became the bitter critic of the same Government, which was supported by him earlier during the elections.
Prof. MDN had been campaigning against introduction of genetically modified crops in the country and also worked for the cause of saving some of the native crops. Prof. MDN was the younger brother of former Deputy Mayor Mrs. Leela Chennaiah.

The declaration that was made with the award to Sarath Fernando stated the following.

Thudugala Mudalige Justin Sarath Fernando 

Mr. T.M.J.Sarath Fernando got involved in the social movements as a young university student fighting in the student uprising of Sri Lanka in 1971. The youth of Sri Lanka had launched a revolt in order to take over state power and bring about a just society. As a result Sarath spent 5 years in jail and did not complete his university degree in civil engineering. Upon release from jail he dedicated his life to full time political work with the old peasants' movement called the All Lanka Peasants Congress as he believed that peasants were a key constituency to bring about social change in Sri Lanka.

Sarath's carrier path reflects a life committed to marginalized sections of society and ecology. In 1978 he became the research hand of SEDEC ( Social and Economic Development Centre) followed by eleven year stretch at the Devasarana Development Centre after which he founded the MONLAR ( Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform ) where he currently works. MONLAR was founded as a training institute for farmers as well as to conduct greater analysis and deeper studies for peasants in Sri Lanka and South Asia.

Sarath now has 40 years of experience as an activist in the peasant movement. He visualizes a better society and a dignified life for all human beings if we develop harmony with nature. He strongly believes that peasants need to take the path of ecological agriculture which will not only regenerate the capacity of Mother Nature but also the capacity of human beings to live better and to develop equal relationships with each other. With this vision he urges the peasants of the world to continue their struggle for land and feed humanity as they have a fundamental and moral right to do so.   

Social, economic and political background last year

By Sunil kahagalla

2010 was started as an year that the fear of war had been finished after the ferocious that was raged during period of  nearly 30 years had been ended in the previous year.  Fear and entertainingly regard within the life of the  people in the Southern part of Sri Lanka was no more.  Bomb explosions in busses, assassinations in broader villages, arrival of dead bodies of soldiers etc. had been ended bringing consolation to minds of the people living in South.

 However, it can’t be said that the people in Northern and Eastern provinces are able still achieve such a relief although the war had been ended.  Three hundred thousand displaced people of Northern and Eastern provinces had arrived into refugee camps and the government had declared that it will be able to resettle all of them in their own villages by January 24, 2010.  But  what had been pointed out by the week end Sinhala news paper “Ravaya on January 24, 2010 quoting a statement made by Mr. U.L.M. Halim, the secretary of the disaster management ministry that only 170033 had been resettled and 90000 were still living in camps Mr. M.A. Sumandiram, the Jaffna distried PM of Tamil National Alliance had started that 33000 were still in camps and about one hundred thousand were staying with the families of their relatives.

Jaffna district UNP MP Mrs.  Shashikala wijendran has stated on December 12 at a media meeting held at a media meeting held at the parliament premises that 85000 women have become widows due to the  war. Mr. Suresh Premachandrah the TNA MP, who had given an interview in the programme of “Sandheshaya” of the BBC world service on August 2, 2010, stated that thousands of acres belonged the people of the Nothern province had been taken over by the government to build up camps and settle the families of the armed forces.  Main report appeared on Ravaya on March 14 had revealed that the government had decided to develop 147 army camps that had been erected temporarily in North, Eastern provinces during the war time, although what should had to be done was to dissolve them.  This has been declared by the very special gazat by the president dated March 1, 2010 and numbered 1643/4.  According to airport prepared by the UN Refugee Council on the lands still being under high security zones, the number of square kilo meters under those zones was 160 and within the Jaffna district 18% of the  total land area was under high security zones and there are 30000 houses, 300 schools and 40 factories within these zones.  Mr. Ariyendran, the TNA MP had stated that setting up army camps had been started in Vakare, kalladi and Kirilukulam in Batticoloa district, number of Sinhala families settled in Keviliyamadu area had been increased up to  301 although this number was 141 during the time of previous presidential elections and the  1500 acres land belong to Sri Lanka cashew cooperation has been taken over by the army and navy ignoring the strong  protest made by the divisional secretary of the Vakarai.

Although the government is frequently taking that it has Liberated Tamil People from the grip of the LTTE by conducting a humanitarian operation against it, when comparing the number of votes casted in the presidential election on January 26 2010, with the presidential election in 2005, by the people the Jaffna and Vawuniya district and the number of student attended to schools in 2010 with the number attended in 2008 according to the report of the department of education in Northern province.

Number of votes casted in Jaffna and  Vanni district in Presidential election in 2010 and 2005

Year	2010	2005
Jaffna district	23.33%	47.38%
Vanni district	43.98%	66.14%

Ravaya on April 25 quoting latest UN report had started that according to the department of education of the Nothern province that although the number of students registered in 326 schools in 2008 in the province had been 82800, the number attended to 115 schools was only 18561 by March 31, 2010.

It should be  specially mentioned here that the above mentioned percentage of votes was coasted within a background in which LTTE had given order to people not to vote in the presidential election of 2005 and what is being shown by those statistics of schools attended is  that people life in those across has not yet been normalized on the other hand when thinking about the decision taken by the government such as setting up permanent army camp in other land Eastern provinces, not to abolish repressive lass such as prevention of terrorism at and not to implement 13^th amendment to the constitution it seems that the government  strategy is not to provide a political solution to address the Tamil people demand for their national self determination but, to carry forward its repressive policies.    It is true that the  government has appointed a  commission called “lesions land and reconciliation commission” to inquire into the incident taken place during the  last stage of the  of the war.  But number of criticized have pointed  out that it is merely  a tactic  to face up the pressure being excited by the international community on the government.

In parallel to this situation the Tamil national as struggle has been  flowed as a struggle limited to the international level in this year.  Tamil disapprove has  formed a shadow state abroad.  Although President Mr. Mahinada Rajapaksha was in UK on an invitation by the oxford union to delivered a lecturer, Tamil  disapproved in UK was able to pressures the UK government to cancel it.  Taking into consideration this situation what can be decided now is that the most suitable occasions open in the history to give a political solutions to the national problem after LTTE been repeated in 2009 has been given up by the government as a result of being subjugated to Sinhala chanrinism in stead to taking steps to solve the problem.  What has been done by the government was to impose conditions on the party defeated.   On the other hand, the government has tried to limit the  singing of National anthum to Sinhala language only as a result of this Tamil people confidence on the government has been further deteriorated.

When talking  about the situation  of our economy in 2010, so many critics have made accusations against the government that  there is a large different between data presented by the department of statistics and the   Central Bank of Sri Lanka on one side  and the  actual situation on the other side.  For example, in the article  appeared  in Ravaya on February 07, 2010, Mr. Thilina Samarasingha had accuse the government that  it had presented false statistics in order to achieve political objectives.  The expectation of the people that they could be able to get economic relief and pay likes after the after war being ended have been failed even the central bank of Sri Lanka has effected that the  inflation has increased up to 7% in 2010.  While it was 4.8% in December 2009.

Meanwhile Sri Lanka government was inform by the  EU on February 15. 2010 that the  GSP+ tax concession given withdraw or 2700  products will be stopped.  This is situation caused by the SL government failure to implement 27 clauses related to human rights, good governance, civil and political rights and environment protection in the convention that it had sign with the UN.  Value of this tax concession that Sl is now going to be lost is 100 million Euros ( 130 million US dollars) and the total value of this trade is nearly 3.5 billion US dollars.  36% of the total foreign exchange earnings is coming from the garment industry and it has been estimated that number of directly employed in it is 36000 and number of indirectly employed in this sphere one million.

Economic in equalities among the population of Sri Lanka  are also on the rise in an article appeared in the weekend newspaper on November 26. 2010, Dr. Nisan Sakalasooriya the economic analysis had pointed out that only 4.6% of the total national income is possessed by the most poorest 20% of the population while 50% of the national income is possess by 20% well to do section.  He has further pointed out that within the Western province in which total culturable land in only 5% of the total land of the country and the population is only2.3% of the total population 52% of the national product is produce while only 48% of the national product is produce within the other 95% of land.  This shows that there is a great in equality in distribution of the benefits of development among the population of the rest of the island other than the population around the capital city and this situation has not been changed even in 2010.

Sri Lankas income in 2010 was Rs. 817 billion while the government estimated expenditure was Rs. 926 billions.  Rs. 226 billion was allocated payment for government employees and Rs. 337 billion was allocated for paying loans and interest of the government and accordingly the amount allocated for pay government employees was Rs. 36% and the amount allocated for paying government loans and interest was 44% of the  government income and taken together they were 80% of the national income.  The amount allocated for subsidies  and assessment was Rs. 202 billion and Rs. 361 billions for government investment and  common amenities and according by budget deficit  in 2010 was Rs. 470 billions.

Within a few years prices of goods has been increased sharply.  Prices of a number of goods in 2010 compared to 2006 are as follows:

Good	Price in 2006	Price in 2010	Amount increased	Percentage
Rice – Kg 1	28.00	68.00	40	142.8 %
Dahal – Kg 1	75.00	200.00	125	166.6 %
Milk powder – 400 g	159.00	244.00	85	53.4 %
Sugar – Kg 1	42.00	110.00	68	161.9 %
Potatos – Kg 1	64.00	120.00	56	87.5 %
B onions – Kg 1	48.00	180.00	32	66.6 %
Salt	14.00	32.00	18	128.5 %
Fish	260.00	520.00	260	100 %
Wheat Powder	34.00	85.00	51	150 %
Coconut	20.00	50.00	30	150 %
Tea dust – Kg 1	350.00	700.00	350	100 %

                                                                                                                               

(5.12.2010 Ravaya)

Accordingly there is a great gap between the government statistics about the inflation and the actual situation and due to this low income and low middle class are now undergoing severe economic difficulties.  It is true that  the government says that the per capita income in Sri Lanka has increased up to 2000 US dollars now.  But, when considering the data related  to the income distribution and the rate of the  rise of cost of living, it seems that the government’s utterances  are ridiculous.  On the other hand, rapid increase of prices has resulted in worsening the malnutrition among the population.

·         Malnutrition among the children under age 5    =             29.4 %

·         Malnutrition among breast feeding mothers       =                33 %

·         Low weight child births                                                  =             49.3 %

(Weekly news paper “Lanka” 5.12.2010)

Let’s now talk about the situation of human rights, good governance and democracy in 2010.  The government has introduced a number of alterations to the 18^th amendment  of the constitution and a large number of political analysis have criticized that those alterations are destructive since they would lead towards a dictatorship.  The clause that had limited the possibility for one person to hold the post for unlimited terms.  According to the first republic constitution of 1978 the president had no power to hold a presidential election after holding the post for 4 years within his first term.   This has been now revised now so as that the holder of president ship be able to hold the next presidential election after 4 years in any terms in power being ended.  Most reactionary revision is abolishing the constitutional councils that had been established under the 17^th amendment and due to this independent commissions which had formed under amendment have now become non- independent and subjected to the powers of president and accordingly the total administrative service is now being controlled by the president.

Separation of power has become meaningless since the president has now accumulated powers to control legislature and the judiciary according to his will and  this is why that so many critics feel that this may lead towards a dictatorship.  Within the first quarter of 2010 people in Sri Lanka had to face a presidential election and a general election.  President Mahinda Rajapaks’s government was able to win both elections.  Presidential election was held on January 16 and specific and unexpected thing happened here was that Gen. Sarath Fonseka who had become the hero of the war against LTTE also had contested as the common candidate of the “opposition against Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa.

During the time of presidential election the entire media controlled  by the government had openly engaged in the propaganda  work in favour of Mr. Mahinda Rajapaka while some of the private television channels had followed a policy of favor for Gen. Sarath Fonseka and giving some spaces for the other candidate.  Although a competent authority was appointed by the commissioner of elections in order to  controlled the behavior of state media, he had later called back him expressing displeasure over non of the heads of state media being ready to be obeyed to his directions.  21 employees of National Rupavahini (Television) cooperation had warned  to give excuses for declaring that state media should be operated without being one sided and nine of them have been interdicted , them have been given compulsory leave and one has been dismissed now.  Also, 4 employees of Independent Television Network have been interdicted (Ravaya – January 27, 2010)

However, according to the result of the presidential election Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa had won it.  Numbers of voted gained by each of the two main candidates are as follows:

·         Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa                                6015934                -              57.88 %

·         Gen. Sarath Fonseka                      4173185                -              40.15 %

On January 29, 2010, ie. Three days after  the presidential election  Mr. Chandaí  Sirimalwaththa the chief editor of Lanka  was arrested by the CID  and then  he was given  a detention  for  90  days  by Mr.  Gotabhaya  Rajapaksa the brother  of the president and the secretary of the defense ministry on January 30 the main office of lanka was sealed. On the same day  the padlock  on the gate of the  e - news web site  which had been known as an antigovernment  website. Was broken by the security forces and then a new padlock  was installed. Sirasa television station was given threats to cancel its license.  However, the government had to give  up its forceful activities against it, since it was impossible for the government to defend its stand against in  front of the judiciary.

On February 8, 2010 General Sarath Fonseka was taken into custody on the accusations of engaging  in conspiracies against the government and a court marshall was appointed to inquire into those accusations.  Number of protests were taken  place against this arrangement  were presented  that the  court marshall and anti constitutional .   Going against the  tardyon of appointing higher rank officers  in setting up a court marshall against and office of army forces according to the military low, Gen. Sarath Fonseka was taken to  two court marshall consisting  of officers that were junior to him  (one and only General  in Sri Lanka who is having4 stars is General Sarath Fonseka and higher rank officer over him is not available Sri Lanka).

According to the  judgment given by the first court marshall on August 13, 2010.  The General was depraved  of all post and ranks and even his pension payment was cancel.  According to the judgment of the 2^nd court marshall he was sewtenced  to 30 month impressments and his post of MP was cancelled.  Against these judgment lawyers of the General have submitted complaints to the courts of appeal and the supreme court.

Although there were huge protests against the arrest of General Sarath Fonseka, they were suppressed by the public.  Although the protestors were assaulted in front of the  police,, no one was taken into custody and legal action was not taken against them.  The message being given by this situation is that it was possible to engage in any anti legal or corrupt work and if any one, even powerful is going against the government will have face fearful consequences.

General election was held on April 4, 2010, and it was won by  the UPFA.  Main slogan of the government was  to save the country.  Results of the election was as follows briefly.

Party	No. of votes	Percentage	Seats
UPFA	4846388	60.33 %	144
UNP	2357057	29.34 %	60
DNA	441251	05.4 %	07
ITAK   (Ilangai Tamil arashketshi)	233190	02.90 %	14
Total votes casted 863689

Election campaign of the  UNP, the main opposition party was very weak and  due to this it was impossible for them top take large number of this fellow voters to polling stations.

It should be specially mentioned here that although each candidate have to submit a declaration of his or her assets on the occasion of nomination according to the revision to the Act no 74, in 1988 only three candidates, out of the total of 7621 submitted it.       

However,  the ruling party was able to gain the 2/3  majority within the parliament as a result of a number of UNP members being joined to it after the general election increasing their number of MPs up to162.

Within the present parliament the situation of women’s representation is at a minimum level.  Their percentage within the parliament has not exceeded 5% and this is the lowest women’s representation is South Asia.  There are now only 11 women MPs in the parliament and their percentage is only4.8 %.

It is impossible for us to be satisfied with the situation of media freedom and good governance in 2010.  The government has not been able to arrest the suspects of murdering the Sunday Leader Mr. Lasantha Wickramathunga on Jan 8, 2009, making Mr. Prageth Eknaligoda, the journalist murded on January 24, 2009 and it seems that a proper investigation is being made even within the year 2010.  In addition to this, an organized gang made an attack on the Sirasa television station by throwing stones on March 22, 2010 and the head office of it was attacked and destroyed by a non identified gang on July 30, 2010.  It is said that the supporters of a minister had made this attack and 16 of them were arrested by the Slave Island Police Station.  On the same day later it is said that this group was released under an order came from above.  Ravaya had reported on March 28 that the IGP had blamed Mr. H.M.B. Herath, the DIG of Colombo area and the OIC of the Slave Island police station, on this arrest.

Meanwhile, according to the report  of 2010 of Reporters Sans Boarders Sri Lanka place in the list of countries in which there was less freedom for journalists had been 162 in 2009 and this position has been turned to some what better by 4 points by becoming the place of 158.  However, 55 journalists of Sri Lanka have left the country owing to various according to this report.

Also, a number of incidents taken place in 2010 testify that it was a year in which the rulers.  Ravaya had reported. On  February 21, 2010 that 2009 higher police officers including IPs who had not worked in favor of the governing party during the days of presidential election were given transters and a number of police officers over 15 were subjected  to disciplinary inquiries on the charge of breaching the police disciplinary code.  Accordingly 11 IPs were interdicted, N.C. Kudahetti, the senior police superindant and the OIC of the Special Operation Unit of Western province and J.R. Jauyawardana.  As of Ampara district were given compulsory leave as was reported by Ravaya on March 21, 2010.

A number of cases that had been under judicial investigation against several powerful pollutions of the  governing party and its sympathizers  have some of the  examples of how the law has become feeble in front of political power in this way is as follows:

1.      The case of Rs. one million  financial frandulance that had been filed against Mr. Abdul Cader, Kanry district UNP MP being withdrawn on the allege of lacking original document by the Solicitor General after him being joined to the governing party after the general election held on April 8, 2010.

2.      The case of harassing a women that had been filed against Mr. R Duminda Silva, Colombo district UPFA MP.

3.      The case against building a hotel in Patapilikanda forest reservation by Mr. Earl Gunasekara, Polonnaruwa district UNP MP who had later to  join governing party.

4.      The case against fraudulence  of monitor compensations of farmers in Mavilaru area by Mr. S.M. Chandrasena, the minister of Agrarian Services and wildlife.

5.      The  area against getting the ownership of a restaurant worth Rs. 6 millions by Mr. Sarath Kongahage, the chairmen of the National Rupavahini Cooperation.

It seems that the situation of the filed.  A health is also deteriorating.  Number of dengue patients was increased  up to 23145 reaching to the level of an epidemic.  Number of deaths caused by this  an epidemic  was 172 in 2010.  There were complaints of importing low quality drugs and among those drugs weevils, pins etc had been found.  A few numbers of school girls had been died due to poisoning of rubella vaccination Owing to those reasons as has been mentioned above the good name earned by the health service of Sri Lanka hitherto has been faded somewhat.