(-2024.05.01 – Colombo-)
My dear Comrades
On the occasion of this May Day on behalf of the working class of India and the CPIM I extend revolutionary greetings to the working class and toiling masses of Sri Lanka and the masses world over. Comrades we remember with a pride and reverences the sacrifices of innumerable martyrs including the Haymarket heroes who fought violently for better world. I feel privilege to address this historic May Day Rally conducted by JVP, on behalf of the Communist Party of India Marxist, I extend warm revolutionary greetings and salute the leadership of JVP and NPP who triumph both the Presidential election and the Parliamentary Elections.
We remember in last May Day your leadership said that it was the last May Day under that dominant that ruling classes and the next May Day will be under the ruling of the NPP and you have proven that within six months. Comrades, the developments in Sri Lanka are in inspiration to the working class movement and the left world over and especially in the South-Asian countries.
We are celebrating this International Labour Day today when the neo liberal capitalism is ruling under the unforeseen crisis. It was unable to come out of this systematic crisis of capitalism even in the Citadel in the United States of America. Capitalism has failed to address the problems of the humanity and comrades our assessment made on the basis of the philosophy of sovereignty with Socialism and Marxism have been vindicated under the newly re-elected US President Donald Trump. The US imperialism is now taking annexationist and many aggressive measures leading causing miseries to the people world over including the trade world. It is continuing to it support to Israel and its occupation to Gaza and West Bank in Palestine. Attacks are continuing Yemen and Lebanon. The US through Israel intends to establish its regime over the entire West Asian region.
Comrades, on the occasion of this May Day we stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza and Palestine and reiterate our commitment to the establishment of Palestine state with a Pre- 1967 Borders and the Jerusalem must the Capital. We denounce the imperialist intervention and the aggressions and stand for world peace. Working class and common people benefit from the peace while the corporates that control the military industrial complex benefit from war. We stand in solidarity with socialist Cuba and the Cuban people who are continuing to resist the more than six decades old economic blockage with the trump, they are facing renewed aggression and it is our duty as a part of the working class internationalism to stand with Cuba.
Comrades, we express our solidarity with all the socialist countries and these people and we express solidarity with all the people fighting imperialism and for their rights. As you are aware, India it is at present govern by one of the most new liberal pro imperialist communal BJP. It is carrying out attacks on the rights of the working class pensioners and the poor and the sections of the society. Democratic rights are curtailed. The federal character of our country is at such a state. The Indian government is on an undeclared Economic blockade against the left front government in Kerala which under the leadership of the CPIM is trying to implement pro people alternative within the limitations of the capitalist system in India.
Moreover, the ruling party and its parent organisations their history and etc. spreading communal venom targeting the minorities and the left. That is the reason why we characterised it and showing the neo-partial characteristics. Under its aggressive implementations of neo-liberal policies the attack is more targeting on the working class. The employment relations both in the organised and unorganised sectors are being continuously restructured to promote extreme fragility and precarious overall employment profile. The government has brought four labour courts in place of the labour laws doing away with all the rights of the working class including the eight hour working day, minimum wages and social security and most importantly the freedom of association and collective bargaining and the trade union rights. These are the rights earned through decades of sacrifices and struggles of peoples and the government is imposing the virtual survey on the working class. But we must say that in spite of these although the least labour courts are passed five years back the working class of our country was able to stall these implementations till now but that government now announced its intention to implement these laws ignoring the descent expressed by the majority of the trade union and the working class of the country. For this reason working class of India under the leadership of joint trade union platform led by the left trade unions including the centre of Indian Trade union has fall for a nationwide general strike on 20th of May this year.
This strike call is supported by the platform of farmer’s organisations and also receiving a good response from the general public. We are in the midst of the preparations of this general strike and is to make it the biggest ever strike in India and we promise you it will be the beginning of a new face of the working class led counter offensive against this corporate communal nexus. The communal farmers struggle in India. Which lasted more than a year forced the government to withdraw the anti- farmer’s government laws a landmark in the history of the anti-imperial struggle of our country. This struggle has not only inspired the toiling class and the people of our country but it has created an atmosphere, it reviewed the belief in the class unity and the workers present unity with the support of the Trade Unions and then it will be further carried forward by the this platform through this strike . Comrades, at this juncture we should assure you the working people, the working class of Sri Lanka that we will also be following your path in the fight against this imperialist led neoliberal policies and I must say that the left government in Kerala, because of this economic blockage by the government of India we were asked that the Kerala will go the Sri Lankan way when there was a crisis in Sri Lanka. Now we proudly tell to the people that, yes, Kerala will follow the Sri Lankan way not only Kerala, the entire India will be following the Sri Lankan way. Comrades, we are confident that the new government, under JVP and NPP will be living up to the people’s expectations and aspirations and I wish you the all the best and all the success in the Local Government elections as well. We should not be complacent , capitalism in crisis will go to any extent to crush any challenge against it and it is with extreme vigil against these class enemies and compromising to the working class ideology and the working class on the street defending their rights we can move ahead with this path full of challenges. On this occasion of this historic May Day, when you are writing history on this occasion upholding the internationalism we greet the workers and toiling people of Sri Lanka once again and all cadres and leaders of the JVP who made this rally a magnificent huge success in your struggle against the exploitation and oppression and the Indian working class with you always there with you Comrades. Long live May Day. Long live socialism, down with imperialism.
Thank you.
