The Kesbewa aasana samuluwa of the NPP was held on the 15th of October 2022. Here are some highlights of the points that were brought to light by some of the executive members and the leader of the NPP.
Lakshman Nipuna Arachchi, the National Executive Member of the NPP said that the country has been dragged into this situation and Ranil Wickramasingha sees the bulging stomachs of malnourished children as if they were having bombs tied to their stomachs. “They do not want the country’s people to become citizens. That is why Ranil Wickremesinghe and the Rajapaksa are hiding behind the decrees passed by the foreigners who came to Sri Lanka earlier,” he stressed.
The NPP, under their rule, will stop the oppression, and make an end to theft, fraud, and corruption. People with new thoughts will join hands to build the country. Although some people say that what is left now is a very small part, there is a group of people gathered around the NPP, who can take on any challenge and build the country. Various professionals, businessmen, artists, engineers, lawyers, doctors, and volunteers are gathering around us with a real desire of building the country.
While addressing the aasana samuluwa, Vraie Cally Balthazaar, member of the National Executive Committee of the NPP stated that despite the torrential rains, the large number of people who have come to the samuluwa conveys a message that people who could face any challenge are gathering around the NPP. It is a matter of happiness that a large number of women attended this samuluwa too.
Further stressing the plight both women and children face in this crisis, Balthazaar emphasized that many figures are being released about malnutrition. It is not possible to provide proper nutrition to children as well as food to adults. For a while, we used various things to make up our minds. Nevertheless, now it is clear to us that this tragedy happened because of the politicians who ruled the country for seventy-four years. Ranil Wickremesinghe tells a different story, and parents who are coming to the streets with their children because they are unable to tolerate this situation are being called terrorists.
She further pointed out that politics is not something that can be separated from us. Our lives are political. Realizing that, parents protest with their families. Politics is not only for politicians. There should be an environment where I can bring my children to political activities. We all know that majority, 56% of voters are women. Governments that come to power take various decisions regarding children’s health, education, and transportation, but we do not get any results.
Even if 15% of the budget is allocated to national security, as children, and women, what do we get from national security? We understand the problems involved in all these things. We should all come together to build a more free and happy life. Instead of this system that produces selfish people, we invite all of us of the NPP to come together and commit ourselves to build this country and improving the future of the children.
NPP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake also added that the public vote for a government to find solutions to their problems; thus, the expectation of the public is soon marred as the government has expectations different from that of the public. As a result, the public is always betrayed. We as the NPP are here to change this betrayal that has broken the expectations of the public.
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had to leave the country. Mahinda Rajapaksa had to sneak out of the Temple Trees and stay in a naval base. Basil Rajapaksa could not find a flight to escape from the country. In that case, the power is with the people. However, these people are not properly organized. The NPP will form kottasa sabha by organizing these people. Three main tasks have been assigned to the kottasa sabhas. Another uprising should be organized under the leadership of the NPP. Similarly, we have the responsibility of organizing people at the village level. Protecting the people in the face of the state of bankruptcy is also one of the crucial tasks. Therefore, our kottasa sabha should give leadership to well-organized groups of people.
Though the NPP is preparing for the elections, the government tries to postpone the election as they are certain that they will not get votes. Ranil Wickremesinghe who could not even win a single seat in the election, who could not win the required number of seats to enter the parliament, and who has no mandate, will not be able to secure this presidency in the face of a defeat following an election. Also, Ranil and Rajapaksa cannot contest together for an election as a such coalition will not be accepted at the village level. Against such a backdrop, the government is trying its level best to postpone the elections.
It is the responsibility of the NPP’s kottasa sabha to prepare for elections, thus, it is also the responsibility of all the kottasa sabha to join hands with the collective effort of developing the country instead of developing the mere thought of defeating others. We need a collective sense of how the other’s pain becomes our pain. Without that, a country cannot be built just by installing a government. Society needs transformation.
We need to build a collective culture that enjoys a song, reads a book, watches a movie, and thinks about a healthy life. There are three basic roles of a kottasa sabha consisting of such people. One is to lead the people’s uprising. The second is to make the electoral divisions win in the upcoming elections and the third is to lead a discussion to bring about the transformation of the people within the division. If we do these things successfully, we can win.
Elaborating on the NPP’s development plan, Dissanayake briefed that they have established an Economic Council for the task of building the economy. Prof. Anil Jayantha, Prof. Janak Kumarasinghe, Dr. Shantha Jayaratne, Prof. Dayananda, and Sunil Handunnetti are working in this council. The field of small and medium-scale industrialists has been established under the leadership of Chaturanga Abeysinghe. Dissanayake said that “some people ask about our Security Council. On this thirtieth, we will establish a security council consisting of former generals. Similarly, we have primarily focused on foreign relations. There is a very ugly image of us in the world today. We are implementing a foreign policy that shines in front of the world very strongly the international image that we have lost.”
“There are criteria like human rights, law, children’s rights, women’s rights, and safety of the elderly accepted by the world. Our society should be developed based on these areas. We should build a state with social security. Such a state can attract tourism. Foreign investments are brought to such a country. For that, there is an honest and uncorrupted group in the National People’s Power”, Dissanayake further added.
