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The Lanka Sama Samaja Party celebrates its 88th anniversary of service
By Prof. Tissa Vitarana
The Lanka Sama Samaja Party [LSSP] was formed in 1935 with two main objectives – winning independence from British imperial rule and eliminating poverty and gaining social equity for all the people of Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). There was a list of 22 other issues like a free health service, free education, employees’ rights etc.
The struggle for independence led to the banning of the LSSP and the imprisonment of its leaders like Dr. N M Perera, Dr. Colvin R de Silva, Philip Gunewardena and many others, both in Sri Lanka, and in India where they went underground after escaping from jail here.
Leslie Goonewardene led the underground struggle against the British, who finally granted us independence in 1948. They left, but retained control of the plantations, and the King (later Queen) of Britain retained sovereignty. Full independence with sovereignty was obtained after 24 years of struggle led by the LSSP (as the local capitalist class and the feudalists were satisfied with Dominion status). It was only in 1972, through the Republican Constitution drawn up by Colvin, which made Sri Lanka a fully independent and sovereign Republic. India won independence in just three years through struggles led by Gandhi and Nehru, with the full support of their capitalist class.
It was Colvin, who as Minister of Plantations, with the support of Kobbekaduwa, who nationalized the plantations, thereby getting full control of our economy. It was the LSSP that formed most of the trade unions that struggled and won workers rights and fair wages. They had to have frequent strikes to support these struggles for rights and proper wages. The strength of the trade unions gave the LSSP the necessary support for the political struggles. The unions were also the recruiting grounds for new party members.
A bulk of the members came from different districts. The party was started in the Kegalle district by Dr.N M Perera and while the party has 270 branches in all 25 districts, Kegalle is its stronghold. As such the Ruwanwella and Yatiyantota electorates are the strongest and the LSSP has won seats at all levels up to Parliament at every election. Deraniyagala has been lost only once. Yatiyantota came to be called “the N M electorate”.
The next in strength for the LSSP is the southern coastal strip extending from Colombo to Galle districts, with representatives up to Parliament including Moratuwa, Panadura, Kalutara, Balapitiya, Ambalangoda, and Ratgama. Extending inland from this area the LSSP has won Matugama, Agalawatte, and Bandaragama.
In Colombo too LSSP had members of Parliament from Wellawatte-Galkissa (Colvin) Colombo South (Bernard Soysa), Colombo North (Vivienne Gunewardena), Colombo East and Borella. There were MPs from Badulla, Bandarawela, Nuwara Eliya and Maskeliya in the hill country. There were Tamil MPs from Jaffna in the North and from Batticaloa District. The LSSP is free of any prejudice based on race, religion or caste.
All these MPs, MMCs etc have worked day and night for the people they represented. Not one of them has ever had any charges of misdeeds lodged against them in any Court of Law. None have obtained or misused any Government money or buildings. Rather than using Government property or funds for themselves or relatives or friends, they have spent their own money to help others in need. They have never charged a cent for any services rendered by them. This is a proud record that has been upheld by all LSSP politicians. We are committed to serve the people and the country. You can rely on us at all times.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
