NDMLP May Day Rallies

The Buddhist Maha Sanghas persuaded the Maithri‒Ranil Government that May Day demonstrations should be disallowed on the day following Vesak holidays. The May Day holiday of 1^st May was annulled and the 7^th of May was declared May Day holiday. The New-Democratic Marxist-Leninist Party strongly criticized this decision and responded to it with a spirit of defiance, as the first political party in the country to challenge the people to mobilize in May Day processions and rallies on 1^st May.

The Party played the leading role in joining hands with other left political parties and trade unions that were defiant of the governments ruling and held a press conference explaining their position to the public. The Party went ahead to organize procession and rallies in Puththur in Jaffna, Vavuniya town in the Vanni and Ragala in the Hill Country under the slogan “Workers of the World Unite! Oppressed people of the world unite! Let us mobilize to win power to the people!”

Comrade SK Senthivel, General Secretary of the Party and other leading members led the Jaffna May Day procession. The 4 km long march in which over a thousand participated concluded at the Putthur Kalaimathi Sports Stadium where Comrade K Selvam Kathirgamanathan, Northern Regional Organizer of the Party chaired the May Day Rally, addressed by comrades SK Senthivel, K Thanikasalam, S Thevarajah, T Sriprakash, N Pratheepan, Y Murugesu, Sasinanthini Thevan, Latha Udhayatheepan, K Panchalingam, S Thavarasa, V Robinson, K Ananda Kumarasamy and others. Comrade Seelan’s musical group recited revolutionary songs.

The Vavuniya May Day procession started near the Mahavidyalaya and passed through Kandy Road to arrive at Cultural Hall of the Vavuniya Urban Council where the May Day Rally took place. The Rally was chaired by Comrade N Pratheepan, Vavuniya District Secretary of the Party. Central Committee members Comrades S Thevarajah, Don Boscoe and S Nandamohan, trade union representatives S. Mahendran, V Chitran, Chandrapadman and Dr S Madhurakan addressed the rally.

Many plantation workers, teachers and students participated in the Hill Country May Day procession, led by Comrade V Mahendran, National Organizer of the Party, Comrade David Suren, Matale Regional Secretary and Comrade S Panneerselvam, started at Ragala St Leonards Junction. Comrades V Mahendran, S Panneerselvam, Seba Mohan, S Mohanraj, Brinda Suren, S Yohesvaran, P Samayakaruppi, M Padmasri and A Helen addressed the May Day Rally held at the Gemini Hall, in Ragala town.