The leader of the United Republic Front, Parliamentarian Patali Champika Ranawaka said that if anyone thinks that the outdated ideologies of the Left can build the country just like Cuba was built by Fidel Castro, it is delusional.
He said that political parties having Karl Marx, Lenin and Frederick Engels at the forefront cannot build countries and there are many examples in the world that a country cannot progress with a group embracing outdated ideas and arguments.
The MP stated this while addressing the United Republic Front’s Kandy District Conference held on Sunday (23) at Sahas Uyana, Kandy.
Ranawaka also said, “When Cuba fell, Castro’s daughter also fled the country. The Soviet Union and Cuba did not fall because of an American conspiracy. Left parties cannot develop or build countries. Art, literature, science and technology cannot be built. Before the revolution, the best scientists and literary experts were born in the Soviet Union. After the revolution, such great people did not emerge.
“I remind those who keep Marx and Lenin in the forefront of Gorbachev’s speech when the Soviet Union was dissolved. They said, ‘We built the largest Army in the world. We also went into space. Billions of money was spent to spread our ideology. But we couldn’t manufacture a toothbrush or toothpaste.’ Some say let’s give it to the Marx group or the Lenin group for a change. Remember, if we do that, even after the next three generations we will have to say the same thing.”
Asela Kuruluwansa