port was declared illegal and the armed forces intervened. Then, in December, the government voted in an amendment to the Trade Dispute Ordinance which practically paralysed Trade Union activities in the country, and, faced with the culmination of public exasperation, resorted to the State of Emergency and laws of exception. It must be pointed out that from 1969 to 1971. the coalition parties made constant use of the "communalism' on which they depend for their very existence, in an attempt to divide the middle and working classes; while there was increasing violence by their "henchmen" against the opposition. This state of affairs came to a head in October 1971. when shots were fired at Paul Berenger and Dev Virahsawmy, leaders of the main opposition party (Movement Militant Mauricien) and on that same occasion an agent of the party was killed by a rifle shot.
THE MOUVEMENT MILITANT MAURICIEN (MMM)
The MMM has in. fact been the victim of repression from 1969 to 1971 and is today the target of the State of Emergency Created in September 1969, the MMM became very rapidly the main opposition party in Mauritius. In September 1970 it won a by-election against the coalition parties with a crushing majority and that too in the constftuency of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam (the P.M.)! Previously the MMM, supported by the people, had defied the ban on public gatherings and in April 1971, won another electoral victory in the Municipal by-elections.
From 1969 to 1971, the MMM had mobilised the Mauritian people through regular pubDear Comrade, I wish to draw your attention to the news item which appeared in The Red Mole of 24 January 72, under the heading of 'Ceyion Repression". First of all there are a number of inaccuracies in that statement which I would like you to correct; a number of comrades including Mani and Rupesinghe will confirm the fact that the Ceyion Solidarity Committee was not formed with the aim of supporting the JVP. I was an observer from the IMG at its inaugural (and the only) general meeting and a number of people expressed the view that our object should be to solidarise with the victims of repression. It could not be otherwise. Politically we cannot support the JVP on a number of questions. For instance we would not agree with them on their analysis of the peasantry as the agent of social change; nor would we characterise the Soviet Union as 'social imperialist" and so on. Our own analysis which was expressed in the two Red Mole articles was that while we politically disagree and criticise the JVP, we solidarise with them as victims of repression and call for the restoration of democratic liberties etc. Similarly it would be absurd today to talk about a VP struggle against the Government", today the JVP does not exist because it has been completely crushed. The report also talks about three organisations which formed the Committee: this is also incorrect because there were only two organisations—i.e. the Ginipupura group and the weyion studies Torum Apart from them all the others were individuals or ooseT vers.
I object to the manner in which this report was published by you without an editorial comment. I North London Red Circle meets every Tuesday at 8.30p.m. to discuss revolutionary politics. All welcome.
General Picton Pub, Caledonian Road, (nr. Kings Cross Station) N.I.
Glasgow Red Circle.
Weekly Discussion Group for Revolutionary Socialists. lona Community Centre, 214 Clyde Street. Every Thursday at 7.30 p.m. request you to pubiisn a correcuon in your next issue before our political opponents try to make political capital out of it. As far as I was aware the Ceylon Solidarity Committee was dead; if it has been resurrected, at least they must do it on the basis on which it was first formed. If they intend to pursue other aims it is fair that you publish that fact.
Yours fraternally, Upali Cooray EDITORIAL COMMENT:
We are pleased to publish Comrade Cooray's com ment on the report in The Red Mole number 35 A number of comrades had, in light of that item, written in to ask what our position is in regard to the present portical situation in ceyion. ft seems that some comrades mistook this news report for a statement by the IMG or the Fourth International. This misunderstanding was reinforced by the fact that we had inadvertently missed off the signature to this news report. We should also point out that statements by the IMG and Fourth International are always signed. We would, furthermore, like to make it clear that while we do solidarise with the victimised JVP militants especially those under repression in Ceylon's gaals, we nevertheless have political differences with the JVP which have been set out in previous articles. In addition, at the present moment our struggle must be concentrated to obtain the release of all political prisoners and to demand the restoration of political and civil rights in Ceylon and an immediate ending of the State of Emergency.
IRISH SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN The Irish Solidarity Campaign holds alternate forums and business meetings every Friday at 8 p.m. at the General Picton pub, Caledonian Road (junction Wharfdale Road) nearest tube Kings Cross.
Friday, March 3rd: Anna de Casparis on *Orangeism and Paisleyism-Fascist movements?'
the Party was one of the causes of the