Parents form national body to join ‘aragalaya’

A group of parents have formed the National Parents’ Association (NPA) to “protect the future of the Sri Lankan community” with the aim of actively contributing to any future “aragalaya” (people’s struggle) that may take place, to overcome the socio-economic crisis that has arisen in the country.

Speaking at a media briefing recently, members of the NPA stated that it is the parents who have been most affected due to the prevailing socio-economic crisis. As they cannot fulfil the needs of their children, they said, they have been put in a very stressful situation in the recent past, and that they should therefore, work towards the resolution of the crisis.

“As we felt that we also have some way to contribute to overcoming this crisis, we decided to form the NPA. This consists of the office bearers and an advisory board. It is the parents who are honestly thinking of the wellbeing of their children. Every individual in the society is either a parent, or a child. Therefore, everyone is invited to join us,” they added.

The NPA members also stated that they would expand the organisation by forming branches in all districts in the coming months. By joining hands with other civil organisations that are working towards the resolution of the economic crisis and are engaged in similar struggles, they said, the NPA would also contribute to making the country a better place for the children to live.

The participation of parents in the protests which are being held against the Government’s failure to provide solutions to prevailing issues, including with children, has been talked about in the recent days, following the Police obstructing a peaceful protest at the Galle Face Green in which a number of parents attended with their children on 9 October. The National Child Protection Authority said that it would investigate allegations of parents using their children as human shields at the said protest.

Meanwhile, equating those who take their children to protest demonstrations as being akin to slain Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s use of children as human shields, President Ranil Wickremesinghe stated on Wednesday (12) that all measures will be taken in consultation with Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam (PC) to prevent young children from being brought to protests.

Speaking during a discussion at the Presidential Secretariat on the protection of children’s rights, he said: “Taking children to protest demonstrations should be stopped. They are taking children to protests, not because they cannot be left alone at home, but to be used as a human shield, similar to what Prabhakaran did. The Police should be instructed to prevent such incidents from happening. If this is to continue, everyone will bring their children to protests and even university students will bring children.”