The Role of Government in Mal-governed States
What role should citizens expect a government to play in public life? The theoretical case for state intervention in the economy in the public finance discourse is based on an unstated assumption:…
Politics and Governance
Going Home after #GoHomeGota
The year is 1990. The regime in power is the UNP, led by President Ranasinghe Premadasa. The opposition MP? Mahinda Rajapaksa. The incident described above formed the basis of a fundamental rights…
A Love Letter to My Sri Lanka
How does one begin a love letter? I’m sorry, it’s been a while since I have written one. Sri Lanka my dearest, my love, my strength, You are in my heart. You…
The IMF, the Middle Class and #GotaGoHome
Sri Lanka will enter into negotiations with the International Monetary Fund next week. Led by Ali Sabry, the country’s Finance Minister, and Nandalal Weerasinghe, the Governor of the Central Bank, the delegation…
It’s Time to Seize the Moment: No More Lost Opportunities
They stand firmly in the baking sun and the torrential rain. They sacrificed their new year holidays. Their determination and courage is steadfast. Their cries are united – go home President Gotabaya…
Revolution by Committee and Other Ways to Kill a Protest
Infantilizing youth: a familiar trope The ongoing protests are being labelled youth protests. Yes, youth have taken the lead in the Occupy Galle Face protest, which is being sustained by their creatively…
Emergence vs Emergency
Many people in the international community are now waking up to the realization that Sri Lanka is experiencing an unprecedented phenomenon. And unfortunately, due to the media’s predilection for sensational news, the…
Protesting in Style: The Arrival of a New Generation
It is clear that some positive changes are happening in Sri Lanka. I am not talking about the hardships the country and the people have been facing. We all know no solution…
State and Crisis in Sri Lanka: The Apotheosis of Sinhalese Nationalism
In December 2021 we published an extended essay in Focaal on the worsening state crisis in Sri Lanka and Thailand. In this earlier piece we argued that the religio-politics of national (civic)…
An Emergency Economic Stabilization Plan
Sri Lanka is at a very dangerous juncture with usable reserves that have dropped to about $150 million. Acute shortages of essentials ranging from fuel to medicine have become prevalent. Rising public…
Social Media Bares its Fangs
Will the regime fall? Will the Rajapaksas cave in? Will Gota actually give up? Or will there be a military coup to protect the regime? These and similar queries and speculations and…
At the Tipping Point – What is Next?
Sri Lanka is going through a political experience like no other in its history. Unlike during the war, during the JVP insurrections or the ethnic riots where the trauma and loss was…
Critiquing the Protests Constructively
I’d like to say this is the beginning of the end but it’s not. The latest spate of protests to hit the country has now been going on for more than a…
Where Were These Protests in the Past?
Sri Lankans living in the country or abroad feel more than a tinge of pride at how people are standing up against the corrupt government. They are protesting against all odds as basic needs …
Princes Do But Play Us
I have been thinking for the last few weeks how similar the current political situation in Sri Lanka is to a domestic violence situation where the victim takes some time to face…