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:…
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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…
Time for Public Institutions to Heed the People’s Call
The 1978 constitution’s executive presidency that was meant to bring about economic development has dragged the country down to the worst economic crisis we have faced since independence. The weakening of the…
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…
How an Incompetent Cabal of Voodoo Economics Practitioners Ruined Sri Lanka’s Economy
Sri Lanka is set to commence its discussions with the IMF on Monday. The country has jumped off the plane of economic stability without a parachute and now we must hope that…
#GotaGoHome in Galle Face (Images)
Gota Go Home rings loud and clear across Galle Face. Anti-government protesters began converging on Galle Face on the morning of the 9th. By the evening of the next day, multiple tents had…
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…
Our Planet, Our Health
Today is World Health Day World Health Day, a global health awareness day, was declared to mark the anniversary of the founding of World Health Organisation (WHO) on April 7, 1948. World…