Tag: Sri Lanka

Migrants and Minorities in Ceylon: Lessons for the Present

RITESH KUMAR JAISWAL Sri Lanka was just about recovering from a devastating civil war and its aftermath when it plummeted into an unprecedented economic and political crisis. Mass protests beginning in March, in response to alarming inflation and shortages of food, fuel, medicines, fertilisers, and other essential items, forced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa into brief exile. His replacement, Ranil Wickremesinghe is… Read More Migrants and Minorities in Ceylon: Lessons for the Present

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Christianity and Capitalism in India and Sri Lanka

Rohini Hensman Christianity came to India and Sri Lanka from other countries at various periods ranging from ancient times to the present. Therefore a general view of the link between Christianity and capitalism (or anti-capitalism) is necessary in order to understand how the specific relationship between Christianity and capitalism (or anti-capitalism) developed in these two… Read More Christianity and Capitalism in India and Sri Lanka

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Rohini Hensman: Sri Lanka’s democratic revolution. The latest episode in a decades-long drama

n July 14, 2022, Sri Lanka’s parliamentary speaker announced that he had accepted the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, sent by email from Singapore where he had fled via The Maldives. That this former military commander—known as “the terminator” due to his propensity to get critics assassinated—was forced to resign by an overwhelmingly nonviolent mass movement marks this… Read More Rohini Hensman: Sri Lanka’s democratic revolution. The latest episode in a decades-long drama

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Rohini Hensman: Political Dimensions of the Crisis in Sri Lanka

Suppression of democracy; brutal majoritarianism and minority extremism in Sri Lanka are worth noting by concerned Indians. The following is a transcript provided by the author of her talk at a recent panel discussion.  The panel discussion may be viewed at: What’s Happening in Sri Lanka?  [Why did these self-professed [Sri Lankan] left leaders betray socialist principles in… Read More Rohini Hensman: Political Dimensions of the Crisis in Sri Lanka

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Sri Lanka crisis: Politicians' homes set afire, shoot-at-sight orders as protests against govt intensify

Troops and military vehicles have been deployed in the streets of Colombo amid widespread protests against the government over the economic failure of the country. The army said this was done to “ensure public security”, a news report said. On Tuesday, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence ordered the Army, the Air Force and the… Read More Sri Lanka crisis: Politicians' homes set afire, shoot-at-sight orders as protests against govt intensify

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Sri Lanka faces medical emergency as economic crisis hits drug supplies

Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has deteriorated into a medical crisis, with the top medical union declaring a national health emergency over a life-threatening shortage of drugs. On Tuesday the country’s most powerful trade union, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), called a meeting and declared a medical crisis as doctors and hospitals reported a widespread… Read More Sri Lanka faces medical emergency as economic crisis hits drug supplies

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Her dream to teach English in Japan ended with a lesson for the country. By Emiko Jozuka

As a child, Wishma Rathnayake was fascinated with “Oshin,” a popular 1980s’ television drama about a young girl who rises from poverty to head a Japanese supermarket chain. Urged by her father to emulate her hero, Rathnayake started learning Japanese with a dream of one day moving to Japan from the small Sri Lankan town of Gampaha,… Read More Her dream to teach English in Japan ended with a lesson for the country. By Emiko Jozuka

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Nirupama Subramanian: Why a demolition in Jaffna recalls Sri Lanka’s unaddressed Tamil question

The sudden demolition of a memorial in the Jaffna University Campus in northern Sri Lanka to remember Tamil civilians killed during the LTTE’s last stand against the Sri Lankan Army in 2009 has brought attention to the simmering and yet unaddressed issues of post-war ethnic reconciliation, justice and accountability, as well as a political resolution of the… Read More Nirupama Subramanian: Why a demolition in Jaffna recalls Sri Lanka’s unaddressed Tamil question

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