For Sri Lanka, a troubling phase
A focus on abjuring violence must remain the motto of the protesters and State forces
The weeks-long unrest in Sri Lanka took a disquieting and violent turn this week as clashes broke out between protesters angry with the powerful Rajapaksa clan’s handling of the island nation’s governance, and supporters of ousted prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, leaving at least eight dead and nearly 200 injured. Since then, angry mobs have run riot in several of the island’s biggest cities, defying curfew to attack government figures, setting ablaze homes, shops and businesses belonging to ruling party lawmakers and politicians. Mahinda Rajapaksa was evacuated to a naval base from his besieged home, but his family has said they will not flee the country.
The turn to violence heralds a troubling new phase in the worst economic crisis to have hit Sri Lanka, one where public patience with political manoeuvrings appears to be wearing thin at a time when shortages of fuel, medicine and rations continue to roil the country and the government has found no way out of the logjam it finds itself in. The sweeping demonstrations further narrow the options left before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who has doggedly refused to step down despite escalating protests, and who saw his brother Mahinda’s resignation as a possible concession. It shows that a political solution to the grave crisis, and consequential public fury, will be difficult to find without addressing the root causes of the turmoil: Mishandling of the economy by a powerful regime with little accountability, unbridled borrowing to finance big-ticket projects and controversial measures (the forced implementation of organic farming, for example), and freebies decided through opaque processes. With the Opposition remaining firm in its decision to not join the government, the room for manoeuvre for the current dispensation seems extremely limited.
For South Asia’s longest continuously running democracy, these are challenging times. A focus on peaceful action and abjuring violence must remain the motto of both the protesters and government forces. For India, which has extended support to the tune of $3.5 billion, in addition to essential items such as food and medicine, the deepening of the crisis represents a fresh challenge. New Delhi has a strong stake in the economic and political stability of its neighbour and has done well by walking the talk on its Neighbourhood First policy — backing the country’s democracy and economic recovery without taking political positions — but the political turmoil, and consequent violence, may require further deft diplomacy.