On 20 May 2022, in an interview with Sky News, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was asked whether it was safe for tourists to visit Sri Lanka. His response was: “Well those who want an exciting time can come and maybe they could even take part in the demonstrations. Maybe they could hold placards which say …
Ranil Wickremesinghe’s ascent to the Executive Presidency represents a system in utter decay. But the unsteady structure will not topple with one, final push. Instead, we have seen that after ousting Gotabaya Rajapaksa, protestors have encountered a far more elaborate and complex state machinery behind the President himself, much as Antonio Gramsci discovered the “trenches …
The Rajani Thiranagama Memorial Lecture was delivered in Tamil by V. Geetha on 2 October 2021. When I was invited to deliver a lecture on the occasion of Rajani Thiranagama’s death anniversary, I felt honoured. Contemplating what I could say on this sombre occasion, I felt somewhat beholden to the pasts that Rajani had stood …
After 31st March, 2022, Sri Lanka’s politics is no longer what it has been. It seems to have entered a qualitatively new phase. It is still too early to say anything definite about the true magnitude and future directions of this newness. Its basic character and dimensions, however, are quite clear. The ‘direct democratic’ action …
How, to what extent, and under what conditions states should repay their debt are critical questions which resurface after every major financial crisis. Debts being legal contracts, states are bound by the principle of pacta sunt servanda (“agreements must be kept”). Hence, the general expectation is that all debt must be repaid, no matter the …
IntroductionOne thing that classical economists seem to agree on with their colleagues of a more leftist persuasion is that cities are all about spatial concentration, with a view to optimising economic efficiency (Storper and Scott 2016; Henderson and Venables 2008). According to Harvey (1985), the capitalist (and especially neoliberal) city is a result of space …
Sandya Ekneligoda holding a flame and trident (24 January 2019). (Photo: Nilshan Fernando) Prageeth Ekneligoda, journalist, cartoonist, and political activist, disappeared 12 years ago on this day, somewhere between 8.30 and 9.30 pm on his way to a meeting with an acquaintance unknown to his friends or family. On the day of his disappearance, Prageeth had left home …
The meaning of democracy is becoming unmoored. Since the end of World War II, the US claimed the banner of democracy, while it underwent profound transformation at home through the civil rights movement and other popular struggles. At the same time, the US allied with repressive regimes abroad, ostensibly to defeat communism. The concept of …
Democracy in the Global Interregnum – Devaka Gunawardena Read More »
“… we must at least now, stop, groping in the darkness” ~ Basil Rajapaksa (12 November 2021) Basil Rajapaksa’s maiden Budget for 2022 received parliamentary approval on 10th December 2021, as to be expected in a legislature comfortably controlled by the government, with 157 votes in favour and 64 against. However, this was no reason …
Budget 2022: Brace for Austerity – B. Skanthakumar Read More »
As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of Pravada/Polity, it is a pleasure to have been associated with it, as a regular contributor, over this period. One reason I did so was because it was extremely satisfying to be linked to a good quality, left-wing but non-dogmatic publication, which was discussing issues vital to the present …
Nationality, Complex Identities, and Multiple Belongings – Rohini Hensman Read More »