Comments
Scores of Sri Lankans on Thursday marked the Sinhala and Tamil New Year at their agitation site in Colombo, as they relentlessly protest the Rajapaksa government’s “failed response” to the country’s crushing economic depression.
Some boiled milk, shared sweets, sang, danced and played games associated with the country’s biggest festival at Gotagogama or ‘Gota go village’ named after the main demand of the protesters — they want President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to take responsibility for the crisis that has left citizens struggling without essentials, and resign immediately.
Occupy Galle Face
The citizen’s uprising that has been building up for more than a month intensified over the last week with protesters deciding to ‘Occupy Galle Face’, the sea-facing stretch near the Presidential Secretariat. Dozens of tents have sprung up in the area, where thousands gather and some stay overnight, carrying posters critical of the government. President Gotabaya will not resign, a senior minister has said, while Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has asked protesters to be “patient”. Mahinda’s outreach on the eve of the New Year, offering to hold talks with protesters, was rejected by many.
“I am here because our country’s future is now a big question mark. We are here even on New Year’s Day because that is how badly we want a change. The Rajapaksas must go,” said a protester.
“I am a businessman, and I am unable to import anything because we have no dollars left in the country. We have no other option but to come and protest,” said a middle-aged man, who was participating with his wife.
Popular support
The agitations have also drawn popular artistes, who now make frequent appearances at Gotagogama and perform to express solidarity. Earlier this week, iconic Sinhalese singer Nanda Malini was seen at the protest site, cheered by the crowd as she broke into a song.
Meanwhile, the political opposition is planning to intervene in Parliament next week with a No Confidence Motion against the government and by holding large protest marches. The government has announced two crucial decisions since the crisis aggravated — Sri Lanka will soon hold talks with the IMF for a support package, and it announced a default on its $51 billion outstanding foreign debt, denting its unblemished record in debt servicing.
Comments
COMMENT NOW
Comments
Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.
We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of TheHindu Businessline and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.