Deaths, Protests & Once-Powerful Rajapaksa Clan on Back Foot
The sky is completely overcast. But the Earth below is burning. Quite literally. The tear-drop-shaped Indian Ocean island nation is rapidly descending into chaos.
Sri Lanka is going through its worst-ever crisis in its modern history; much worse than the 30-year-long Tamil Eelam civil war, Ultra Marxist Janata Vimukti Peramuna (JVP)-led terrorism and the tsunami of 2004. A small nation of 22 million people has never seen a public uprising of this magnitude and proportions. The entire country seems to have risen up against the ruling Rajapaksa clan for their failure to end the economic crisis.
After dillydallying for almost two months, the Prime Minister and head of the clan — Mahinda Rajapaksa — finally resigned on Monday afternoon. Apparently, his younger brother and the infamous President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, sacrificed him to save himself.
Mahinda, who could have saved his reputation earned over 50 years and the mass following by leaving the office gracefully, faltered by misreading the prevailing situation. He has disgraced himself and has almost hit the nails on the coffins of his family’s future politics. Gotabaya, the only Rajapaksa who is still clinging to power, is increasingly looking like a totally helpless leader and the public is baying for his blood.
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