Author: Unknown
Published on: 09/01/2025 | 00:00:00
AI Summary:
Kavitha was standing barefoot and ankle-deep in mud at the site of a former cemetery in Visuvamadu, Sri Lanka. She was lamenting the adjacent military base built on the graves of fallen Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) fighters, including that of her brother. Through the war, the state bulldozed and repurposed many structures belonging to the LTTE. The NPP rode to power a nationwide wave of anti-establishment sentiment stemming from frustration with persistent economic failings and endemic corruption. The fall of the Rajapaksa family – who had dominated Sri Lankan politics since 2005 – has been stunning. In the Sinhala south, they were long perceived as heroes for winning the war against the LTTE. Tamils, like every constituency, are pragmatic and take into account both economic interests and political preferences. Many committed Tamil nationalists and supporters of independence voted for the NPP in the hope that it can deliver a better economy. Others simply wanted to punish established local politicians they perceived as corrupt and incompetent. NPP has never held power and therefore did not have baggage. This doesn’t mean the NPP does not have the same baggage as the rulers of the past. All major Sinhala parties engaged in this conduct, including the JVP. Sri Lanka’s nation-building project is fundamentally rooted in giving primacy to Sinhala Buddhism. Tamils were never accepted as equal citizens, pushed to the periphery through a Colombo-centric approach. Leading Tamil politicians repeatedly conceded longstanding political demands for mere scraps. This election is more likely to be a blip than a wholesale change. Sri Lanka must disclose what it did with the thousands of Tamils it took into custody. Tamils have learned through repeated painful experiences that a political solution will not come from the state.
Original: 1552 words
Summary: 309 words
Percent reduction: 80.09%
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