We, the citizens, were erased from the Independence Day ceremony, presided over by the supreme civil and military leadership of the state, at Galle Face. This was a far cry from last year, when this same space became the site of mass protests, as a collective expression of our agency, solidarity, and anger.
Sri Lanka is trapped in debt due to decades of corruption and short-sighted economic policies. To come out of the trap or, I would say, escape the moment, the government is seeking loans from the IMF, or anybody else who is willing to lend, no matter the conditions. To this end, under the IMF’s tutelage, the government is seeking to privatise education, aware that it will face the wrath of the people.
2022 has seen the most dramatic uprising of people against the government’s tyrannical rule since independence. Amidst a devastating economic crisis, the people raised their voices against corruption, misrule and economic mismanagement, demanding greater democracy. Instead of heeding the people’s call for change in the political culture and economic accountability, the government has responded with repression.
By Ahilan Kadirgamar Universities are meant to be open spaces for higher education and the production of knowledge, and in that sense, are considered to be the bastions of freedoms and democracy. However, the reality is that universities are institutions seeped in hierarchy, among and between academics and students alike. These dynamics even take violent …
