IN politics, the first mistake is one too many. Second chances are rare, though not uncommon. Left without much to choose from, Sri Lanka has given a Rajapaksa yet another shot at the helm.
After a gap of four years, the Rajapaksas are back in power in Sri Lanka. Former Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who won the presidential election convincingly over his uninspiring rival and former Minister Sajith Premadasa by about 10 percentage points, was sworn in as President on November 19 in the Anuradhapura Ruwanweliseyapremises, more a symbol of Sinhala pride than the peaceful tenets espoused by Gautama Buddha.
“I am President of not only those who voted for me but also those who voted against me and irrespective of which race or religion they belong to. I am deeply committed to serve all the people of Sri Lanka,” tweeted Gotabaya Rajapaksa on November 17, soon after his victory. The importance of the choice of words “voted against me” was not lost on anyone, especially those who voted for Sajith Premadasa. On the map, this region is demarcated clearly—the north, the east and a bit of the plantation areas. Basically, Tamils.
His brother and former President and the Leader of the Opposition in the current Parliament, Mahinda Rajapaksa, was sworn in as interim Prime Minister on November 21, after Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe resigned. Mahinda Rajapaksa will be in charge of Finance, Economic Affairs, Policy Development, Buddha Sasana, Culture, Water Supply and Urban Development Ministries.
Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s eldest living brother, Chamal Rajapaksa, has been made Minister in charge of Mahaweli Development, Agriculture, Irrigation, Rural Development, InternalTrade, Food Security and Consumer Welfare. Mahinda Rajapaksa’s son, Namal Rajapaksa, is a Member of Parliament.
Denne historien er fra December 20, 2019-utgaven av FRONTLINE.
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Denne historien er fra December 20, 2019-utgaven av FRONTLINE.
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How Not To Handle An Epidemic
The lockdowns were meant to buy time to put in place appropriate health measures and contain the coronavirus’ spread, but they have failed to achieve the objective and heaped immense misery on the marginalised sections of society. India is still in the exponential phase of the COVID-19 infection and community transmission is a reality that the government refuses to accept.
Tragedy on foot
As the COVID-19-induced lockdown cuts the ground beneath their feet in Tamil Nadu, thousands of migrant workers are trudging along the highway to the relative safety of their upcountry homes.
Sarpanchs as game changers
Odisha manages to keep COVID-19 well under control because of the strong participation of panchayati raj institutions and the community at the grass-roots level under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Scapegoating China
As the COVID-19 death rate spikes and the economy tanks in the United States, Donald Trump and his advisers target China and the World Health Organisation with an eye to winning the forthcoming presidential election.
New worries
Kerala’s measured approach to the pandemic and lockdown has yielded results. But it still has to grapple with their huge economic impact on its economy, which it feels the Centre’s special financial relief package does little to alleviate.
No love lost for labour
Taking advantage of the lockdown and the inability of workers to organise protests, many State governments introduce sweeping changes to labour laws to the detriment of workers on the pretext of reviving production and boosting the economy.
Capital's Malthusian moment
In a world that needs substantial reorienting of production and distribution, Indian capital is resorting to a militant form of moribund neoliberalism to overcome its current crisis. In this pursuit of profit, it is ready and willing to throw into mortal peril millions whom it adjudicates as not worth their means—an admixture of social Darwinism born of capital’s avarice and brutalism spawned by Hindutva. .
Understanding migration
When governments and their plans are found to be blatantly wanting in addressing reverse migration, exercises such as the Ekta Parishad’s survey of migrant workers throughout India can be useful to work out creative long-lasting solutions.
Waiting for Jabalpur moment
The Supreme Court’s role in ensuring executive accountability during the ongoing lockdown leaves much to be desired. Standing in shining contrast is the record of some High Courts.
An empty package
The Modi regime, which has been unable to control the COVID-19 infection, restore economic activity and provide relief to millions exposed to starvation, trains its sights on Indian democracy, making use of the panic generated by fear and a lockdown that forecloses paths of resistance.
