MIGHTY FALL

With the Sinhalas turning against the Rajapaksa family, Gotabaya becomes the most unpopular president in the history of Sri Lanka

- LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN

THE ROAD LEADING to the Amma Maniyo temple from the grand Ruwanweli Maha Seya stupa in Anuradhapura, built by the legendary Sinhala king Dutugamunu, is mostly quiet these days. Anuradhapura, the ancient Buddhist capital of the island nation, holds special significance for President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. After the landslide win in the 2019 polls, Gotabaya took oath as president at the stupa, in the presence of Buddhist clergy from across the country. His address to the nation was laced with references to a militarised vision for Sri Lanka’s future, rooted firmly in the Sinhala Buddhist ideology. He made it clear to all that he was voted to power by the Sinhalas.

Three years later, as Sri Lanka totters down the path of economic collapse, the Sinhalas seem to have abandoned Gotabaya. Historically, protests against the Rajapaksas, especially Gotabaya and his elder brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajpaksa, were spearheaded by the country’s Tamil and Muslim minorities. But this time, a majority of the Sinhalas, too, have turned against the government. Not even Gotabaya’s trusted soothsayer, Gnana Akka, who advises him on key issues, including the Covid-19 lockdowns, could predict such a rapid reversal of fortunes. There are hardly any visitors at the Maniyo temple and the Ruwanweli stupa these days, thanks to the economic crisis caused by Gotabaya’s harebrained policies.