Gotabaya shuns the pomp and pageantry so loved by Mahinda. Sri Lankans were stunned when the new president opted for a simple ceremony to inaugurate the fourth session of the parliament on January 3. There was no ceremonial 21-gun salute or mounted police escort, which used to be the norm during Mahinda’s presidency. The two brothers have distinct sartorial styles as well. While Mahinda prefers the white national dress and the red shawl, Gotabaya delivered his inaugural address dressed in a dashing suit.
One of Gotabaya’s first orders as president was not to have his photographs in government offices. When an enthusiastic supporter put up his life-sized portrait in a public place, he immediately ordered it to be taken down. When Mahinda was president, his photographs, posters and cutouts were seen at almost every street corner and in every government office.
Gotabaya seems to have a different approach towards handling dissent. The first street march by university students after Gotabaya took over ended in a discussion. The president tweeted that instead of the usual tear gas and baton charges that greeted student protests, he had invited them to his office so that they could discuss their issues with the officials concerned.
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin February 09, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye THE WEEK dergisinin February 09, 2020 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI