The Struggle of Love in Sri Lanka

Reporting from Sri Lanka, Ruwanthi Amarasooriya says women have been at the heart of the movement to oust President Rajapaksa in response to the economic crisis engulfing their country.

Amid the protests that arose around the country, a great struggle started in April to kick out the corrupt politicians. I saw that women's hearts are stronger than men's.

Ruwanthi Amarasooriya

Fathers are struggling for days in oil queues, mothers are worried about what to feed their children, and children are trapped in Zoom classes.

On the other hand, young people are standing up to corrupt politicians despite the threat of tear gas and bullets. This is the current situation in my beloved homeland, Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka, also known as the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is a small island in South Asia with a population of about 22 million. Due to politicians' greed for power and poor economic management policies, we are facing a massive economic crisis.

Because of the country's huge oil shortage, people are waiting in oil queues for days without eating or drinking. Schools and universities are frozen – students' lives diminishing in front of computer screens. The prices of goods have skyrocketed so that everyday people cannot afford them. Patients die prematurely due to a lack of essential medicines. Regular power outages steal valuable time from people. 

But still, corrupt politicians do not care about the country, despite their power. Our country is embedded in unpayable debt. Sri Lanka imports $3B (£2.3bn) more than it exports every year. Former President Rajapaksa has also been criticized for the tax cuts he introduced in 2019, which lost the government an annual income of more than $1.4B (£1.13bn).

In 1948, Sri Lanka gained independence from British rule. Since then, Sri Lankan politicians have worked hard to enrich their personal wealth rather than develop the country. Sri Lanka is a fertile land that receives rain throughout the year, but we’ve reached the point where we import almost everything from abroad. 

In 2009, after freeing the country from 30 years of brutal terrorism, the government led by Mahinda Rajapaksa started developing the country by taking out continuous loans. But up until now, no ruler has taken responsibility for repaying these loans or cultivating a strong economy. They say that the 2019 Easter bombings and COVID-19 pandemic are the reason for this economic collapse.

Today we have to ask for aid from Bangladesh, which was at a lower economic status than Sri Lanka during the pandemic. The main reason was Sri Lankan leaders’ insufficient economic planning and management, corruption, and debts.

While our people struggle to put food on the table, politicians dance blissfully unaware in Parliament, asking for their car permits and pleasures. They want to preserve their power and let the people shed blood. The politicians call Sri Lankans poor and needy. They want to live as helpless, ignorant people. Then they can extend their power on the shoulders of these fools.

Amid the protests that arose around the country, a great struggle started in April to kick out the corrupt politicians. I saw that women's hearts are stronger than men's.

Children and mothers push stalled three-wheelers and bikes to oil sheds; mothers breastfeed their children while selling small goods along roads, and a woman with no money to take her newborn baby home waits for a bus at the bus stop. Mothers and kids raise their voices in solidarity. University students run through tear gas and fight for the most beautiful time of their lives without fear of bullets. 

Yes, it is women's power. 

On July 9, our people occupied the president's house and premises. One of our young women went forward despite the threat of a military attack to show the country the people's blood, tears, and sweat. The soldiers hit her until she fell to the ground. This is the law of Sri Lanka. Our people have come to the streets to protest these vile politics.

Anti-government protests have been going on in Colombo since April 9. Our people are encamped and continuously struggling to oust the president. In the meantime, women struggle as they camp out night after night.

Do you have any understanding of what kind of social discourse will arise if a woman spends a night in a small camp in a South Asian country? A politician initially implemented a ridiculous plan to show the world women’s immoral behavior by piling up condoms all over the camping site. Later, the country came to know through CCTV footage that it was the politician’s plan to discredit women activists.

Another time, politicians planned to incite racism. Sri Lanka consists mainly of Sinhalese, Tamil, and Muslim nations. Our politicians have made a habit of coming to power by inciting racism. But this time, they failed.

Sinhalese, Tamils ​​, and Muslims all fought together as Sri Lankans. They eat, sleep, and rejoice together in the field of struggle. Indeed, when I saw them, I thought we had won the struggle. Our people are that much united. Muslim women come out of burka and shout for the country. As a Sinhalese girl, I am very proud of my Muslim sisters.

As I am far from Colombo, I cannot regularly participate in the struggle. But I go there as often as there is a chance. Every day I see women struggling on public platforms. I see young mothers sitting on the ground and feeding their babies. I see women walking on crutches in the struggle area. I see young women who are taking their lovers in wheelchairs to the struggle.

Indeed, women who call themselves flowers possess iron hearts. 

Our timid president fled the country on a military jet on July 9. And today, on July 14, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared his official resignation. This is a great victory. But even as I write this, our people still struggle against the government. The government has already sacrificed many people's lives, but our people are still fighting for Sri Lanka.

My blue green country surrounded by beautiful beaches has been turned into a hell by miserable politicians. They brutally destroyed our young dreams. I can't wait to see a day when the people of my country breathe freely and happily.

I hope every country with pure-hearted citizens will stare their eyes upon our country. 

At last, I have to say to the world, don’t underestimate the power of everyday people.

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