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The year 2022 is a scene of the people’s revolution in Sri Lanka.
March 31, 2022
It is considered the opening day of the event that changed the history of Sri Lanka.
In 2022, Sri Lanka faced a massive economic crisis that Sri Lanka had never faced since independent Sri Lanka.
Last year, the people faced various problems like the weakening of the value of the Sri Lankan rupee against the US dollar, the increase in the price of goods in the country due to the massive reduction in dollar reserves, the shortage of essential commodities such as fuel, gas, petroleum, and power cuts lasting more than 10 to 14 hours.
As the country suffered a massive economic setback due to the Easter attacks, the Corona pandemic hit Sri Lanka.
Due to this the entire country was paralyzed and the economy came to a standstill.
Tourism, Sri Lanka’s main source of income, has been pushed to zero. Export earnings suffered massively.
As a result, Sri Lanka’s main income streams were closed and the Sri Lankan economy reached the peak of crisis.
The protest broke out on the night of March 31 last year, claiming that the ruling Rajapaksa family was responsible for this economic crisis.
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Thousands of people spontaneously gathered together and started a protest in the Nukegodai-Mirihana area where the house of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who was the President of Sri Lanka at that time, is located.
On March 31, 2022 at 6 PM…
Hundreds of people suddenly blocked the road leading to Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house in Mirihana area and started raising slogans against Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the Rajapaksa family.
News of people gathering and protesting in front of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house spread wildly in the mainstream media and social media.
Thousands of people who heard this news unexpectedly gathered in front of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house around 8 o’clock.
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People who were at home, people who went to work and returned home, university students, women, old people, young men and women all started invading the Mirihana area.
Observing the unexpected gathering of people, the police, unable to control the crowd, called in all the security forces, including the army and the Special Action Force, to Mirihana and its nearby areas.
Similarly, security has been beefed up at the homes of the Rajapaksa family and those close to them.
When people tried to enter Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house, the police, unable to control the crowd, first resorted to water cannons.
Faced with water cannons, the police fired tear gas when the protesters tried to enter Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house again.
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The security forces started using tear gas and water cannons against the protestors who did not comply.
The security forces also resorted to firing tear gas, water cannons and batons to bring the unruly protesters under control.
At the same time, when a bus belonging to the security unit was stopped, blocking the road leading to Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s house, some unidentified persons set fire to the bus and also attacked and damaged the vehicles belonging to the security unit.
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At the same time, it was observed that the vehicles brought by the security forces to ensure the safety of Gotabaya Rajapaksa collided with the civilian vehicles and the civilian vehicles were also damaged.
In this situation, a curfew was issued with immediate effect in Nukegodai and its nearby areas.
After several hours of protest, the protest was brought under control, and from the next day, April 1st, sporadic protests started in different parts of the country.
The protest started in this way turned into a massive spontaneous protest on April 9, 2022.
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Tens of thousands of people who gathered in Colombo’s Galle Mukatidal, not only the Rajapaksa family including Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Mahinda Rajapaksa, but also started the protest demanding the resignation of the government.
The protest started with the aim of regime change and continued for about 100 days. On July 9th, lakhs of people besieged the city of Colombo in an unprecedented manner and forced Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who held office as the president, to flee.
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What is the current position of the protesters?
March 31, 2022 was the first day of the demonstration that was enough to oust a president in Sri Lanka.
BBC Tamil met and discussed the current position of those who took part in this protest.
BBC Tamil met Rashika Arulselvath, who was involved in the protest from the first day to the last day, carrying banners and chanting slogans in Tamil, and heard her stand.
“I was there from the first day the struggle started. I was there for 100 days. I went to protest mostly daily. We started this struggle with the intention of making the country a good country and handing over the country to a good ruler. There were many problems at that time. People could not accept those problems. Couldn’t bear it. So, we went outside and protested,” he replied.
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Rashika Arulselvam
We questioned him whether the purpose of this protest has been fulfilled now.
“What we fought for. If we ask whether our purpose has been fulfilled, we can never say yes and never say no. Compared to last year, I think the country has come forward a bit this year. I am not saying that whoever is ruling the country now is perfect or he will not be perfect. But I think the country has got rid of the one from whom we thought it should progress somewhat.
My intention is that the rulers should do what is needed by the people who are suffering. I think the initial problems have now subsided a bit. So, my position is, let’s give a chance to the one who is there now,” said Rashika Arulselvam.
What is the opinion of the social activist arrested inside the plane?
BBC Tamil contacted social activist Danis Ali, who was at the forefront of the protest and was arrested by the security forces inside the plane, and asked about his current position.
“We got the victory we expected in the struggle. The next struggle is a radical change. In a struggle, you cannot expect everything to happen overnight. However, we made a difference;. Change is liberation. We have now brought about that change. Other transformational journeys have begun.
Within this radical change is 13, 13 plus everything. Former President Chandrika Bandaranaike has joined us to take this forward. We have different ideas about each other. Leaving opinions aside, keeping divisions aside, coming together where we need to come together, and doing work;. People can unite and take the struggle forward. The struggle will continue. “The struggle will continue in a different way,” says Danis Ali.
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Social activist Danis Ali
We asked him what changes have taken place and what changes you expect to meet your demands.
“We said in blank form that we should go to Kota and Ranil. A new constitution should be brought. An interim government should be in place. We asked for a parliamentary election after a year. Nothing happened. Only Kota went. We are talking about a law that goes beyond 13. But at least 13 should be correct. People have been suffering for a long time. They faced different problems in each period. At least 13 should be obtained and should be the starting point for conversion. However, whether what we are asking for will happen tomorrow is a question mark.
Although the North East is not constitutionally divided, we are politically and linguistically divided. If you make a system for them to work independently without making the division even more division, they can live happily together without any problems. The goal is to go to Ranil. Ranil will not recover. They are getting help from IMF. 13 plus required. “Because now our demand is to give at least 13th,” he replied.
Danis Ali says that he will never accept Ranil Wickramasinghe as his president and will never call him his president.
Danis Ali says that even if the leader is a thief, his policy is to make a change that cannot be stolen.
What does Ismat Maulavi, who went to prison for fighting, say?
Meanwhile, social activist Ismat Moulavi, who participated in the protest and went to jail, says that he never accepted Ranil Wickramasinghe as the president.
“When it comes to struggle for the country and the people of the country, I am one of its own. But we have been struggling and it has been a year. But there are many doubts about this now. We had priests who could speak Tamil and Sinhala with us. All of them were with us till the end. But when Ranil came, since then no one took to the streets to fight. No one’s speech. I have a doubt about this. Next thing everyone knows, Saharan bombed. But who led the Saharans? Still don’t like that leader. It is doubtful.
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Social activist Ismat Maulavi
Everyone involved in the struggle is a leader. After ousting Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a good person should be taken as the leader. We thought that a good president should come to the country. But did not come. The Rajapaksa family, which was in the parliament, elected him as the president. Let it be the IMF, let the whole street be gold. There is no work in it. Someone elected by the people should come.
It is a democratic country. None of our requests have been fulfilled yet. Only their request has been fulfilled. Still Rajapaksa. I don’t accept Ranil as president. It should come to the polls. Not a single demand has been fulfilled till today,” says Ismad Maulavi, who participated in the protest.
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