The Rajapakse brothers were once the heroes who freed Sri Lanka from decades of civil war. People hated Mahinda and Gotabaya as they ignored the cries of a debt-ridden nation. The tragic downfall of the Vana Rajapakse family, who had been dominant in the island’s politics for more than two decades.
Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was the leader of the opposition, first became the Prime Minister in 2004. A year later, when he became president, Gotabaya Rajapakse took over as Minister of Defense (2005–15). Together they fought the final battle against the Tamil Tigers.
Gotabaya, who earned the nickname ‘Terminator’ for his brutality in the war against the Tamil Tigers, is now called ‘crazy’, ‘criminal’ and ‘traitor’. In the nationwide agitation that began on April 9, the only slogan was for the Rajapakse family to leave power. Rajapakse’s family home was set on fire by protesters in May. Later, Mahinda resigned as Prime Minister, but the agitation did not stop. Clinging to power despite the erosion of the foothills led to Gotabaya’s escape.
After the 2019 Easter Sunday blasts, the Rajapaksa’s were returned to power by the Sinhalese, firmly convinced that only Sri Lanka’s welfare could be ensured.
Gotabaya, who had served in the army, led a regiment in 1987 against the Tamil Tigers. In the 1980s, he was the commander of a military unit that suppressed the Sinhala Marxist terrorist organization. After retiring from the army in 1998, Gotabaya immigrated to the US and joined Loyola Law School in Los Angeles as an IT professional. He became a US citizen in 2003.
Gotabaya returned to Lanka in 2005 and became active in politics as an assistant to his brother Mahinda in the presidential election. When Mahinda became President, he assumed the post of Defense Minister. It was during this time that the final battle of the Lankan army against the Tigers began. It is estimated that 40,000 Tamils were killed by the army in the last months of this war. Many war crimes allegations were raised against Gotabaya due to the military atrocities of this era in which severe human rights violations were committed.
After the 2015 election defeat, the Rajapakse family made a huge comeback in 2019. The Gotabaya regime started with promises of economic growth, stability and security in a country that was heading towards a debt crisis. However, experts had warned that this is the worst government in terms of economic policy.
In May 2021, the government suddenly banned the import of chemical fertilizers. This led to a widespread decline in production, and the fertilizer ban was lifted in November, but to no avail. Meanwhile, the Covid pandemic has devastated the country’s tourism industry. After the collapse of the agricultural sector, the country was gripped by food shortages. As the war in Ukraine raised global fuel prices, fuel shortages in the country also worsened.
Gotabaya never considered the demand of the opposition and the agitators to form a national government to solve the crisis. Finally the people had to force him down. It’s just that Gotabaya invited this shameful downfall.
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