Any conflict between Tamil groups and Colombo could revive pre-2009 agitation in Tamil Nadu by pro-LTTE outfits and certain DMK-AIADMK elements seeking to stay relevant.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake, a member of parliament since 2000, comes from a working-class family. He was the first from his village to attend university, joining JVP in 1987 as a student.
Tamils are Sri Lanka's largest minority group & usually vote as one block, but this time their vote is fractured. Plus, the 3 front-runners need significant Tamil support to reach majority.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, credited with fixing the nation’s economy, is up against 37 other candidates in Saturday's presidential poll.
The elections, with 39 candidates in fray, will be watched by India, China & West. Its location makes it key player in India’s Neighbourhood First policy & broader vision for Indian Ocean.
‘I wanted to show how economic changes affect middle-class life, not just in Sri Lanka, but also in other parts of the world,’ Sri Lankan director Prasanna Vithanage told ThePrint.
A complete lack of trust between the Sinhala elite and Tamil minority is apparent across Sri Lanka, which seems unable to even begin laying some of its ghosts to rest.
In an interaction with ThePrint team, High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda discussed topics including Sri Lanka's economic crisis and the need for a 'strategic partnership' with India.
Sri Lanka is emerging out of its worst economic crisis in 7 decades, and its economy expected to shrink 2% this year before returning to growth next year.
Armenia has procured significant defence equipment from India, including artillery guns, multi-barrel rocket launchers, air defence system, sniper rifles, weapons locating radars, anti-drone weapons.
The key to fighting a war successfully, or even launching it, is a clear objective. That’s an entirely political call. It isn’t emotional or purely military.
COMMENTS