Srilanka witnessed massive protests- called the Aragalaya movement last year against the government in the wake of the worst economic crisis the country faced since its independence. By July events unfolded fast with homes of lawmakers and politicians being torched. President Gotabaya Rajapksa was forced to flee Srilanka and resign. Six-time Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was elected the new president, despite the protesters demanding the entire ruling elite quit. A brutal military crackdown on the protestors followed soon removing them from Galle Face Green. 

In the last one year Srilanka assisted by India, Japan, World Bank, it has tried to find a way out of the debt crisis and seeking and International Monetary Fund bail out. President Wickramesinghe was in Delhi recently on his first bilateral visit since resuming office last year and held formal talks with Prime Minister Modi. 

So is there faith in his leadership now in Srilanka? Does the country feel it is headed on a positive trajectory now? How are the youth reacting to the political process? 

On episode 9 of the Foreign Policy Podcast Beyond Nation and State, we try and understand the underlying currents in Srilanka -what lies beneath the surface. Independent Journalists and Host Smita Sharma is joined by Dilrukshi Handunnetti- Award-winning journalist and lawyer. She is a founder and director of the Colombo-based Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR).

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