Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has declared a public emergency, through a special gazette notification on Friday, as protests have rocked the tiny island nation amid the worst economic crisis it has ever seen.
The decision to impose an emergency came after a protest took place outside the residence of Rajapaksa on Thursday gathered there and demanded his resignation.
A crisis, which has led to a shortage of essential goods such as fuel, cooking gas, and power cuts for 13 hours a day in some instances, has made people from different walks of life protest against the government. As many students from Sri Lanka have taken to the streets.
One such protest happened in Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte, the legislative capital, where hundreds of students gathered to protest against the shortage of essentials as well as the ruling regime of Sri Lanka. “We are currently seeing the effects of inappropriate management and corruption by the current government. There’s no fuel and electricity, power cuts happen for prolonged periods every day. Students from the University of Jayewardenepura took out a protest near the Wijerama Junction against the economic crisis in the country,” said Chris Sheron, a medical student in Belarus, from Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte. “We are also facing problems with the withdrawal of money from our accounts due to limitations set by the government. Our debit card limit has been restricted to 125 dollars per week. And these issues plague us on top of the already exorbitant fees we are paying for our course due to inflation,” added Chris.
Another student from Sri Lanka, studying in the city of Bangalore, echoed a similar worry regarding the exchange rate. “If things continue this way, our cost of living will take a hit since we are in a foreign country. The current situation which has affected both the rich and the poor in Sri Lanka makes us wonder if we will be able to receive enough money from our homes to take care of our expenses in Bangalore,” said a medical student from Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences who did not wish to be named.
On reports that students were facing a shortage of exam papers in Sri Lanka, the Kandy native stated that the issue didn’t concern the entirety of the country and only affected the Western Province, which includes major cities such as Colombo and Sri Jayewardenepura. “The issue regarding exam papers is not as widespread as it’s being portrayed by the media and is only limited to some cities,” said the student who added that the lack of jobs in Sri Lanka is also a cause of tension in the country. “I wish to see my family soon but it’s better not to plan any travel to Sri Lanka for the time being,” the RGUHS student said.
The Sri Lankan government on Saturday announced a curfew across the country from 6 p.m. until 6 a.m. on Monday after instituting the public emergency.
