Shemodya Jayasekara (Express Photo)

Shemodya Jayasekara, 23

Under-graduate student at the University of Sabaragamuwa in south-central Sri Lanka; studying Food Business Management

It is her first day at the protests and she is accompanied by her parents. Her father works in the security division of Colombo Port, and her mother is a home-maker. “I came because the ruling leaders do not give us what we expect from them. The economy is in a crisis. We have money but food is not available. We have cooking gas for now, but we don’t know if we will get a refill. There are long queues,” she says, adding, “I hope to work in this country after I finish my studies, but I see so many undergrads without jobs. We have been at home for two years and our university has not resumed physical classes because there is no power.”

Aqeel Ahamad (Express Photo)

Aqeel Ahamad, 22

Engineering student at Moratuwa University in suburban Colombo

“Everyone is affected by this government, by the family running this government. We want a democratic country… a peaceful environment…not an atmosphere filled with communal and ethnic racism,” says Ahamad, who is accompanied by his father, a businessman. “One of my aunts in Kandy was affected in the riots of 2018 — her house and vehicles were torched. I face racism in public places, even in my college,” he adds.

Blaming the Rajapaksa family for “every problem in the country”, he hopes “people will vote next time for eligible candidates without being driven by ethnic, religious concerns or money”

D M Dissanayake (Express Photo)

D M Dissanayake, in his 40s

Lawyer

“Civil society activists and others had been warning people that if Rajapaksas come to power there will be an economic crisis because they never had a proper economic plan. But Rajapaksas were heroes for winning the war against LTTE,” said Dissanayake. After the Easter Sunday attacks, he adds, “people thought the Rajapaksas are the sole protectors of the Sinhalese… They were swayed by triumphalism. Now people’s eyes have opened.”

M K Ragunathan (Express Photo)

M K Ragunathan, 68

Retired as a consultant physician at a government hospital in Galle

“I have seen how politicians have divided this country using religion, language, caste. In the last two years, the economy has deteriorated in a way that was not even seen during war years,” says Ragunathan, adding, “With so many protesting here, I didn’t think it was right for me to sit at home. I came here as a common man to volunteer my services as a doctor.”

Rebecca David (Express Photo)

Rebecca David, 43

Rights activist

“The Rajapaksas are not going to resign just because we are asking. But the pressure is important. When we demand here, our voice will be heard in Parliament,” says David, who has been part of the protests “since the beginning”. David and her group are also starting “Teach Out” sessions for protesters to inform them “the Constitution, the powers of the president” etc.

Urging India to “help the people, not the government”, she adds, “People suspect that the BJP government is helping our government because they are quite similar in many ways”.