Former Sri Lanka cricketer Dhammika Prasad has gone on a hunger strike to demand justice for the 2019 Easter Attack victims. On April 21, 2019, 269 people, including the suicide bombers were killed in a terror attack. The tragedy created controversy as the Catholic Church accused the Sri Lanka government of covering up.
Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, the archbishop of Colombo Church, is leading the protests joined by Prasad. The former has repeatedly accused the government of covering up the investigations for political needs. Two Muslim groups, who have pledged allegiance to Islamic State, are being blamed for the attacks. Meanwhile, the former player, who has played 25 Tests, and 24 ODIs from 2006 to 2015, has said that he wants justice for all the victims.
“I want justice for all innocent victims of the bombings,†Prasad told reporters as reported by The Indian Express.
Simultaneously, the 39-year-old has also joined the ongoing protests against the economic crisis in the island nation. For the last few days, the citizens of the nation are protesting as they want President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to resign from their respective posts. The country is reeling from a huge economic crisis, resulting in a lack of basic amenities such as food, fuel, medicines, etc.
The protesters have been running a campaign on social media, urging people to gather at the Galle Face. Besides, the nation has suffered an economic crisis of this level for the first time since independence from British Rule in 1948. 22 million people in the country are facing horrendous 12-hour power cuts as well. The government has suspended all the international debt servicing from April 12, the first instance in the South Asian country since 1948.
During the protests, people celebrated the traditional Sinhala and Tamil New Year at the protest site. Simultaneously, international rating agencies, Fitch and Standard and Poor have come to a conclusion that the country’s ability to pay its debts have gone down.
