From democracy and development to institutional checks and balances, what went wrong in Sri Lanka? And what lessons does this hold for the rest of the region?

That’s what the focus of this episode in Spotlight South Asia, a new series on the India Speak podcast. It features host and Senior Fellow Sushant Singh of the Centre for Policy Research in conversation with award-winning journalist Dilrukshi Handunnetti, discussing the way ahead for Sri Lanka following the exit of the powerful Rajapaksa clan.

Handunnetti explains how country’s economic meltdown was years in the making and the result of politicisation of systems. She discusses the massive pro-democracy protests organised across the country. They also unpack the decline of institutions and how Sri Lanka is paying the price of not holding its political leaders accountable.

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