Prospects for Ethnic Harmony in Post-GoHomeGota Protest in Sri Lanka

In early 2022, in the wake of the state collapse in Sri Lanka (due to a severe economic meltdown with near-political anarchy), we observed an extraordinary ambience of ethnic tolerance and togetherness among masses gathered under the slogan #GoHomeGota to protest the corrupt regime. The nexus between state collapse and ethnic identity construction is puzzling. Does state collapse facilitate the disintegration of ethnic attributes? To find answers, this paper draws on protest materials publicly posted on Twitter from April to June 2022. Rather than the collapse of the state in Sri Lanka weakening the ethnic ties of all ethnic groups equally, findings suggest that the state's collapse has hindered the ability of Sinhalese nationalism/majoritarianism to take hold, which may give the impression that the Sinhalese are becoming less tied to their ethnicity. However, while Aragalaya is largely represented by all ethnic, religious, and language groups in the country, it has been unable to erase minorities' strong in-group attachment, as well as their suspicion of Sinhala majoritarianism

Art · Ethnic group · Harmony (color · Media studies · Political science · Social harmony · Social science · Sociology · South asia · Sri lanka · Anthropology · Diaspora, migration, transnational identity · Migration, Ethnicity, and Economy · Socioeconomic Development in Asia

• Religious Aberrant

  Open Access•Randika Perera•Religions•2025

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