Halk Ayaklanmasından Solun Yükselişine mi? Sri Lanka’daki “Aragalaya”nın Siyasal Mirasının Yeniden Değerlendirilmesi

Öz

Temmuz 2022’de Güney Asya’daki ada ülkesi Sri Lanka, ülkenin çağdaş siyasal tarihinin dönüm noktalarından biri olarak kabul edilen kitlesel bir halk ayaklanmasına sahne olmuştur. Ülkenin ekonomik krizinden doğan Aragalaya (Halkın Mücadelesi) hareketi, yalnızca Devlet Başkanı Gotabaya Rajapaksa’nın istifasına yol açması nedeniyle değil, aynı zamanda toplumda yeniden bir siyasal bilinç oluşturması ve bunun nihayetinde seçimler yoluyla siyasal değişime dönüşmesi bakımından da yaygın olarak başarılı bir hareket olarak değerlendirilmektedir. “Yeni bir yeniden doğuş dönemi” vaat eden sol eğilimli Anura Kumara Dissanayake’nin ve onun liderliğindeki Ulusal Halkın Gücü (National People's Power–NPP) koalisyonunun 2024 yılında iktidara gelmesi, hareketin sistem değişikliği yönündeki ortak talebini simgeleyen benzeri görülmemiş bir siyasal yeniden hizalanmaya işaret etmiştir. Bununla birlikte, NPP’nin bugüne kadarki siyasal seyri, siyasal beklentiler ile uygulamadaki gerçeklikler arasındaki gerilimleri de ortaya koymuştur. Yeni yönetim, yönetişim reformları ile şeffaflık ve hesap verebilirliğin güçlendirilmesi konusunda kayda değer ilerlemeler kaydetmiş olsa da, ülkenin bağımsızlığından bu yana ardışık hükümetler tarafından sürdürülen neoliberal politika çerçevesini benimsemeye devam ediyor görünmektedir. Bu gelişmeler, Aragalaya’nın gerçekten sistemsel bir dönüşüm yaratıp yaratmadığı ya da yalnızca mevcut kurumsal ve ekonomik yapılar içinde bir siyasal geçişi kolaylaştırıp kolaylaştırmadığı sorusunu gündeme getirmektedir. Bu makale, hareketi Sri Lanka’daki ekonomik krizdeki kökenlerinden başlayarak gelişimi, rekabet hâlindeki anlatıları ve siyasal sonuçları çerçevesinde incelemekte; Sri Lanka’nın güncel siyasal yapısını yeniden şekillendirmedeki kalıcı mirasını eleştirel bir bakış açısıyla değerlendirmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ekonomik Kriz
• Halk Ayaklanması
• Neoliberalizm

From People's Uprising to the Rise of the Left? Revisiting the Political Legacy of Sri Lanka's "Aragalaya"

Öz

In July 2022, Sri Lanka, an island-nation in South Asia witnessed the emergence of a popular uprising that stands as a defining moment in the country's contemporary political history. The movement Aragalaya (People's Struggle) which resulted from the country’s economic crisis is widely regarded as a success not only because it compelled the resignation of the President Gotabaya Rajapaksa but also because it sparked a renewed sense of political consciousness among the public that ultimately translated into an electoral change. With the promise of ushering a “ew era of renaissance” the presidency of left-leaning Anura Kumara Dissanayake and his National People's Power (NPP) coalition in 2024, marked an unprecedented political realignment that symbolised the movement's unified call for a system change. Yet the NPP’s trajectory so far has exposed tensions between political aspirations and the realities. While the new administration has made considerable progress in terms of governance reforms and ensuring transparency and accountability, it seems to be adopting the same neoliberal policy framework that was continued by successive governments since the country’s independence. These developments raise critical questions about whether the Aragalaya produced a genuine systemic change or merely facilitated political transition within existing institutional and economic structures. This article traces the movement from its origins in Sri Lanka's economic crisis through its evolution, competing narratives and political aftermath, critically evaluating its enduring legacy in reshaping Sri Lanka's current political landscape.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Economic Crisis
• People's Uprising
• Neoliberalism

Kaynakça

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