Jayadeva Uyangoda

From Democracy in Question? by Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy

February 11, 2026 · 44 min · Season 11 · Episode 6

About this episode

This episode explores the factors behind Sri Lanka's 2022 Aragalaya uprising and its implications for democracy in the region.

This episode revisits Sri Lanka’s dramatic 2022 Aragalaya uprising to understand how decades of post independence “ethnocratic elite democracy” set the stage for mass mobilization against the Rajapaksa regime. Why did a society long marked by political apathy suddenly generate a broad, cross class civil society coalition capable of forcing a peaceful transfer of power? Professor Jayadeva Uyangoda traces the deeper history of de democratization, explains the democratic imaginaries that shaped the protests, and reflects on how Sri Lanka’s experience speaks to youth led movements across South and Southeast Asia. Tune in to explore what lessons these struggles offer for those seeking to revitalize democracy under increasingly repressive conditions.

People in this episode

Guest: Jayadeva Uyangoda

Topics covered

Sri Lanka
democratization
civil society
youth movements
political apathy
mass mobilization

Keywords

Aragalaya
Sri Lanka
democracy
mass mobilization
political apathy
youth movements
Rajapaksa regime

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rajapaksa regime

Places: Sri Lanka, South and Southeast Asia