Sri Lanka is in the middle of a burgeoning crisis. With the island nation facing the worst economy crisis in its history, citizens have been left to bear the brunt — with fuel shortages, hours-long power cuts, and a critical shortage in essential commodities such as milk powder and rice. These difficulties have spurred people’s protests across the country. Public anger has been directed towards the country’s ruling party — and the strongman President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

In the second episode of Whetstone Audio Dispatch, journalist Kris Thomas attempts to get to the heart of this multifaceted crisis. He revisits the Sri Lankan President’s decision to ban the import of chemical fertilizers — an electoral promise that has had a seismic effect on the country’s agricultural sector. Even as the citizen protests have taken on a larger symbolism as an uprising against corruption and power, Kris reminds us that the country’s food security — both in the immediate and the long term — hangs precariously in the balance. 

In this episode, hear from protestors expressing their frustration at the lack of basic items such as milk powder, academics who discuss the controversial fertilizer ban and farmers who discuss their falling yields. 

Listen to the dispatch and Kris in conversation with Whetstone South Asia editor Vidya Balachander. Learn more about this episode of Whetstone Audio Dispatch at www.whetstoneradio.com, on IG at @whetstoneradio, Twitter at @whetstoneradio, and YouTube at WhetstoneRadio.

Translations by Sagar Hiranand, Vandana Hiranand, Dilina Amaruwan and Ashan Wickramanayake.