A CYCLONE THAT LEFT TESTING OUR PRESIDENT!

Dear Mr. President

- Your's Truly, Jamila Husain Editor - In - Chief

When you and your government won the elections last year, both local and international circles were stunned by the sheer magnitude of the victory. A map of Sri Lanka painted almost entirely in the NPP’s maroon colour sent a clear message from the people — they were exhausted by a corrupt system that enriched those in power while draining taxpayers to their last rupee. Your two-thirds majority was not just a political feat, it was a plea from the nation for something drastically different.

I am sure the scale of your triumph surprised you as well. It was evident in your voice when you and I spoke just hours before you were officially announced as the winner of the Presidential Election. You called it a victory of the people, a responsibility not to be taken lightly. You spoke of change, of hope, and of taking Sri Lanka to greater heights.

One year later, although progress has been slower than what many hoped for, the people still held confidence in you. But just as patience was wearing thin, the unthinkable struck — a natural calamity of historic proportions. Cyclone Ditwah took the lives of over 1,000 Sri Lankans and left more than a million severely affected. Homes were destroyed, livelihoods shattered, and childhoods traumatised forever. And all while your administration had been warned well in advance.