Conference Presentations by Inusha U . Rathnayaka
Conference: Radical Transformations: Examining Anarchism, State Power, and Resistance in the 21st century., 2025
This paper examines the anarchistic movements in Sri Lanka, focusing on the Janatha Vimukthi
Per... more This paper examines the anarchistic movements in Sri Lanka, focusing on the Janatha Vimukthi
Peramuna (JVP) uprisings of 1971, 1988-1989, and the Aragalaya movement of April 9, 2022.
Utilizing Louis Althusser’s theory of Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs), the study explores
how these movements challenged the state’s mechanisms of power, particularly in the realms
of law and order, education, religion, media, and family. The analysis reveals that while the
JVP’s earlier insurrections were met with severe repression, the 2022 protests achieved
significant political change, culminating in the election of a former JVP leader as president.
This evolution underscores the complex interplay between state apparatuses and revolutionary
movements in Sri Lanka’s socio-political landscape.
The sociological causes and psychological effects of university ragging, also known as hazing, in... more The sociological causes and psychological effects of university ragging, also known as hazing, in Sri Lanka are specifically examined in this article. The need to address this issue immediately is underscored by recent tragic events, such as student suicides and deaths brought on by extreme ragging practices. This essay makes the case that legal penalties by themselves are insufficient deterrents and offers a thorough preventative framework with an emphasis on community development and early intervention during the school years. In contrast to strictly punitive measures, this research promotes healing-centered approaches by addressing the cyclical nature of abuse, in which marginalized students continue harmful practices against more privileged peers.
ICPIR, 2024
The present study explores the representation and understanding of non-binary gender identities a... more The present study explores the representation and understanding of non-binary gender identities as expressed in the religious scriptures of Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, Christianity and Islam. By critically examining these texts, the study uncovers historical perspectives on the fluidity of gender, spiritual inclusivity, and divine androgyny that contradict contemporary binary notions of gender. The work focuses on recurring themes-the fluid nature of gender and the integration of gender-diverse individuals in spiritual narrativeswhile highlighting the difference each tradition presents in its method. This book is a comparison that contributes to the current discourses of gender diversity, offering knowledge that bridges the ancestral knowledge to the present discussion of identity.
Through the theoretical framework of Antonio Gramsci's hegemony, this research article analyzes t... more Through the theoretical framework of Antonio Gramsci's hegemony, this research article analyzes the concept of cultural imperialism and applies it to India's expanding regional and international cultural influence. We examine how India has emerged as a cultural powerhouse by employing peaceful cultural expansion techniques consistent with the ancient concept of Akandabarath (undivided India). Through comprehensive textual analysis and social media behavior studies, we demonstrate how India has effectively leveraged its rich cultural heritage to enhance its geopolitical position while promoting a distinctive form of cultural diplomacy that differs significantly from Western models of cultural imperialism. Our analysis encompasses yoga, Ayurveda, cinema, food, and digital diplomacy through examination of online discourse, policy documents, and digital engagement patterns. This article argues that India's approach to cultural exchange is more dialogic and reciprocal, potentially offering an alternative framework for South-South cooperation in the evolving multipolar global order.
Teaching Documents by Inusha U . Rathnayaka
Sihalavatthuppakarana is a lesser-known but deeply meaningful Pali text from ancient Sri Lanka. C... more Sihalavatthuppakarana is a lesser-known but deeply meaningful Pali text from ancient Sri Lanka. Compiled around the fourth century CE, it preserves stories rooted in Sinhala folk traditions and reflects how Theravada Buddhism adapted to local culture
Putting the Epistemological Challenge in Perspective One of philosophy's primary objectives is to... more Putting the Epistemological Challenge in Perspective One of philosophy's primary objectives is to employ critical inquiry to seek certainty. Nonetheless, the approaches and ultimate goals of this investigation vary substantially throughout cultures and historical eras. The epistemological concepts presented in David Hume's radical empiricism (HRE) from the 18th-century Enlightenment and the Kalama Sutta (KS) from the Buddhist Pāli Canon are contrasted in this report. Both systems question unsupported logic and outside authority through extreme critical investigation. However, their divergent goals-the Buddha's emphasis on moral behavior and Hume's concentration on mind description-lead to quite different conclusions regarding philosophical doubt.
Books by Inusha U . Rathnayaka
Papers by Inusha U . Rathnayaka
The emergence of artificial general intelligence (AGI) as an imminent geopolitical variable repre... more The emergence of artificial general intelligence (AGI) as an imminent geopolitical variable represents one of the most consequential structural shifts in the international order since the advent of nuclear deterrence. This paper argues that the current trajectory of AI developmentdominated by a small number of state-backed corporate entities concentrated in the United States and China-constitutes a form of digital hegemony with direct, material consequences for global energy systems, sovereign autonomy, and the architecture of international governance. As economies become progressively automated by AI systems, the computational infrastructure underpinning those systems demands unprecedented quantities of energy. This demand is neither geopolitically neutral nor equitably distributed. It is accelerating resource competition, reordering alliance structures, and providing the material substrate for a new generation of proxy conflicts and interstate rivalries that bear the character of energy wars prosecuted in service of computational supremacy. Drawing on present trends in AI infrastructure development, energy geopolitics, and institutional governance, this paper examines the mechanisms through which AGI supremacy is reshaping global power dynamics; interrogates the ideological dimensions of AI governance as practised by dominant powers; and advances the case for a decentralized, multipolar framework for AI development and oversight. The paper concludes with a set of policy recommendations addressed to non-aligned and emerging-economy states, international regulatory bodies, and civil society actors who stand to be most acutely affected by the governance choices made in the current critical window.
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Conference Presentations by Inusha U . Rathnayaka
Peramuna (JVP) uprisings of 1971, 1988-1989, and the Aragalaya movement of April 9, 2022.
Utilizing Louis Althusser’s theory of Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs), the study explores
how these movements challenged the state’s mechanisms of power, particularly in the realms
of law and order, education, religion, media, and family. The analysis reveals that while the
JVP’s earlier insurrections were met with severe repression, the 2022 protests achieved
significant political change, culminating in the election of a former JVP leader as president.
This evolution underscores the complex interplay between state apparatuses and revolutionary
movements in Sri Lanka’s socio-political landscape.
Teaching Documents by Inusha U . Rathnayaka
Books by Inusha U . Rathnayaka
Papers by Inusha U . Rathnayaka