Ranil Wickremesinghe vs V. D. Savarkar

As a key negotiator, Wickremesinghe helped finalize the Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord, which aimed to end the Sri Lankan Civil War by devolving power to provinces and deploying Indian peacekeeping forces. The accord ultimately failed to bring lasting peace.

Ranil Wickremesinghe was appointed Prime Minister of Sri Lanka by President D.B. Wijetunga, following the assassination of President Ranasinghe Premadasa. He led the United National Party government, beginning a long political career marked by multiple terms.

Wickremesinghe, as the UNP candidate, lost the presidential election to Mahinda Rajapaksa. The defeat was partly attributed to a boycott by the Tamil Tiger rebels, which suppressed voter turnout in the north and east. This loss kept him out of power for several years.

After the resignation of Mahinda Rajapaksa amid economic crisis, Wickremesinghe was appointed Prime Minister. He later became acting president and then president after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country. His leadership focused on stabilizing the economy and securing an IMF bailout.

Savarkar published 'The Indian War of Independence, 1857', a historical account that portrayed the 1857 rebellion as a unified national struggle for freedom. The book was banned by the British government for its revolutionary content.

Savarkar was arrested and convicted for his involvement in the Nasik Conspiracy Case, which involved the assassination of a British official. He was sentenced to life imprisonment and transported to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands.

Savarkar wrote 'Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?', defining Hindutva as a cultural and national identity based on the land of India and its Hindu heritage. This ideology became the foundation of Hindu nationalism.

Savarkar was released from prison after serving 27 years, following a series of petitions and negotiations. He was placed under restrictions and required to refrain from political activities for a period.

Savarkar was arrested and tried for conspiracy in the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. He was acquitted due to lack of evidence, but the trial damaged his reputation and deepened political divisions.