You Can’t Bulldoze Change, You Must Bring People With You - PM

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya has offered an unusually candid reflection on the deeper political philosophy that brought her and her colleagues into national leadership, underscoring the power of grassroots mobilisation and the long, often slow work of transforming societies.

Speaking on the dynamics of leadership, disagreement, and the demands of feminist political engagement, Dr. Amarasuriya said the path to her current position was not accidental—but the result of deliberate, patient organising with communities across the country.

“The reason why I am in this position today, and why my peers are in Parliament, is that we consciously mobilized at the grassroots level,” she said. At a time when political conversations often drift toward top‑down solutions, she warned against overlooking the critical role of local engagement.

The Prime Minister also addressed the difficult reality of navigating disagreement—whether from political opponents, critics, or even members within her own party who may not fully understand feminist leadership.

“How you speak to those who disagree with you is important,” she said. “Patience is important. Incremental steps are important. Listening to each other is important.”

Dr. Amarasuriya emphasized that meaningful progress demands more than policy shifts—it requires cultural, economic, and political change happening together, rather than in isolation.

“These transformations take time,” she cautioned. “You can’t bulldoze your way through. You have to bring people along with you. It's not just cultural, it's not just economic, it's not just political, it's all of these.”