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vii Contents Acknowledgments ix Abbreviations, Names, and Sinhala Terms xi Introduction: Political Ethnography of Disaster 1 Wijitha’s Story 13 1 That Day: Chaos and Solidarity 18 Dr. Priyanka’s Story 30 2 Deaths: Fate and Vulnerability 32 Pradeep and Manoj’s Story 47 3 Short-Term Camps: Chaos and the Crafting of Order 50 Sumendra’s Story 68 4 Housing: Temporary Shelters, Permanent Homes, and the Buffer Zone 71 Lalitha’s Story 92 5 Dangerous Liaisons: The Power, Peril, and Politics of Mediating between Donors and Recipients 99 Jagath’s Story 117 6 Business Recovery: Tourism and Construction 119 Dayawansa’s Story 135 7 Reconstructing Class: Discourse on Theft, Loot, Cheating, and Gifts 137 Fazmina’s Story 154 8 The Politics of Corruption: Accusations and Rebuttals 158 viii | Contents Tharindu’s Story 175 9 Citizenship and Ethnicity: The Tsunami and the Civil War 177 Conclusion 193 Notes 199 References 203 Index 211 ...

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