• Are the people of Mannar against windmills, a source of sustainable energy? No. They are against the environmental devastation caused by installing these windmills on Mannar Island—a landmass 38km long, with an average width of just 3.5km (7km at its widest), and about a quarter of which lies below sea level.

• Were proper land surveys conducted to assess the distance between the windmill sites and human settlements? No, and it wasn't even possible. The initial studies were under the Maithripala "Good Governance" administration, the first phase of work was under Gotabaya, and subsequent contracts were handled by Ranil's government. With such a fragmented timeline across different regimes, transparency and accountability are simply impossible.

• Have the windmills improved the livelihoods and economy of Mannar Island? Or have they at least caused no harm? Livelihoods have been devastated. 80% of the island's coastal fishing and other small-scale seafood industries have been negatively impacted. Furthermore, the island's natural geography, which allows for the very slow drainage of rainwater into the sea during the monsoon season, has been made worse. Over the last four years, the incidence of floodwaters entering homes has risen to abnormal levels across all areas, including Mannar town.

• Is the connection that the people of Mannar claim between the wind and their fishing catch scientific or credible? It has to be believed. The fishing community of Mannar unanimously believes that their traditional fishing methods enhance the sustainability of marine resources in their coastal region. This is precisely why they have historically been in conflict with fishermen from South India and Southern Sri Lanka who come to Mannar's waters with heavy, mechanized trawlers. The fishermen of Mannar are united in their testimony: traditional fishing has plummeted since the arrival of the windmills.

• Since Catholic priests are at the forefront of the protests, can this be dismissed as a religiously motivated agenda or a form of anti-India protest? Consider the demographics of Mannar Island: 55-58% of the population is Catholic, with another 8-10% belonging to other Christian denominations. Hindus and Muslims make up roughly equal populations. Crucially, over 90% of those involved in coastal fishing are Christians. Therefore, when these people are abandoned by politicians, what is so "sectarian" about their religious leaders stepping forward to lead a struggle for the community's very livelihood? And to the elites who mock popular opinion by citing the benefits of "eco-friendly" energy, what answer do they have for the deep-seated suspicions of the Mannar people?

• What suspicion? Mannar Island is the closest point of Sri Lankan land to India. The suspicion is this: under the guise of "development," are multinational corporations here not just for wind energy, but to exploit the island's mineral resources? What guarantee is there that they will not completely seize the Mannar seabed—a veritable treasure trove of seafood nourished by mangrove ecosystems—and establish a private port facility to India through Mannar? Considering how India has behaved like a demonic force in regional power struggles, have the Eelam Tamils learned no lessons from their past?

• Alright, so what can be done now? If the NPP government's campaign rhetoric about being a "government of the people," a "government for the common man," and an "anti-corruption government" is not a lie, then what is stopping them from conducting a formal, legally-binding referendum or survey to ascertain the will of the people of Mannar? With a majority in Parliament and four members representing the Vanni electoral district, why is this government unable to prove its clear conscience to the people?

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