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State formation, the politics of capitalist transition and conflicts – by Sunil Bastian Given the wars and conflicts that engulfed the world at the end of 2023, peace and conflict studies have become even more important as we welcome 2024. This short article is based on the experience of Sri Lanka. Using the example of Sri Lanka, its aim is to show the importance of taking into account the politics of capitalist transition when studying conflicts. But getting into this specific discussion, it is necessary to explain the foundational concepts underlining this note. This is based on the idea of studying conflicts as a question of state-society relations. State formation and conflicts The conventional idea of the state treats it as a self-contained entity that has attained a final status. The legal notion of sovereignty strengthens this idea. Those who control the state, and their ideologues, always try to convey this ...