Marxist politician Anura Dissanayake won Sri Lanka’s presidential election over the weekend, dealing a blow to a political old guard that has been widely blamed for the unprecedented economic crisis that hit the South Asian island nation two years ago.

Young Anura Dissanayake grew up amid lush paddy fields, ancient irrigation tanks and vegetable plots. Though a typical, happy-go-lucky village boy, besides the childhood pranks, there was a seriousness that made him keenly aware of his surroundings and the disparities.