The carnivals and tamashas are over and it’s time for stock-taking. With the government spending more than Rs, 2.8 billion for the week-long South Asian conference and with the main opposition claiming that the expenditure topped the Rs. 5 billion mark, the venue of the showpiece summit – the BMICH – is back to its normal self. The stray dogs that were removed from the BMICH area are back to litter the place. The casino-style illuminations on roads from Colombo’s five-star hotels to the BMICH and to parliament complex are no more.
As the world’s attention was on the Colombo summit being held amidst a high security threat not only from the LTTE but also from international terror groups, Colombo was turned into a garrison city. The summit, whose primary objective was to serve the people, became a security headache for Colombo residents -- with roads being closed periodically and checks being carried out at many points.
To escape this summit-related inconvenience, the elite took off to holiday destinations, while the youth trooped to Hikkaduwa in large numbers to witness what is now being dubbed as Lanka’s Rio carnival. Sun, sand and fun came aplenty.
These pictures show what the Sri Lanka Tourist Board which organized the carnival had for the youth at Hikkaduwa, though the board says their objective was to attract foreign tourists. But visitors said locals heavily outnumbered the foreigners.
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