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Wife at ringing end of angry diplomat
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It was a pirith ceremony at a Buddhist temple in a European capital just weeks ago. The Sri Lanka Ambassador to that country and his wife were the honoured guests. Soon after they arrived, the envoy was given a warm welcome and accommodated together with his wife near the pirith mandapaya.
It happened to be close to a microphone, one among a few that were relaying the chanting in a relatively low tone.
Suddenly a mobile phone began ringing. It drowned the pirith chanting and all that the guests could hear was a ringing tone. The temple authorities went on checking from where the ringing came. They got many devotees, who had their mobile phones switched on, to have them switched off. Suddenly the Ambassador was seen reaching out to his wife’s handbag. He opened it and pulled out a phone that was ringing loud as ever. He was so angry that he threw it behind, towards the entrance from which he came.
The ringing mobile phone was to fall on the head of a devotee. He rose holding his head and walked out. An official attached to the temple rushed to him to find out whether he was hurt. “I have some pain in my head. Otherwise I am okay,” he said. The matter ended with the devotee being given a pain killer.
As for the mobile phone, it was returned to the Ambassador’s wife. “It’s aggressive diplomacy all the way for Sri Lankan envoys. Whether it is at home or outside, it’s the same,” said one of the devotees present.
Not surprising when even High Commissioners face alleged assault from politicians conducting foreign policy for Sri Lanka.
CID, soothsayer in EAM drama
Two of Sri Lanka’s career diplomats who became the subject of investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) have now been sent on compulsory leave. The duo, it is alleged, had received or circulated an e-mail critical of Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, the Monitoring MP of the External Affairs Ministry. CID detectives are trying to track back the origin of the e-mail.
A third lady official in the EAM too has been interdicted. She is alleged to have gone to a soothsayer and got him to recite vas kavi against senior EAM officials.
World Cup Anjali for Auckland zoo
As New Zealand and Australia prepare to host the 2015 Cricket World Cup in February-March, there is a special gift that will be going from Sri Lanka.
It is a baby elephant named Anjali. The animal has been placed in quarantine ahead of her move to the Auckland Zoo and she will be joined by another elephant later in the year.
So while New Zealand prepares for the world cricketing event, with equal fervour, authorities at the Auckland Zoo too are preparing the elephant enclosure that would be home to the Lankan elephants.
People pay bill for another EAM bull
As the front page story in the Sunday Times revealed last week, diplomats representing Sri Lanka in Asian countries were summoned for a non-event last week.
The External Affairs Ministry had made them believe that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was to address them on October 18.
It turned out that the only Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Abu Dhabi, retired Police Chief Mahinda Balasuriya, was summoned on that date. He was told to take over duties as Secretary to the Ministry of Law and Order.
One of the envoys, Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Japan, retired Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, who came for the conference which had never been scheduled, was put up at a hotel in Rajagiriya. The enraged envoy shot off an SMS protesting against the treatment meted out to heads of Sri Lanka missions. He then packed his bags and moved in to Colombo Hilton. The bills would of course be forwarded to the External Affairs Ministry.
Little wonder, the EAM is in such a huge mess.
Power-play at Norochcholai
Notwithstanding objections from those in and around Norochcholai, the Ministry of Power and Energy will accelerate the project to construct a 220 kilowatt transmission line from the coal-fired power plant to Anuradhapura.
The Cabinet of Ministers has decided that the Ministry of Power and Energy and the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) should accelerate the project.
Gift mobikes start on fraud gear
Some private insurance firms have made a kill in Jaffna after President Mahinda Rajapaksa handed over 4,653 motorcycles to employees in the state sector.
The ceremony took place at the Duriappah Stadium last week. Representatives of these firms went around collecting Rs. 1,500 each from the owners. They promised a temporary insurance cover for two months until the formalities were worked out.
Soon after these agents left Jaffna, the state employees discovered they had been duped. A senior official at the Divisional Secretariat pointed out that these vehicles should only be insured at the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC). The motorcycle owners were seeking refunds of the money they paid. That was not forthcoming. Now a collective petition is being formulated. It is to be presented to the Police and the owners want a full investigation.
Air link with Azerbaijan
Sri Lanka is to sign an air services agreement with Azerbaijan.
The Government has decided that an official be designated as accredited representative of Sri Lanka for this purpose.
How’s the village bumpkin’s budget?
“Kohamada goday baiyage budget eka”, or how’s the village bumpkin’s budget, President Mahinda Rajapaksa asked as he wound up the speech on Friday.
That seems an answer to Kurunegala District Parliamentarian Akila Viraj Kariyawasam who told a news conference “mey rata palanaya karanney gamey baiyek” or this country is governed by a country bumpkin.
The remarks came days before Kariyawasam tied the nuptial knot at a largely attended wedding ceremony at a hotel in Mount Lavinia. The happy couple was off to Singapore thereafter.
MR’s teacher drive produces results
President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s visits to the countryside, particularly to schools, appear to have produced results.
He told a meeting of his ministers recently that there was a shortage of teachers in schools in remote areas. This was particularly to teach English, Science and Mathematics.
The move led to the ministers directing the Secretary to the Ministry of Education to formulate a scheme “to effectively enforce the school-based recruitment of teachers.” The Secretary has been told to do this in consultation with the Public Service Commission and the Provincial Education authorities.