Columns

The Lankan stall

Lankans in Italy and those who had travelled to Milan for the ongoing Expo were disappointed over the Sri Lankan stall.  They found the stall had little to show about Sri Lanka.

In the past, a Sri Lankan businessman had run these Expo stalls. But this year he was unable to do so. The result is what the pictures show and visitors say.The stall had only Lankan biscuits, packs of tea, sauces and other bottled products from the Marketing Department and a few other products.

There were a few posters advertising SriLankan Airlines and tourist spots. While some Sri Lankan business people waited to see who would visit the stall and make inquiries in which case they could do some promotions themselves, hardly anyone called and they turned away disappointed.

The stall seemed to be run by two young Sri Lankans — a man and a woman — locally recruited. The director of the stall had apparently travelled from Colombo. The stall, Sri Lankan visitors were told, was the joint effort of the Export Promotion Board and the Tourism Authority.

Judging by the lackadaisical approach of those who ran the stalls in Milan but has shown little enthusiasm, perhaps a political earthquake might help. This comment by some Sri Lankans was prompted by the fact that Nepal’s stalls in the aftermath of the earthquake was better and attracted more visitors than the Sri Lankan stall.

Rajitha’s big birthday bash

Health Minister Rajitha Senaratna threw a grand party at his Stanmore Crescent residence on Friday to celebrate his 65th birthday. A large number of journalists were invitees.
Dr. Seneratna who now occupies the home of the former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa played generous host to those present.

Startling revelation by Ananthi in court
Outspoken Northern politician Ananthi Sasitharan, wife of the slain Tiger guerrilla leader for Trincomalee, has revealed to the Mullaitivu Magistrate’s Court how the surrendering of LTTE leaders took place. She said her husband had been in constant touch with Kanimozhi Karunanidhi, daughter of the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

Ms. Sasitharan, a Tamil National Alliance member of the Northern Provincial Council, said in her evidence that she was next to her husband when he was speaking to Ms. Kanimozhi through a satellite phone before he surrendered to the security forces in the final days of the war in May 2009.
She gave the evidence at a hearing of the habeas corpus application she filed to know the whereabouts of her husband.

VIP’s security boss to be grilled
The boss of a personal security detail of a VIP is to be questioned by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division of the Police. The probe centres on accusations over the purchase of 15 vehicles from the private sector during the Presidential election campaign. It is alleged that the purchase costs had been inflated far above the market prices for these vehicles.

The questioning was delayed for many weeks since detectives were awaiting formal clearance. It has now come from the highest levels, said one of them speaking on grounds of anonymity.

Standing confusion over dissolution
When House Leader and senior minister Lakshman Kiriella made an impromptu proposal in Parliament that all MPs who want an immediate dissolution to stand and show their support, there was a lot of confusion.

While the UNP MPs got on their feet, it led to more confusion among the UPFA ranks. Several of the UPFA front benchers remained seated and only after Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa queried what the MPs were proposing.

He was told that it was a call to dissolve Parliament and that all were on their feet. The Speaker said he too agrees with the proposal.

NM: Death and recorrection
The Socialist Study Circle of Sri Lanka made a hilarious gaffe in a media invitation it issued this week regarding a commemorative event for the late Dr. N.M. Perera. A notice was first circulated via e-mail titled “100th death anniversary of Dr. N.M. Perera” and announced that several speakers would speak on “The Relevance of Democracy and Its Several Facets” at the event.

There was only one problem – Dr. Perera did not die one hundred years ago. He was born in 1905 and died in 1979. So the question was posed to the Socialist Study Circle (via e-mail) whether Dr. Perera died as long as 100 years ago. There comes a second e-mail, this time titled “correction: 110th death anniversary of Dr. N.M. Perera”!

It was once again pointed out to the Socialist Study Circle that Dr. Perera died in 1979; and that it was hardly 110 years since then. They got it right in the next e-mail: “correction: It’s 110th birth anniversary; so sorry”! It would seem Leftists are humans too!

The event will be held on June 11 at 3.45 p.m. at the Hector Kobbekaduwa Agrarian Research and Training Centre. The speakers are Prof. Jayadeva Uyangoda, Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne, Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri and Dr. Kumudu Kusum Kumara.

More questions over political diplomat
The Foreign Ministry has called upon all Sri Lanka diplomatic missions overseas to send a list of persons who are “political” appointees and local staff recruited by the previous administration. The talk in the corridors of the FM is why there was a need to send such a circular.

An FO source said all one had to do was check with the Ministry’s Overseas Administration Division (OAD). It had records of all recruitment. Of course, the question now being asked is whether such appointments have been made without the knowledge of the OAD.

Fungus sandwich at doctors’ canteen
Doctors who patronise the canteen at their quarters in the National Hospital in Colombo have expressed concern after they found fungus in the sandwiches served to them. The canteen is run by a hospital employee on a contract basis.

The doctors tipped off Colombo’s Chief Medical officer Dr. Ruwan Wijemuni and a team of Public Health Inspectors took about 20 sandwiches which were put out for sale.

Samples have been sent to the Medical Research Institute for examination. The canteen owner has now closed shop, but legal action is to be taken against him.

Jaffna protest: Grave situation for funeral band
The mob attacks on the courts complex in Jaffna prompted the police to take into custody more than 130 persons, including schoolchildren. Though most of them were involved in the attacks, some were bystanders.

Among them were eight members of a band returning after playing at a funeral in Jaffna. They were hauled up with the musical instruments – including trumpets and drums.  They tried to explain their story to the police, but it was of no avail.

There was another who was returning from a repair shop after getting a punctured tyre in his motorcycle attended to. He had parked his bike about 50 metres away from the Jaffna Police Station, removed the tyre and taken it to the repair shop to attend to it. He was taken into custody with the tyre.

The police had suspected the man was carrying the tyre for the riot. Indeed, there were tyres burnt by protestors. But in this case, the tyre was with the rim and the bike was parked close by. He explained his case to the court through a lawyer and obtained bail.

An Indian national among those arrested has claimed he was looking for a restaurant as a hartal was in progress.  His explanation too was not accepted by the police.  The Indian national was represented by five lawyers including a President’s Counsel while his parents have flown down to Sri Lanka.

Another claimed that he was carrying lunch for a relative at the Jaffna Hospital. He showed the lunch packet as evidence to the police, but that was not helpful.