Soaring cost of living: It's all for our benefit aney

By Rypvanwinkle

"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedara asked, "what is all this fuss about the cost of living?"
"Why, Bindu," Bindu's father Percy said, "everyone is complaining that the cost of living is rising unbearably..."
"Why do they say that, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Why, Bindu, almost everything has been going up in price over the last few months and the people are blaming the government for that..." Percy explained.
"Just what are all these price hikes, thaaththa?" Bindu queried.

"It would probably be easier to ask what prices haven't been increased, Bindu..." Percy suggested.
"The prices may be rising," Bindu said, "but why are they blaming the government for that, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.
"Well," Percy said, "they say that the government is not doing enough to prevent prices from rising even more..."
"Why do they say that, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.

"Why, Bindu, for example, the price of milk powder has been increased and no one seems to be worried about it..."
"That maybe because someone suggested that too much milk powder is bad for your health..." Bindu said.
"Then, the price of gas also has been increased several times..." Percy pointed out.

"Well," Bindu said, "didn't Mahinda maama promise to make us a healthy nation? He may be thinking that eating fresh food is better than cooking it..."
"Then," Percy asked, "what about petrol prices which keep on rising and the recent threat to increase railway fares as well?"
"I thought Uncle Fowzie keeps reminding us that he can't do anything about that when the world prices of fuel keep rising..." Bindu declared.

"But didn't someone once say that if we are to keep on increasing fuel prices whenever prices rise in the world market, we don't need a government..." Percy recalled.
"That may be true, thaaththa," Bindu said, "but then, maybe Mahinda maama is trying to get us to walk to work and school, so that we will be healthier..."

"Then, what about the most recent price hike, Bindu?" Percy demanded.
"Which one is that?" Bindu wanted to know.
"Why, the increase in the price of flour and bread..." Percy asked, "isn't that the staple diet of most of our people anyway?"
"I think that is exactly why the price of bread may have been increased..." Bindu suggested.
"Why do you say that?" Percy inquired.

"Oh, I am sure there will be someone who will now say that too much bread is bad for health and that we Sri Lankans eat too much of it anyway which is why they are increasing its price..." Bindu explained.
"So," Percy asked, "you think all this is being done for our benefit and that the government doesn't really want to reduce all these rising prices?"
"Of course it does," Bindu said, "and they have evidence to prove it..."
"How can you say that?" Percy asked, puzzled.

"Why, thaaththa, don't we have over a hundred ministers who are dedicated to serve us better?" Bindu asked, "and even four non-cabinet ministers assigned to the task of nation building..."
"And what on earth have they been doing all this time, while all these prices were sky-rocketing?" Percy wondered.
"Ah," Bindu said, "don't you worry about that; very soon everything will fall into place and we will live happily ever after..."
"Why do you say that?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why, thaaththa," Bindu explained, "very soon, when Mahinda maama returns from New York, Uncle Basil will become the cabinet minister for Nation Building and together with Mahinda maama, he will solve all these little problems like the cost of living..."
Percy didn't quite know what to say to that.