A grave mistake!

President Mahinda Rajapaksa was at a meeting last Tuesday with a delegation from the Sri Lanka Committee for Solidarity with Palestine. The delegation was concerned that the government was sending an official delegation to Israel.

The Sunday Times Situation Report had referred to the impending visit last week. President Rajapaksa had himself been a long-standing president of the Sri Lanka branch of the Friendship Society. He was to assure the delegation that he would never visit Israel, but that his Prime Minister would be leading a delegation to that country shortly.

Just then an aide slipped in a note to the President. He turned sombre. He broke the news of the sudden demise of a VIP. All those present, including the President stood up and observed a minute's silence in memory of the departed. A resolution was passed praising the VIP for his services to the nation.

Sometime later another note arrived. President Rajapaksa was to interrupt the discussion to say the person concerned was not dead. He was very much alive. A sigh of relief was seen among all present, and the resolution torn up.