Sprint queen Susanthika Jayasinghe has captured the hearts of many Sri Lankans after she won a silver medal at the World Atheletic Championships in Athens. She has earned not only encomiums when she set foot on home soil, but also a Double Cab, a Cellphone and many public receptions.
No wonder she was invited to be Guest of Honour at the Army Colours Night on August 29at the BMICH.
It was not until that morning did some Army top brass discover an embarassing snag. The young lady's name was on their list of deserters!!
How could she be guest of honour when Military Police were scouring the countryside hunting deserters and subjecting them for Court Martial ? After much thought, problems were sorted out hours before the gala event.
They issued an SNLR as they say in Army parlance. That meant Services No Longer Required.
Her name was off the list but Susanthika, however, did not attend the glittering ceremony where over 1,500 guests took part. Army Sports Fund coughed out Rs 450 each for refreshments catered to by a leading hotel. Besides funds allocated for sport, every soldier contributes ten rupees to this fund.
One senior officer in high spirits was heard to remark "If the other deserters also want SNLRs, they have to run faster than Susanthika..." Remarked another witty colleague. "that is what they are doing now to avoid arrest."
The Chinese built Shaanxi Y 8 of the Sri Lanka Air Force, flown back to Colombo after a full refit only two months ago, appears to have developed problems. Its now in the hangar sans its nose and technicians are busy trying to ascertain what has gone wrong
The move has sparked off a joke on whether this was the result of two trips the aircraft made to an Asian capital last month to bring in urgent cargo. They say the outward flight carried loads of coconuts and pineapples for friends in a foreign complex. Who made the purchases and who paid for it ? Well, well, the AFP boys have no time to go into the matter.
They have problems of their own. Believe it or not, they have lost a Yamaha 250 motor cycle. They are trying to find out who stole it. So its not only planes that go missing. Even motor cycles !!!
On the eve of Sri Lanka's 50th year of independence, the khakied gentry marked Police Day with a ceremony at Police Park on Wednesday.
Poor public relations denied greater media exposure for the event. Residents whose houses were searched complained of rough and rude treatment. Now comes another shocker.
Some VIPs including retired Police top brass were embarassed the way the guard of honour was conducted. For some strange reason, the men were all facing their backs to the guests
Whether this was also part of security precautions one never knows. But the IGP who wants his men to "maintain the dignity of the noble profession" cannot be a happy man.