The Fifth Column

3rd May 1998

The Mangala muddle

My Dear Mangala,

I thought I must write to you now, because even though everybody is saying that Arjuna is the Man of the Year, you seem to be the Man of the Moment. Sorry, I didn't write to you earlier but it was only because the letter couldn't have reached you due to the strike, anyway!

Mangala, at times I really feel sorry for you. There you were, some years ago happy in the days and ways of fashion and Innocence.

But here you are today hurled into the rough and tumble of politics, having to worry about strikes and letters and trade unions, and having to defend a lady boss whom everyone wants ousted — the PMG of course, not Satellite, you silly!

Anyway, Mangala, I think this postal strike issue, is a mess, just like that Sinhala Commission. Of course by saying that the unions were some kind of political cat's paw did not help much. That was pretty strong stuff!. It rather upset the scheme of things and we didn't get our letters for over forty days.

Never mind we will bear with you to find a way out of the present impasse.But hopefully Mangala, all this would be forgotten in a couple of weeks time when the next strike begins. So, all you have to do is mark time.

But really, Mangala, I think you ought to let Satellite find someone else for this Media job. Don't you have enough on your plate and is it worth the free publicity on the TV? Remember that any publicity is not always good publicity.

By the way, how is your friend Seeni Bola? Do tell him not to get involved in this Urology business, or else people might start asking searching questions! This time you didn't get involved in that. Well done!

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS - Come to think of it, Mangala, politics and fashion designing are both the same thing - a sort of extension of the fig leaf business.

PPS- May be you will be better off with US media guys. You never know what UPTO fellows are upto.

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

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