This feline can take lies, even accept corruption of the venal, but what she cannot stand is being treated like a village idiot or moron with a negative IQ. Some of the explanations given for the sil cloth scam as this charitable act (my b.. foot!) is called, sent this cat’s blood pressure soaring. OK, it was an expensive gimmick to cadge votes at the presidential elections; OK, it unfortunately put away a respected civil servant in the clink, very OK the wise judgement sent warning shivers down public servant benders and accommodators’ backs. But, it was just not acceptable being treated like a brainless Sri Lankan native and insulted with explanations. Tell the justifications to the pig-tailed Chinaman, this feline muttered, and he will thrash the explainer with his pigtail.
Prime excuse
The ex Minister of Finance (was he?) and tuition master par excellence, the pronouncer that a family of four could live on Rs 7,000 a month or less, had this to say of the distribution of sil cloths by stealing, yes stealing the people’s money to the tune of Rs 600 million by two high ups who are having their elevated blood pressures and sugar monitored at the prison hospital, probably waiting for a transfer to the more salubrious Merchants Ward of the General Hospital, Colombo. He, Bandula G, said that sil cloths were to get more people to observe sil and so protect Buddhism. To him and others of the Jt Op, Buddhism is threatened and fast dying out in this land of ours. Stuff and nonsense! There are more sil takers and meditators now than ever before (not accepting freebies) and the true Dhamma of the Buddha is made known, acknowledged, and practised.
These speakers who now stand on the fast shifting sands of Time can turn black into white as they did with the sil cloths. They turned the terrible black sin of stealing 600 million rupees and wasting it, in a bid to get more votes for MR who all guessed gave the order to distribute white materials to sil aththas and aththis. Maybe, he did not give the order, but he turned a Nelsonian eye on the nefarious act which is tantamount to conniving. That was to protect Buddhism, remember!
Stories are making the rounds. One: in a hamlet near Matale, it seems sil garments for males were distributed to females who shamelessly accepted this bribe.
Then we had the ex President himself saying that those who got the sil redi are queuing up to return them so that they help in paying the fine imposed on the two now wilting in the prison hospital. Isn’t that also a tale for idiots and the mentally retarded? What money can be generated from used sil cloths, second-hand cheap goods? Who will buy such? Reported is that one of the band of women who follow the ex-Head to cry or cheer or pay obeisance as the incident may require, offered her sil cloth to the big Boss. (Hope it was washed). This cat heard a desha premiya shouting over TV news: Don’t give even a cent to help collect the fines. Yes, this cat agrees. Those who got the spending done must now foot the bill. Why get the poor to chip in? And how on earth can collected one rupee bits add up to Rs 600 million? A third tale for the idiot!
Next step
The latest news is that the two incarcerated public servants appealed to a higher court. Even if they are exonerated, the damage is done. The Ex Boss has been discredited further. The salutary effect has also taken place: public servants must be nurturing their courage to stand up to their political bosses and say ‘no can do. I will not bend the rules as you say.’ They can mutter gleefully to themselves: ‘go climb a gum tree!’
A very interesting fact emerged from Monday, September 11 Face the Nation program on TV I. A panelist said that of course the two unfortunately caught in the scam could turn tables and bring a lawsuit against the one who gave the order to be so generous to eight and ten precept observers with money illicitly taken from the government till by bringing a lawsuit against him! That would be the day! One lawyer on the panel said that in extremes, the two now incarcerated can bring the charge that they were forced to buy and distribute sil cloths illegally and name the guilty. But, it won’t happen. Subservience has gone right into the system of bootlickers and those who were hoping to ride to another five years of serving the same boss.
Quibbling with words when it comes to unanimous greed for money
A really rich statement emerged from Vijitha Herath, a loud speaker from the JVP! It was reported on Wednesday, September 13 in a daily, that this JVP trumpeter said that his Party was not in favour of further increases, whether monetary or perks, added to an already high pile of goodies for those who sit, (some sleep, some others abscond) in the House by the Diyawanne. Thus, they felt it was wrong to accept the Office Maintenance Allowance bestowed on MPs. But, he added his Party members were accepting the allowance.
Why for goodness sake, asks this cat venomously, have they to accept this further allowance? If they do not abide by it in principle why not refuse it? If they stick to principles, they may give just one tiny ray of hope to citizens of this country that there still are MPS who have not gone berserk at the smell of money. But, no. As always, MPs stand in solidarity with palms outstretched no matter that the country is being strangled by debts and choked with economic woes. Give those who have more and throttle the wage earner and labourer. Almost 21 million ranging from the cot to the aged bed are exploited so 225 MPs can be gratified a little more - all of them: blues, greens and reds too, including the new purple.
- Menika