This cat will not pen a word about the on-going investigation into the sale of bonds while Arjuna Mahendran was the Governor of the Central Bank; that is, not on the sale itself and accusations thereof since she knows nothing about such business. She has listened to talk going back and forth and read on it and a banker-relative diligently attempted to educate her on this aspect of a Central Bank’s business, but she could gather neither head nor tail of it. She is, however, very interested in persons and events embroiled in the so called Bond Scam.
The Presidential Commission
One news item was the President saying that certain MPs accused him of wrongdoing by instituting a Presidential Committee to investigate what actually happened in the bond business and advise on what next to do. Maybe, the criticizing MPs were green hued ones. In contrast, the general public and most in politics applaud the President for his move. He is praised for the step he took to finally and fully investigate the matter.
The Commission itself of three members; the AG’s Department helping in questioning persons and bringing to light matters; the CID and investigating police are all strongly praised. Two officials of the AG’s Department are now Sri Lankan heroes, commended highly for their astute questioning. Each week of the Commission’s sitting brought fresh news to light and caused resulting uproars. This cat feels that no right thinking Sri Lankan had any sympathy for Ravi Karunanayake and his don’t know replies. He emerged very badly from the inquiries and was shorn of his Ministerial post. This feline growlingly surmises he still lives in his penthouse, originally rented out for him by young Arjun Aloysius, without of course his knowing anything about how he came to reside in a super luxury apartment. He lives in the selfsame apartment in the skies since he or his wife bought it. Such money!
Kudos to the PM
This cat is most definitely on the side of those who commend the Prime Minister for appearing before the Commission, voluntarily it must be emphasized. It was a major surprise, nay shock to read in a newspaper that Mahinda R had also praised Ranil W for requesting the Commission to summon him for questioning. But, as one panelist said on a TV talk show on Monday night, the Attorney-General trod softly in his style of questioning. Blame should not be put on him; he had to be extra polite as he was questioning the Prime Minister of the country. About this too we need to keep in mind he was not summoned and questioned as Prime Minister but as Minister under whom the Central Bank functions.
Recognize and remember
Cell phone calls and all the hullabaloo that ensued should not divert the people’s attention from the fact that here was working democracy; the maxim being practised that all are equal before the law. Could such a turn of events have occurred during the previous regime? Proof to this fact: Prime Minister D M Jayaratne when Mahinda Rajapsaksa was President, was under a black cloud having signed a letter or notice to the authority concerned to release (meaning without investigating the contents) cargo that was imported. It was found that the container had pure ethanol and nothing but ethanol which is used, this cat believes, in manufacturing liquor or drugs or whatever dangerous substance. Rumours floated to say the PM was helping his son and thus conniving in a fraudulent undertaking. Questioning? Nil! Reporting to police? Nein! Being blackmarked? Not at all! Being deposed from premiership? Not on your life! It was not even swept under the carpet. No cover up at all, no fear either because control on people and the media was so severe. People were too afraid to whisper, leave alone demand investigation and due punishment. Now all and sundry are thirsting after the blood of so many.
Debates in Parliament
Two young MPs clashed head on verbally on Wednesday 22, one of the UPFA and the other Senasinghe of the UNP. This cat holds a torch for neither but she has to comment that while the blue MP ranted and raved, the green one was calm and collected, and spoke in a moderate tone so that eardrums were not damaged. They have mikes, haven’t they, each one of them, so why shout to sound-pollute the already polluted air within the debating chamber. Sympathies were with the Speaker, totally.
The Commission Report is to be handed in on December 8 to the President. People will eagerly await his decisions.
Thanksgiving in America
This cat’s thoughts are far away in the land of the Injuns taken over in the 17th century by whites who came in Pilgrim ships and took forcibly or traded for land with the indigenous people offering baubles for precious acres. The first lot of European migrants who arrived on the eastern coast of what is now the United States of America founded their settlement, Jamestown, in 1607 while the Pilgrim Fathers who landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts, founded their colony in 1620. Their first year in the new land was uphill all the way but in the second year were rewarded a plentiful harvest from agriculture and animal husbandry. They praised the Lord God unreservedly at the end of this second year. This is celebrated even today and thus the Thanksgiving Festival on the last Thursday of November. So, as I write this on the travails of Lanka, they over there in New York and other American cities quite full of Sri Lankans are preparing their tables for feasting with friends and relatives, on principally, turkey and pumpkin. Good eating and camaraderie to them, in spite of their mercurial Prez.
This cat wishes we too remember, especially, and thank our providers: tillers of the soil and rearers of animals for our plates of rice, milk with our tea and curd and treacle. The Aluth Avuruddha is a harvest festival but it is not mandatory to remember farmers and workers who sweat and toil to provide the wherewithal for our sustenance. Anyway, praise be to all!
Menika