Features
Exposure of candals – sexy and medical
Cassandra pronounces there is never a dull moment in fair Siri Lanka with no exposure riveting people’s attention and busying the grapevine and loading social media. Almost a week old is the shocking
To start at the beginning, Cass saw while passing her switched on TV set, striking (unintentional pun on word which was used to mean pretty) Hirunika holding a paper and speaking to media with two women on either side of her. Cass thought it was another women’s rights press interview and did not stop to listen. A call from a friend indicated she had missed a bomb explosion. A sex secret was out in conservative SL where Sri Lankans do not enjoy sex but only indulge in it to procreate (and too abundantly at that) and never, ever deviant sex. Oh we ‘Sinhala Buddhists’ are pure in thought, word and deed!
I am not going to dwell on the alleged deed itself but cannot but elaborate on Hirunika’s exposing asides which damned certain politicians and made us the public go red with anger since she voiced something whispered about. She boldly said that people were placed in VVIP positions and even as policy makers and country-affecting decision makers on the basis of sexual orientation. Expressing that was stunning.
Cass admires Hirunika. You have to be loud in the local political arena and she is loud. But to speak so frankly makes her utterly courageous. Remembered is the fact she was the first to protest in front of Prez Gotabaya R’s residence and even yanked out Gnana Akka from the privacy she was secured in by not only the police but the armed forces too. Fear of white vans kept most mouths clamped tight over this ex-hospital nurse-aide turned astrological guru who was supposed to dictate policy steps to be taken by presidential power for the entire country. How’s she by the way, now that chief patron’s gone?
Conjectures
Cassandra wishes to make two deductions and comments on the ‘dog and man exposure’; hence listen ye, rather read ye, what she supposes.
Firstly, the live-in for two years with Prof Ashu Marasinghe, following a Face Book proposition with the initial mention of love would have soured. It was mentioned there was cruelty from Prof Ashu to Adarshaa Karadana. Then would have ensued a rumpus and you know well how a woman scorned acts. Revenge is uppermost in mind; “I do most damage to your reputation for demeaning me.” Hence the peeping camera and exposition, ignored by the police when first intimated to them.
Is Hirunika’s motivation to take up the case purely altruistic and prompted only by concern for dumb animals and an insulted woman? I’ll wager my life it definitely isn’t. Her motivation maybe much concern for woman and dog – both abused apparently. But part of the motivation is political – not revenge, but bringing persons down and making a Party lose votes at the next election. However, again Cass admits, she greatly admires Hirunika. This last motive may very well be based on concern for the country. Her exposure of others definitely is to cleanse the political field to benefit the country.
Cass’ second conjecture is that worse crimes have been committed based on sexuality and passed over with no comment, no exposure, no punishment, no retribution, only silent suffering of dames mostly and definite damage caused to the country.
Sri Lankan Airlines is a perfect example to quote to prove the last accusation put forward by Cass. A presidential in-law piloted the national airline on a nose dive to immense indebtedness and income loss. The Prez himself started the dive downwards by demanding 30 odd seats to return to SL from London from a fully booked flight and, refusing the five offered, sacked the man in charge of Sri Lankan Emirates combination. Then he appointed B-i-L CEO who went around the world on chartered flights; got a dog brought over on an extended scheduled flight and, it was whispered, planes conveyed a girl friend or friends to destinations costing the airline much. Sri Lankan Airlines was used as a private transport facility. Robbing went on apace.
It was also whispered that many air hostesses, mainly ground ones, were discarded one-night standees. They knew no English nor airport routines but got well paid employment. Hirunika voiced the sensible opinion of us Ordinaries that what happens behind closed bedroom doors is no business of ours but becomes such when the country and the public are affected.
The country has paid severely for the peccadilloes of VVIPs and VIPs, whether because of sex dalliances; wrong decisions, corruption and money-making rackets. Thus, the people have suffered immensely through no fault of theirs but greed and stupidly of those in power.
In this case of explosion caused by a woman scorned is centered on animal rights, the abuse of which can get a person a long-term imprisonment. Who knows whether the pup in question suffered damage – mental or physical? But due to misdoings of those in power we the people and particularly out young ones suffered physically and mentally. If the powerful had been concerned about the country and its people, would malnutrition be so high and drug taking resorted to by even school children?
Raised cry for dismissal
The Minister of Health and a Secy of the health dept are being presented by public organisations to the Prez as deserving of dismissal. Cass and others agree. The headline and sub-headline of a news item by Namini Wijedasa in the Sunday Times of Dec 25 read thus: “Health Minister bypasses President’s orders on medicinal drug imports. Attempts to broaden scope of unsolicited proposals; returns from trip at invitation of medical supplier in India.”
And who is the free rider? None less than Keheliya Rambukwella. He has already got our money spent on his recovery from a balcony walking accident in Ausi Land. Was he practicing a circus act? Nein. Reason is a word from the title of this Cry of Cassandra. He broke a leg and what else we do not know and was laid up in a hospital over there costing our Treasury an immense amount. Now he goes forth to buy medicines for us, enjoying a free ride and what else is left to our imagination. Corruption, crime, deviation from rules and regulations still continues. “He ignored Finance Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s instructions to follow established guidelines and submitted two consecutive unsolicited proposals from locally unregistered Indian companies to buy drugs under the Indian credit line.” Definitely a severely punishable crime. He should be relieved of his Ministry. But will Ranil W R do the right thing?
Short take
Front page of The Island on Wednesday Dec 28 carried this sub-headline: “NHDA fraud: accountant, auditor interdicted.” Who ordered the interdiction? Urban Development and Housing Minister, Prasanna Ranatunge. The veracity ‘Set a thief to catch a thief’ ran through Cassandra’s jaundiced mind. Maybe she was day dreaming of dream-man Cary Grant, who co-starred with young Grace Kelly in the film To Catch a Thief. For Prasanna R is no thief, is he? He only solicited a massive payment of millions that went into his pocket and his wife’s purse on a land matter that needed no such payment. So, it was demanding illicit money. Another form of robbery and corruption, don’t you think?
Bye bye 2022; welcome 2023 is the current refrain. We the citizens of splendorous but now bankrupt Siri Lanka don’t sing it but mumble it. So great is our despondence and lack of hope for the immediate future. A general election in the first quarter of the new year is solely needed. Most of those 225 have to be sent packing home (or prison for a crimes committed) and a few returned to legislate for us.
Cass sincerely wishes each and every one of her readers a smidgeon of hope, precious contentment in adverse times and good health. The last may be extra hard to come by for we do not know what inferior pharmaceuticals some politicians and officials were allegedly bribed to accept!