Thumbs up and thumbs down – mostly the latter

Short takes

Malcolm Cardinal Ranjit at St Anthony’s Church, Kochchikade, which suffered the worst of the violent massacre of persons at prayer on Easter Sunday 2019, again raised the issue of the left-to-slumber PCOI recommendations which, after delay, were passed on to the AG. No action as yet. The Editor of The Island of October 22 took up the Cardinal’s cry and even went to the extent of naming a name. Nothing done because of political saving of the government. The consequence for us Ordinaries is to know and be WARNED that election promises are like sawdust disappearing in the wind of power. Never trust electioneering politicians unless you know them to be unblemished. Trust your senses and for the very existence of Sri Lanka vote in some educated men and more women.

On Tuesday October 26 the Cardinal, while inspecting the cleaning of the MV X-Press wreck, lashed out again. The target of his indignation, nay justified anger, was a Minister known as Ten Percent. He named no specific name but it was hardly necessary. “Imagine the shame on this nation when there is such a minister taking ten percent of commission from every project he passes,” the Cardinal said. Cass again asks how insane can money grabbers be to never reach saturation; never stop the corruption they freely indulge in.

“JVP smells rat in payment made for nano nitrogen fertiliser.” Will there never be an end to this smell of rats which connotes shady, nay corrupt deals? Some persons reap lucre to fill bottomless pits of greedy acquisition. Nowadays, particularly, these shady deals are at dire cost to the nation and its ordinary people. The country is asthmatically gasping with empty coffers and no dollars and people dying under crushing soaring costs and a sure fire depletion in agricultural harvests. So how can people cheatingly make illicit money?

Cass saw and heard on TV news, with disgust, Dr Padeniya, (or is he Prof now?) during a pandemic task force meeting with the Prez and a host of others, smirkingly say “Give the people kidneys so they can damage them”. He was referring to his theory that kidney disease is caused by inorganic fertilisers seeping into water. But eminent scientists of soil, agriculture et al have debunked his theory, backed by scientific fact. Didn’t he listen to the video which went viral overseas in which Dr Rohan Pethiyagoda dealt with a speech of Dr Padeniya’s point by point and scientifically debunked them all? False prophets have doomed our country to destruction. No two words about that.

Commenting on the state of the country in his lead article “Confusion worse confounded”, the Editor of The Island on Saturday 23 October writes that Sri Lanka is like a mental hospital under an air raid. “Everyone at the levers of power seems to have got his wires crossed.” His punch line was: “Government politicians who do not know the periodic table from the dining table are giving chemistry lessons to senior university dons.”

Thumbs up

Rights appeal.

“SC grants leave to proceed with FR petition for allegedly being threatened by State Minister Lohan Ratwatte.” (The Island October 22). Half the battle won. Fervently hoped is that the Supreme Court judges who will be on the bench, in all their wisdom, fair-mindedness and going strictly by both the letter and spirit of the law, will judge the HR case. We await judgment with judging minds.

One

minister who will say yea or nay as he thinks best. Cass wrote in her last Friday Cry that all government MP’s and Ministers nod and shake their heads just as the Big Bosses want. A couple of days ago, we had a SLFPer now joined with SLPPers – Susil Premajayanth -assuring Parliamentarians that he was a qualified and practicing Attorney-at-Law. This was intro to his fire and brimstone assertion he was not going to be like a ‘signal kanuwa ‘- railway station signal with an arm that drops to allow a train to pass, manipulated by a person electrically connected to it. So Premajayanth asserts he will not be a mere follower, but a thinker before casting his vote. Cheers! Congrats! A spark of defiance in a murky sea of sycophancy.

Ministerial loud mouth claims right to differ.

We cheer Minister Vasudeva Nanayakkara for claiming the right to differ on matters of public interest which should not be questioned. This proclaimed at a Government Group meeting with both Prez and PM present. (The Island 26/10). That’s the form Sir! We are glad you are taking a leaf from your younger brother Hemakumara, who has always spoken straight; e.g against the suddenness of the Prez’s banning of inorganic fertilizers et al. Glad some have independent opinions and express them.

Thumbs down

Another threat. “

GMOA ready to strike over grave shortage of doctors at Mullaitivu District General Hospital.” Even an inmate of the Angoda Mental Hospital will say this is no reason at all to strike. Easy remedy: request the government health services to do the needful.

Claim to achieving the impossible

. “Lokuge undertakes to achieve President’s renewable energy goal – set for completion in 2030.” Jeff comments to Mutt (or vice versa) “Does he want to be Minister of Power until such time?” Cass corrects this to read: “Does he hope to?” What she says categorically, seconded by a multitude of voters’ voices is: “Pack your bag to go home to stay in permanently. Time’s up for you.”

Congrats The Island cartoonist for excellent drawing of Mr Lokuge turned baboon within bars in Cassandra’s last week’s article. So apt for the article, so apt for the man!

Poor Azath Salley.

Picture in The Island 26/10 shows him in a wheel chair being taken to the Colombo High Court. Cass hopes it was a pretense. Sometimes, especially in now times, subterfuge is OK if it is not money making on the sly. This vociferous politician and former Gov of Western P, was one who spat truths and even vituperation, often justified. Like poor Ranjan R he was indicted over a controversial statement made at a media briefing. Ranjan was supposed to have spoken disparagingly against judges of courts and that was a grabbed opportunity to silence his gab which most often spouted truths against those in power. He is languishing and suffering in prison for four long years, while those convicted by the highest court for proven crimes are bossing it free. Topsy Turvy Lanka!

Formula 1 track for poverty striken Siri Lanka.

The surprise secret of a proposal to be forwarded for approval to the Cabinet was revealed by the Editor of The Island- Wednesday October 27, in his aptly titled editorial ‘Vroom dream’. Project is to build this completely white elephant to add to many money guzzling, no returns bringing white els in Hambantota. Plenty clues to guess who is behind this idea. Cass will not labour the point of the utter insanity of this proposal. First, it was building fitness centres in all villages; then jogging tracks on wewa bunds and much earlier hosting the Commonwealth Games. Now a racing track! To help whom? Not the country nor the people of the land. Hence it is just a selfish desire. Said to be a private sector project. Bah to that. We the people will have to foot the bill finally. Remember how the space travel dreaming youngest son of the then Prime Minister Mahinda R was to be made happy with the Chinese building a space station in this tiny island of ours. They blasted the young heir’s space module or whatever, didn’t they?

The Ministers who nod aye to this crazy project of accommodating Formula One racing should be beheaded. France recently banned its guillotines. Let’s get one down. But as certain as night follows day, the first to have the neck held under the guillotine blade will be Cass’s and then those of other clear-thinking journos.