A King Calls On Us
By Ravi Perera
In the morning of August 15 the Colombo Fort area was thrown into chaos once again with several vital roads closed for vehicular traffic. For nearly two hours the main business centre of Colombo, where the Twin Towers (World Trade Centre) and the Bank of Ceylon Head Office are located, were closed. This is where our Stock Market, the Board of Investments, several hotels, banks and other important institutions are located. Of course the harried policemen who were directing traffic were far too frazzled to offer any explanation for the sudden closure of the roads. Like many of those down in the chain of command they didn’t probably know why they had to close the roads. Those who had legitimate business in the area and a busy schedule ahead of them that day had to park as far away as the D. R. Wijewardena Mawatha and walk or taxi back to that area. The policemen looked so stressed out that it looked quite likely that any demand for an explanation would result in a physical response, quite contrary to the spirit of the law!On further inquiry we learnt that the reason for the closure of the roads was that Mswati, the King of Swaziland, who was a state guest, was visiting the World Trade Centre which is in the heart of Colombo to look at some gems on display there. Because of this visit the thousands who had business in the area were told to just buzz off.
