THE CHOGM ‘HORSE’

THURSDAY, 25 JULY 2013 

Sri Lanka is a Country where everybody (with hardly any exception) loves a Tamasha. This is particularly so among politicians who not only gain from them but are also avid supporters of Tamashas provided they are paid for by somebody else - preferably from the public purse.  

One attempt at such a Tamasha made at a colossal expense to the Country was made when the Government sought to have at a sports meet staged in Sri Lanka.  A team of ‘hurrah-boys’ and/or favourites of the Government headed by `no less’ a person than Nivard Cabraal, the political appointee who functions as the ‘Governor of the Central Bank’ went to Australia, in pursuance of that endeavour and, from all reports had a ball of a time.  There was an aircraft of the National Carrier idling on the tarmac for several days (with the crew idling) to bring them back to Sri Lanka.  The newspapers featured a photograph showing a party thrown by our delegation at which this political appointee was depicted playing the children’s game  of ‘trains’ with the son of the President, Namal Rajapaksa, MP both of whom had inane smiles pasted on their faces.  The People of this Country regardless of political affiliation, race, ethnicity, caste or religion rejoiced about the failure of our Country to secure even at such colossal expense as the People were compelled to bear, the right to stage that sports meet in Sri Lanka.  Indeed I was unable to find a single person who grieved about that `failure’.

"It must be remembered Sri Lnaka is a poor Country.  However, we seem to be willing to spend millions upon millions in constructing accommodation for foreigners of the Commonwealth who will be attending this meeting and arranging for their means of transport."

Such rejoicing arose primarily for the reason that the People realized that the colossal sums spent on seeking unsuccessfully to get the sports meet (known as the Commonwealth Games) staged in Colombo would be as nothing compared to the amounts that would necessarily have to be spent on staging it. Of course there is one other factor.  That, no doubt, the People took into consideration namely,  that almost wherever a project involving the large scale expenditure of public funds is implemented, somebody close to the Government makes a `packet’ on it.  Speculation was then rife as to who would have gained at the expense of the People if that sports meet was held in Sri Lanka.



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