Patriots and the Gravy Train at the Departure Lounge

By Dushy Ranetunge

(January 10, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Travel agents in Colombo are reporting brisk trading and high demand for airline tickets from the 20th of January onwards for departures with peak demand on Election Day when not ”the battle of the blues”, but the battle of the “war hero’s” takes place.

We mortals can only wonder in amazement how in a “Buddhist” country, “heroism” is awarded to “dogs of war”. The concept of “War Hero” is irreconcilable with the teachings of the Buddha. But then this land of the Buddha is confusing at most times and at present the outcome of the great contest is anyone’s guess.

On the red corner, weighing in at over 100 kilos is the current undisputed “world” heavy weight champion known as “maharajano” and in the Blue corner, weighing in at 150 kilo’s is the challenger, known as “the cleaner” as he promises to clean up the act including the Presidency.

Ivan, sorry, “Mervin the Terrible” must have sent out his son to get some “Pampers”.

The “Maharajano” won the “world” Heavy weight title in May last year, when he decked the then undefeated Champion, the “Sun God” of VVT, whom some claimed undefeatable.

This is a fight to the death, prisoners will not be taken and you can forget about white flags.

But how the cookie has crumbled since May 2009, such spectacles can only be witnessed in Sri Lanka.

Travel agents in the capital giggle that the “patriots”, “those who love the country” to use the terminology of the incumbent are hurriedly dispatching their families from the 20th onwards and they themselves are taking flight after voting on the big match day.

It seems that they want to watch the result of the great match from afar, just in case “The Cleaner” decks “Maharajano” in the first round.

Meanwhile others on the “those who love the country” gravy train are calling in all their little perks, just in case the “Cleaner” wins the title and kicks them out of the gravy train.

For example, some on the board of Sri Lankan airlines are also at the departure lounge, for the second or third time this month, taking all those free trips to lovely destinations, because if the “Maharajano” is decked, they will lose their jobs and little perks, and the opportunity to live off all their loss making ventures funded by the peasants.