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| Sunday, 23 January 2005 |
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Features |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
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Right of reply : Prisoners are humans A reader in a letter with the above title published in the Sunday Observer last Sunday, January 16, 2005 attributes to me a statement that it "is a pity that the tsunami did not strike the Welikada Prison, where S. B. Dissanayake is being held". Regrettably, the reader has been unable to understand what I said in my column of January 2, 2005 titled "It's not the time for a nut cracking circus", and taken a one part of what I said to misinterpret and go nuts over it. Far from wanting the tsunami to strike the Welikada Prison what I showed was the farce of persons who break costly coconuts before Hindu and other deities to seek favours or curse others, and in this case to alter a judgement of the Supreme Court. What I did write was: "At a time when coconuts were scarce and highly priced, politicians were appealing to a variety of deities of the Hindu pantheon in an effort to obtain the release of Sakala Banda Dissanayake from behind the walls of the Welikada Prison. It may be that the deities, who were being disturbed in their usual tasks, were confused by all this smashing of coconuts, and some nuts that refused to break after several efforts, that they made a mistake in responding to the pleas. If the tsunami that hit us was caused by the wrath of the gods, it certainly missed the target of the nut crackers. The prison at Tangalle was damaged and all the prisoners there fled to life and freedom. It was the same at the Matara Prison. But sadly, for our Sakala Banda, and his political nut cracking jokers, it failed to strike anywhere near the Welikada Prison, where he is held." Nowhere have I said it was a pity the tsunami did not strike the Welikada Prison, engulfing SB and its other inmates. Lucien Rajakarunanayake |
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