Of Birthdays, a Verdict and a Dog

Oh-me-Gosh! What a fortnight! A court verdict even this ordinary cat had been waiting for, finally delivered. And, the two major political parties celebrating their birth anniversaries: the greens exactly the Biblical age and the blues, five years less. Let us not forget our Prez celebrating his birthday too.

We should all give bountiful thanks, except those clinging to a certain satakaya, that Maithripala Sirisena, gentle man that he is, now showing steel, lived to celebrate his 2016 September birthday. No, this feline has no knowledge of his personal medical history nor is she kin to that man who gazed at stars and royal palm (body part, that is) and advised the holder from Medamulana to go to the polls.

But in her feline cunning, she knows full well that if Maithripala S had not won the presidential election in January 2015, he would, likely, by now be the late Maithripala Sirisena. This cat quivers with fear even to think thus. MS would not have been imprisoned like the General who contested King Rajapaksa earlier. This time around the ire of being contested by his own party secretary - unfair though he was to that secretary – might have driven the tyrant to wish the elimination of the man. After all you can always say egg hoppers poisoned a person - salmonella and all that - and there would have been so many to corroborate the story, eager to please their lord and master.

So praise be that these birthday celebrations proceeded jubilantly. It was so good seeing opposing party heads, now cooperating, together on the blue stage and green too. There sat at the UNP celebrations glamorous Chandrika B K, the kapuwa of the alliance of blue with green, Hema Premadasa looking fine, the Prez and delightfully Maithree, the wife of the PM.

That was a gracious note that the wife of the leader of the Party was present on stage. A salutary western custom, this cat believes, which gives recognition to the spouse as it should.

One little irritation: numbers and claims to have the largest turnout. Numbers at rallies and celebrations do not equate to votes at elections. Celebrations are circuses to the hoi polloi who are a floating population - green one day, blue the next and red on another occasion. The circus is complete with bread provided, and one suspects, that which cheers aplenty. This cat is certainly biased: she feels the bribing with reward of a packet of rice and half bottle with cash thrown in is more a so-called Joint Opposition operation now.

Anyway, no one was so stupid as to claim along with largest turnout the presence of more than 20 million. That fast fading actress’s estimate left this cat worried for the less than 1million decrepit senior citizens and infants left unattended while 20 m of the population went to walk with her and her adored leader on that paada yatra!

Multiple crimes, one verdict - in doubt

Now to dwell on that all important verdict of murder passed on Duminda de Silva and others who were proven to have gunned down Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra. Lots heaved sighs of relief that justice had been meted out at long, long, last.

A charade, Theatre of the Absurd, pulling wool over the public’s eye and lots of rot preceded for years the culmination of this case. We were told by counsel for Duminda S that a part of the back of his head was blown off. X-Rays were waved around. But we heard he was a privileged patient in hospital with the second highest Raj visiting him. Then he was taken to Singapore and warded at St Elizabeth Hospital.

Our only worry was whether our tax money was being used to keep this otherwise healthy specimen of a man in a luxury hospital suite, even if from the President’s Fund, which again is our money. What the body-built Lothario seems to have lost is his memory regarding, solely and mysteriously, that crucial incident of murder. Even a stupid parrot does not indulge in such repetition of “I cannot remember”.

This cat hopes he remembers now and gets hot under his pure white shirt collar. She hopes he puts his hours and days in jail to good use reflecting on his way of life and his deeds. We hope he sleeps well. As the weeping Hirunika said, we feel sorry for these misled murderers, four of them in death row. Right thinkers also wait to see that the higher court verdict will defend justice to the hilt.

Hirunika also decently echoed a hope shared by 99.9% of Sri Lankans that fair verdicts will be given in the cases of the murder of Lasantha and Thajudeen and disappearance of Eknaligoda. Mrs Eknaligoda, accompanied by her children, have long campaigned for justice in the case of the disappearance of her husband, the perpetrators suspected but, the voice that gave the command somehow known along the grape vine of surreptitious opinions and near truths, but never publicly mentioned.

As said by Hirunika, we are so glad that justice prevails now with Maithripala Sirisena as head of the country. We cannot forget however, how cozy she was with a certain family, accepting that patriarch as her second father. We wandered whether a marriage was in the offing. Praise be she did not descend from the proverbial pan in to the fire.

A bright spot

Well, people live and learn, especially young ones. We forgive her and admire her for the tenacity with which she sought justice. She mentioned Maithripala Sirisena as the one to thank for justice being meted out. This cat wants to say it’s more Ranil Wickremesinghe who insists on judicial impartiality and on being non-politicised. He has nothing to gain by being partisan and he seems to loathe criminals and has no patience with fools.

An email from a friend in Australia made this feline want to share it as it brings good tidings of recognition of a canine, no less!

The US-based Marshall Legacy Institute (MLI), engaged in provision of technical support for clearance of landmines world-wide, has selected the Sri Lanka Army’s Mine Detection Dog (MDD), Alvin and its handler, Lance Corporal G.N.W.M Nawarathne of 7th Field Engineer Regiment, Sri Lanka Engineers, as MLI’s ‘Team of the Year – 2016’ to receive the MDD Award for their work. The Award recognised their dedication to ‘free Sri Lanka of the scourge of landmines and other explosives’, in a special letter, addressed by MLI President to our Army Commander.

They are invited to receive the award during the ‘Clearing the Path’ celebration on 26 October 2016 in Washington, DC.

Alvin and its handler have been working together since 28 December 2011 to-date, having de-mined a land area of 73,340 square metres in the North and East. Their operations have so far recovered many Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Anti Personnel Mines (APMs) and much more, which cause such horrendous injury and consequent maiming.

This cat hopes Alvin, if met, will extend his paw to be shaken. Ooh-la-la! That will be the day for this feline!

- Menika