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| Sunday, 1 June 2003 |
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Acceptable behaviour Sel Lipi by Gotabhaya Swasthi Shree! Thus says his sacred Majesty, the gracious Great King, glorious Chakravarthi, King of the Kings of Maya, Pihiti and Ruhuna, Mahoora of the Vanniala-aeththo and ruler of all lands from Yapapatuna to Sampanthota: It has come to the notice of the Maha Wasala that Senarath of the Cotton-Enclosure has announced that he is establishing a code of conduct for the aeth-varuge vannialaeththo, of which he is the hoora, and is determined to punish those who break it. Apparently the murakaara hewayas have reported that certain sabaras of the tusk-elephant totem moiety, of the Sri Jayavardhana island and of Colomb-pura, have been acting like rogue elephants in must. One such, a gamaraala of Colomb-pura, is said to have substituted a likeness of his assistant for that of his gamamahage, in the latter's travelling pus-kolas, and the assistant has accompanied him on a visit to the parangi realm of Helvetiyaawa. And that, it seems, is one of the minor misdemeanours. During the month of Bak, the higher levels of society customarily betake themselves to the salubrious climes of Nuwara Eliya. This year, another of the sabaras of the aeth-varuge, this time of the fraternity of the Sri Jayavardhana audience-hall, is said to have brawled in the mountain retreat with a member of the murakaara hewaya. Another korale of the same ilk, on the coast of the Seven Korales, has apparently got the murakaara hewayas to release law-breaking distillers of Yonaka beverages. Yet another coastal tusk-elephant has reputedly stormed a mura kutiya in the Siyanae Korale and sprung a prisoner who was held there. Finally, just before the amaavaka poya of the month of Vesak, still another of the brotherhood had gone to an ambalama of the higher levels of society in Colomb-thota. There, he had disported himself in a manner unbefitting of one who defines the neethi-dharma, the laws of this resplendent isle. Furthermore, he attempted to copy the deed of Karna who, in the Mahabharatha, discharges his weapon in the air; which is what one would expect from a cattle-herder of Amerikaawa, rather than of a korale of this sublime realm. So it is possible to understand why the good Senarath wishes to establish a code of acceptable behaviour for the vannialaettos of his varuge. Nevertheless, it is the opinion of the Maha Wasala that the mahoora of the tusk-elephant totem moiety is mistaken in his draconian methods. Pleasing as it would be to tie the miscreants between two puwak trees, in the traditional manner of our ancestors, it would appear to be of no avail. Luckily, there seems to be a more efficacious alternative. Recently, there was a performance on the golden bahubootha pettiya of an anvil. The Silver manthri of the Army-Gem exchanged words of ire with the Unsullied one of the Brave-Dynasty. Questions of maternity and paternity were raised, and a performance of guti keliya nearly ensued, causing the anvil to be withdrawn abruptly. The master of ceremonies was probably wrong to have stopped the performance. Would not the spectators have more enjoyed a vigorous prize-fight between two of our esteemed korales, rather than a boring, pedantic and partisan discussion between legislators? Indeed, all the miscreants whom the good Senarath wishes to punish should be condemned to appear on the bahubootha pettiya without end for a year. There they will be able to display their pugilistic skills for the edification of the people. This will not only ensure that they are kept out of harms way, it will be glorious entertainment for the people, now that the lom-kambili andhina mugdayas are no longer victorious in their tournaments and the masses have no champions left to applaud. Swasthi Shree! This rock edict is made on the first day of Ravi of the month of Poson of the year of the Saka Era 1930. |
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