n the recent past it appeared that the country and its people were paying dearly for past sins. While the cost of living kept soaring, nature too was most unkind; a long drought was followed by torrential rains and massive floods that drove many luckless people out of their homes to live painfully some even as refugees.
Some say personal problems do not come in singles; but, this pattern seems to apply to natural disasters and man-made ones as well. During the continuous rains in the recent past about one-hundred people in a village were mowed down by an enormous landslide. While several were rescued those reported as ‘missing’ are feared dead; buried in the mud. The magnitude of the calamity that had no recorded equal shocked the country.
Luxury car issue
The nation’s bad Karma did not end there. A massive explosion at an Army ammunition dump destroyed the dump itself and flattened a town in the vicinity and the current government drew flak for not attending to the needs of the displaced adequately or quickly enough while others charged that the two main partners in governance were too engrossed in protecting their own power bases rather than in the country and its people. Admittedly the Yahapalanaya had a common-sense option; a systematic prioritisation of wants under a theme; ‘people and country first’; instead a ‘we come first’ lark continued to be its refrain. A putrid example involved the decision to import of luxury vehicles for ministers involving over a billion rupees.
“Meeooww, good thing the PM put a lid on importing luxury cars for our governors’ big shots, no?” Tommo a pussycat holding a half-smoked coffin nail in his front paw threw the casual question to his pal and working partner, Ooty, an owl. Employed as vermin controllers at the Wallside Restaurant 
and Bar, the two friends were enjoying free beers courtesy of the Wallside management. The owl belched after slurping some beer through a straw (it was the design of his beak you see). “It was a silly and belated act–an afterthought– a bloody silly one at that. Worse, it was meant to be a temporary halt until the disaster damages were put right. No wonder it didn’t go well with our governors. Wasn’t he hooted when he visited some of them waist deep in flood water catching pneumonia.”
“Purshsh! Can’t blame them,” pussy hissed through a cloud of cancer smoke.
“They were fed up to their tonsils with government indifference to never-ending problems. And at a time like that, the government had no moral right to import cars–luxury ones at that– for ministers. It was stupid of them even to think of it. Our governors just couldn’t stomach the cheek and insensitivity of that decision, hooooot,” Pussy was quick to note the bird’s hoot of derision.
“True, true,” meowed pussy. “Importing luxury cars at a time like this was madness all right. Are the Yahapalakayas heading towards some type of political Doom’s Day? To make matters worse, some Yaha ministers are insisting on luxury wheels like Benzes, BMWs and top class SUVs to ‘travel to their constituencies and get about their duties in comfort’. Maybe they have weak spines or arthritis that needed heavy cushioning or something. What’s wrong with more ‘sensible’ Toyotas or Nissans or Mazdas that are excellent performers, as comfortable and less costly to governors?”
"It’s not entirely about flashing the plumage either; some gurus say it is to do with a quick repair job like on the ego of a Humpty Dumpty that had fallen off a pew in Parliament and regained his seat through a back entrance"
Personality changes?
“Whoom, whooom,” went the wise-looking owl. “That’s a question guys and gals in our own den keep asking. Why do politicians acting like simple and humble mortals before hitting Parliament go the ‘luxury way’ after they enter the House? Another thing; in addition to the acquisition of a fleet of limos as ‘must haves’, why do nine out of ten ministers do up their offices and official bungalows costing the public more millions when former ministerial types did similar refurbishing stunts costing the earth jus a couple of years ago?” asked the bird turning to his beer.
Pussy stubbed his coffin nail on a saucer. “Purshsh! It’s a case of swollen heads of the small-minded getting power and fame through politics. No wonder our governors keep saying they have voted 
another bunch of glory seeking nincompoops to Parliament.
Returning to importing luxury cars for ministers; I have two questions; one, why do ministers demand luxury cars? Two, importing luxury wheels for parliamentarians, official bosses, unofficial bosses and favourite henchmen, has been going on for years. What has happened to all those luxury jobs including the ones used for the CHOGM affair? They must be around somewhere in the country.
Have the Yahapalakayas tracked those 5-star wheels for distribution among the present ministers instead of asking our governors to cough up some more billions to satisfy their ministers’ demands for luxury wheels? And what are the two Green and Blue captains of the Yahapalaka combine doing about it? Hell they are as bad as the former Yamapalakayas”.
When a Humpty Dumpty falls off a pew
“Thuhoot! There is a secret reason why some governors including politiccas chase after luxury stuff. Basically it is just a way of showing off to cover up an inferiority complex. But, it’s not entirely about flashing the plumage either; some gurus say it is to do with a quick repair job like on the ego of a Humpty Dumpty that had fallen off a pew in Parliament and regained his seat through a back entrance.
Ministers demanding luxury cars, posh offices and bungalows is clearly for ego building and about ‘to, from and for me’ while throwing some crumbs for our governors they are supposed to serve.
Once my grandpa told me that when politiccas sink to low levels in self esteem they get a strong desire to go for luxury things, palatial houses, including high-end limos to signal their importance and prestige.”
“Ha, ha-haaaa,” laughed pussy the way pussies do. “Does this desire include chasing comely dames some young enough to be their daughters? Talk about luxury therapy for ministers Ahhhhh! That may mean that our governors’ ministers are in need of psy…pshy….”
“You mean psychiatric treatment to overcome their egomania?” hooted the owl.
Pussy purred mischievously, “That’s right. But, the ministers will care not and dare not go for mind-disease treatment locally; they’ll demand medical treatment abroad. Why not take a free holiday to have some catchy madness treated in luxury, when the governors are paying?”
