Fear of the stick landing on their backs, prompt buffaloes hitched to ploughs pull harder. If the stick doesn’t work on them they are replaced or put away unceremoniously
No government can be sustained without giving measured doses of the rod to those in need of it. Unless the Yahapalkayas begin rod-treatment against conniving foes and their two-faced pals sitting at Yaha tables, they are asking for trouble–big trouble
“Nothing has changed has it Shelley? I am tired of watching protests, accidents, kudu arrests, politicians being remanded, burglaries and murder on the news. People are still doing what they like, aren’t they? ” observed Joy, switching a news channel to another one–‘cartoon capers’ “Ah, this is more like it,” she sighed settling in her chair. Joy was watching TV in the company of her husband Shelton Perera the proprietor of the Wallside Restaurant and Bar. 
Shelton, an incurable cynic snorted, “What do you expect? It’s a situation created by a bunch of characters that messed up our country for years. As members of the Sataka Club they specialised in bribery, corruption, thuggery, abuse of power and ‘looking after’ its members. Naturally law and order and discipline went for a six. Their rampage over several years was so rabid the country is still wallowing in its long wake. And the Yahapalana crowd has failed to inject enough anti-rabies shots through ‘democratic’ Yaha methods. But they haven’t worked have they? To be in control and to get things done, Yahapalakayas need to wield enough rod that instills fear.”
Use of the rod
“But that’s wrong, isn’t it?” asked Joy.
“Right or wrong, from homes, buth kades, corporations to governments, it works. Fear gives authority and control and the fear- creator earns respect. It’s amazing how well it works. In the past the man of the family wore the pants or sarong. My great granddad, a gentleman farmer was of that kind. He didn’t have a bachelor’s or an MBA, but he ran an orderly ship. He specialized in cultivating herbal stuff for export. I heard he loved his children but was strict with them; he had not spared the rod on them either. However, as grown ups the children had been thankful that their father had used the rod in making them good and successful people. During that era the ladies wore skirts, redda and hattes (wrap rounds and jackets) or sarees; certainly not pants. They were not graduates either but were well versed in domestic affairs and bringing up children in the ‘proper way’ as my mother used to say. Together the old-school husband and wife combinations worked well.”
“I can agree, with that Shelley,” murmured Joy wistfully. “It brings memories of my own family. They sounded a bit on the feudal kind though...”
"And the non-use of the use of rod by the Yahapalakayas to produce results is telling a story. It explains why things are being delayed, why those in authority and in the ranks of government service don’t care a cuss while their countrymen suffer their indifference"
“What does that matter?” interrupted Shelton. “I am sure they were decent folk. A pity those days are long gone,”.“Today’s rushed and stressed out gentlemen have no time for anything other than work, booze to deaden stretched nerves at the end of the day and flop into bed. The ladies’ performances are better. Many work either to help to keep home fires burning or build up careers. And like their western sisters, they have jumped on ‘equal rights’ wagons. Parents are so engrossed in themselves they don’t know what the hell their children are doing or have time even for a quick cuddle. They are isolating their children and creating herds of undisciplined brats who go out of control even before they reach their teens. If anyone eavesdrops on a late evening husband-wife-children’s orchestras in the neighbourhood, no further proof is needed.
“It’s really a shame,” agreed Joy, “but can’t schools do what the parents don’t do?”
Shelton laughed mirthlessly. “Discipline in schools was when teachers and principals used the rod with the correct intentions when needed; not these days though. I have heard of kids reporting their fathers and class teachers to the police for caning them. So, it’s bye-bye to six of the best on deserving backsides. Sparing the rod has spoilt the kids who end up as spoilt grown-ups and also as politicos most of whom need a taste of rod if this country and its people are to make it under whatever type of palanaya they voted into power.”
Spare the rod?
“That was an eye opener, wasn’t it? So now it’s spare the rod and let the country sink,” purred Tommo a pussycat to his pal and working partner Ooty an owl. Both employed at Wallside as vermin controllers were enjoying their free beers courtesy of the management that evening.
“Thuhoot! And the non-use of the use of rod by the Yahapalakayas to produce results is telling a story. It explains why things are being delayed, why those in authority and in the ranks of government 
service don’t care a cuss while their countrymen suffer their indifference. In comparison their predecessors, the Satakayas–a Yama species– went to the other extreme in using rods like mercenaries armed with machine guns in the Syrian war. Do you remember how ordinary governors stayed mum and how petrified media governors were when some of their crowd just disappeared off the face of the earth? The Satakayas flourished after creating that fear syndrome in running–rather ruining the country with no opposition to talk about. Thank goodness that crowd was thrown out.”
“Purshshit. Not entirely; a van load ex- Satakayas and some Blue birds hold ministerial and consultant positions in Yaha ranks. It’s unfortunate the Yaha crowd had to accommodate some garbage buried by our governors just to boost the controlling numbers in the House. But these turn coats are proving to be bees under Yaha collars. After attaching themselves like hook worms to the Yahapalapkayas they are playing hide and seek in and out of the House. These political humbugs are talking of crossovers back to the Sataka fold, oppose Yaha proposals for the sake of it and place spokes in development wheels including constitutional reforms while wiping their brows with their chief’s Sataka pota.”
Cracking a Yaha weakness
“But why don’t Yahapalakayas use some rod on those naughty boyos, ahh?” the bird wanted to know. “Many governors harp on that question when drowning their sorrows at Wallside. Our governors who had high hopes of the Yahapalakayas dragging the country from an early grave are disappointed that the Sataka biggies and rankers having nightmares of what they are destined to face in the final reckoning are still free and shooting their mouths off. Recently, the chief of the Satakayas desperate to make a comeback to former glory, promised gallery crowds he would topple the Yaha ship this year. He was prepared to even die in that attempt”.
“Ha-ha-haaaa, that will be the day,” laughed Oooty the way owls do.
“Oh yeah, savvy governors know that his blah-blah to tickle the ears of dumbos is all gas. But they ask: ‘Why aren’t the Yahapalakayas whacking the Satakayas who had broken all types of laws in the country every governor knows about, look like a rock climbing task without climbing tackle or rewriting the history of the world?” Pussy had a point there
“Whoom, whooooom, but haven’t the Yaha crowd landed some of corrupt and murderous Satakayas behind bars?”
“Oh sure,”grinned pussy, “but what a charade that has been. They put some rascals into jail and let them out in no time making it look like a joint exercise between jail birds and jailors. The talk is that the Yahapalakayas don’t have what it takes to clear that pile of muck once and for all. Not through the devilish Sataka variety, but subtler and appropriate uses of the rod to good effect. So, if the two main Yaha actors want to survive, the Yaha-Yama cold war, why better put some beef into making a combination of rods work for them.”
“Thuhoot, thuhoot, aren’t they too gentlemanly for rough stuff?” hooted Ooty.
“Meeoowww, the Yahapalakayas should apply the rod in the manner their fathers and teachers used the rod. No government can be sustained without giving measured doses of the rod to those in need of it. Unless the Yahapalkayas begin rod-treatment against conniving foes and their aiding and abetting two-faced pals sitting at Yaha tables, they are asking for trouble–big trouble.”
“Thuhooot? What about those in ever-green and ever blue camps in need of some rod treatment: tell to see!”
“Purshsh! You didn’t miss that eh? Well, that’s a Yaha domestic issue that needs solutions strictly in camera.”
"But what a charade that has been. They put some rascals into jail and let them out in no time making it look like a joint exercise between jail birds and jailors The talk is that the Yahapalakayas don’t have what it takes to clear that pile of muck once and for all"
