Millenium Joke

A Foolish Sri Lankan Living in the US.

It has been 6 years since the millanium, but only now the Millennium Joke has sprung up for the Sri Lankans. We all have heard of the millennium bug, millennium bridge, etc., but the millennium joke had to wait 6 years, but this is the real deal though.

The much beloved (to a few) former Sri Lankan President has been appointed as an advisor for South Asian affairs for the UNESCO. While richly idling in London she has won this prestige.

In Mrs. Kumaratunge's life it looks to me like nothing has been earned. Her rich and powerful parents sent her to study in France (while the commoners in Sri Lanka her father professed to represent went to the local school), was appointed to a high office in the then silly Land Reform Commission by her mother, quickly elected the Chief Minister of Western Province and the Honorable HE the President of Democratic Socialist republic of Sri Lanka, commonly known as impoverished war torn Sri Lanka; all at the death and sadness of being a fatherless, husband-less widow but more importantly carrying the Bandaranaike name. Sri Lankan electorate just could not wait to make another blunder by bringing in another B(l)andar-anaike.

The fact is that the world is a place where positions need to be earned by toil and talent. The rich nations generally follow this rule and the corporate rich world always follow this rule hence the richness in society they have created. Somehow the poorer world including Sri Lanka generally tend to work in the opposite way. To heck with hard work, talent, skill or accountability, lets play some Nepotism. So we book ourselves a permanent position in the 3rd World rampant with non accountability - specially in public office - and corruption of the 1st order. After all we Sri Lankans(me included) are a bunch of darn fools.

Well after 11 years of holding the highest public office in Sri Lanka, the executive Presidency was never reversed, no public official was publicly hung in Galle Face for corruption, arrogance won the day, Prabhakharan still rule the North, millions of $ were spent by whoever on sometimes discarded weapons from eastern Europe and the citizen Perera who earlier slept on a donkey bed had to self relegate to a mat on the floor - all of the above were promises Mrs. Kumaratunge made on the Sri Lankan political platform in 1994 but never kept after 11 years in office.

Well the Powerless UN finally came forward to give her another freebi. A fat post in the UNESCO. A school teacher in Sri Lanka would be a much better candidate, after all he or she earned it by hard work, devotion and skill. He or she would have had to earn it and then pass it on to the next generation.

Well then what else could we call this graciuos UN appointment dear fellow Lankans, but the definite Joke of the Millennium.