A political fable on South Asian politics if not world politics

Nice story. It is an anecdote or a fable. A tongue-in-cheek analysis on South Asian politics if not world politics.

Rahul Gandhi walks into ICICI Bank to cash a cheque. As he approaches the cashier he says, "Good morning Ma'am, would you please cash this cheque for me?"

Cashier: "It would be my pleasure sir. Could you please show me your ID?"

RG: "Truthfully, I did not bring my ID with me as I didn't think there was any need to. I am Vice President of the Congress Party. Future Indian PM.

Cashier: "Yes sir, I know who you are, but with all the regulations and monitoring of the banks because of imposters and forgers and requirements etc., I must insist on seeing your ID."

RG: "Just ask anyone here at the bank who I am and they will tell you. Everybody knows who I am."

Cashier: "I am sorry sir but these are the bank rules and I must follow them."

RG: "I am urging you, please, to cash this cheque."

Cashier: "Look Sir here is an example of what we can do. One day, Sachin Tendulkar came into the bank without ID. To prove he was Sachin he pulled out his bat and played a beautiful shot across the bank. With that shot we knew him to be Sachin and cashed his cheque."
"Another time, Mahesh Bhupati came in without ID. He pulled out his tennis racquet and played a fabulous shot when the tennis ball landed in my cup. With that shot we cashed his cheque.
So, sir what can you do to prove that it is you, and only you, future indian PM, Rahul Gandhi?"

RG stands there thinking, and thinking, and finally says:
"Honestly, my mind is a total blank... There is nothing that comes to my mind. I can't think of a single thing. I have absolutely no idea what to do; I just don't have a clue".

Cashier: 'Sir, 500 or 1000 rupee notes?'

Crocophobic Sri Lanka hosts the 22nd Working Meeting of the IUCN - SSC Crocodile Specialist Group

Sri Lanka is a country with wonderful nature and wonderfool people. When they see a crocodile they mob and harass it finally to bind it. Photo and video journalists gather round the arrested criminal croco and photograph them to be published competitively. You also focus your mobile phone to collect a souvenir show to your friends. One may dare to sit on the back of the croco and pose for a photo.

The wildlife officials come late and the poor reptile will be dislocated from its habitat and will be carried to Who Knows Where.

There were talks the Wildlife Department would establish a crocodile park in Muthurajawela marshes situated just south of Negombo but now the talks have ebbed. Reports say the land is being grabbed.

Meanwhile, the 22nd Working Meeting of the IUCN - SSC Crocodile Specialist Group which is called the World Crocodile Conference has been organized to be held in Sri Lanka from 20 to 23 of May 2013 at Goldi Sands Hotel in Negambo. According to their website, the IUCN SSC Crocodile Specialist Group (CSG) is a worldwide network of biologists, wildlife managers, government officials, independent researchers, NGO representatives, farmers, traders, tanners, fashion leaders, and private companies actively involved in the conservation of the world's 23 living species of alligators, crocodiles, caimans and gharials in the wild.

Sri Lanka is a unique location for the conference since there are nearly 75 protected areas under the Department of Wildlife Conservation in the country which covers approximately 13% of the country’s land area.

Around 250 not crocodiles but crocodile experts, specialists, biologists, independent researchers, government officials and a host of other attendees are expected to be present at the conference. This conference is aimed to highlight the significance of working to protect the crocodile species and discuss about crocodile related ideologies, environmental issues and conservation principles.

Section 120 of Penal Code of Sri Lanka and the Azath Salley's interview

Sri Lanka Prime Minister D.M. Jayarathna said in the parliament that the arrest of former Colombo Deputy Mayor Azath Sally was made under section 120 of Penal Code of Sri Lanka.

This is the said section 120 of the Penal Code:

Whoever by words, either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs; or by visible representations, or otherwise, excites or attempts to excite feelings of disaffection to the Queen or Her Government in Ceylon, or excites or attempts to excite hatred to or contempt of the administration of justice, or excites or attempts to excite the Queen subjects to procure, otherwise than by lawful means, the alteration of any matter by law established, or attempts to raise discontent or disaffection amongst the Queens subjects, or to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different classes of such People, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years.

This is the English translation of the Tamil written interview which published in Vikatan website of India:

MUSLIMS WILL ALSO TAKE UP ARMS- SAYS AZAD SALLY
(Saturday, 20 April 2013, 06:50 AM GMT) (VIKETAN)
We met the participant at the seminar on  ‘The Right of Sri Lankan Tamils’ organized by the Popular Front of India, in Chennai.
Q:  There is news that attack against Muslims has started in Sri Lanka?
A:  The first attack in Sri Lanka was against Muslims in the riots of 1915 between Sinhalese and Muslims.
Recently in 2011, after the war with the Tigers, a Dharga in Anuradhapura was demolished  by Buddhist monks in the presence of the police.
In 2012 a mosque in Dambulla was demolished.  By demolishing over 10 mosques and madrasas, the Sinhalese have started attacking the Muslims openly.
No one pays any attention to the fact that soldiers are harassing Muslim women wearing the burqua.
Their intentions can be gauged from the statement of the Rajapakse-supporting Sinhala party, the Jathika Hela Urumaya, that a war like that of  1915 is unavoidable.
As a first step to this war, the issue of Halal certification has been banned in Sri Lanka.
If so, there will be no alternative to taking up arms.  For saying this, the The Bodu Bala Sena has said that I should be arrested.
Q:  What actions have you taken to ensure the safety of the Muslims?
A: When America brought forward the resolution on Sri Lanka, I submitted an appeal that the safety of the minority Tamils, Muslims and Christians should be also assured.
Further, we requested the Ambassadors of 24 countries, including those of 8 Muslim countries supportive of Sri Lanka and demanded that they speak on behalf of  the minorities.
We are trying to bring this issue to the attention of the world community.
Q:  There was information before that the Tamils and Muslims were alienated. How is the situation now?
A: The Muslims were driven out of the territory under Tiger control before. From then the Muslim organizations started to differ.  The Tigers should not have done that. If they had embraced the Muslims, the situation could have developed differently. Prabhaharan missed several opportunities.  This has been beneficial only to the Rajapaksa family.
 Q:  The actions (activities) of Rajapaksa?
A:  His only proclamation is that he has won against the Tigers.   The Rajapaksa family which was without anything is today being transformed into the most prosperous family in Asia.
His relatives who were working abroad in super markets and petrol stations are ministers today.
They are travelling to neighbouring countries for discussions. They have captured the media.   Only the Rajapaksa family members are at the head of all governmental agencies.
Gotabaya is guiding the Bodu Bala Sena with the intention of taking the message amongst the Sinhala people that Rajapaksa is the only soldier (Hero) for the Sinhalese.
They think the Rajapaksa Senior is the president and Gotabaya, Basil and Namal are also presidents.  Confiscating people’s properties is Namal Rajapaksa’s occupation.
They divided various occupations among themselves: taking commissions on government tenders is Basil’s share and changing Sri Lanka into a Buddhist country is Gotabaya’s share.
It is on the basis of this confidence that he has changed the rule that one person can be president for only two terms, to that where  one can be president any number of times.
Presidential elections can be held now only once in four years, but the president is engaged in actions to make it possible to hold elections every three years.
Because his party has the majority now, he plans to hold the presidential election again, win and then conduct  the general elections.
However, Tamils and Muslims will not vote for Rajapaksa. He cannot win the confidence of these communities ever.
 (extracted from   Colombo Telegraph)

Sri Lankan cinema actor Ranjan Ramanayaka speaks up for Sri Lankan housemaids in Saudi

Popular Sri Lankan actor Ranjan Ramanayaka delivered an excellent speech in the parliament on May 07, 2013.

I do not consider Ramanayaka as a worthy actor but his political carrier has some value due to his long standing struggle for the rights of the Sri Lankan expatriate workers in Middle east.

Addressing the debate on the no-confidence motion against Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion Dilan Perera over the government's failure to save the life of housemaid Rizana Nafeek, Ramanayaka said that all who voted in the parliament in favor of the government were guilty of this assassination.

Rizana Nafeek was beheaded by Saudi government for an alleged killing of an infant she was looking after there after migrating illegally under a forged passport while being an underage girl of 17. But the Saudi government claimed that Rizana was an adult according to the passport issued by Sri Lanka government.

The ruling coalition signal post MPs defeated the no-confidence motion. Ramanayaka said that all who voted in favor of the motion had hand in the murder.

Age of 3D printed guns and how 3D printing evolved

A news about a revolutionary 3D printed hand gun which you can download and get printed using a 3D printer and fire to cause destruction has made a controversy in international news.

What is this 3D printing?

3D printing is is the creation of solid objects out of plastic or soft metals.

A 3D printer prints a design created in sophisticated 3D modeling software. It works like a common ink jet printer. The melted plastic (or the metal in advanced printers) prints in layers as thin as 100 microns (.1 mm) slowly to make the 3D object.

Watch how a 3D print is made in this video:



This is a 3D printed toy aeroplane. Printing is done part by part and then assembled.



MakerBot and some other companies sell 3D printers that are of the size little bigger than the normal desktop prnter. Two such models are the Replicator 2 ($2,200), which can construct objects as large as 11 x 6 x 6 inches, and the Replicator 2X "experimental" 3D printer ($2,800, pictured above), which can create objects 9.5 x 6 x 6 inches.

The gun Liberator is also printed part by part and assembled. It is fired and tested for robustness. It may be highly dangerous production due to its highly individualized production technology.


The first 3D printed gun has been produced by Defense Distributed headed by a law student 25-year old law student, Cody Wilson.  His website states that his goal is to “produce and publish a file for a completely printable gun.”

Availability of a blueprint of the gun online will make it simple for those without expertise to print a gun.

We are entering a new gun age, aren't we? 

Cody Wilson, 25-year old 'father' of printable gun age

Sri Lanka Muslim leader Azath Sally tapping the door of the jail

Azath Sally, a leader of a small Muslim party of Sri Lanka has been arrested. He is accused of saying that the Muslim youth must take up arms, according to pro-Sinhala media.

Sally is a man who broke away from the regime due to personal dissatisfaction over power. People like him will have to go to jail to serve further to the regime to terrify others who want to be too brave to break away.

He is near the threshold of being jailed under draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act while the Buddhist monks and others who broke Muslim shops in public are enjoying immunity publicly.

Perhaps, this may be another chance for Sally to build up the identity as the saviour of Muslims, an identity he is trying hard to achieve. Few months in jail will pay him back with power which he will be able to use to bargain with Sri Lanka Muslim Congress, United National Party or the regime itself, who knows. He is a substantial opportunist.

Meanwhile, the major Muslim party Sri Lanka Muslim Congress sources say that the party supreme committee meeting that will be held on May 07 would be a decisive one since a powerful group of people's representatives of the party are forcing the SLMC leadership to leave the government coalition.

A breakaway may cause a sever imbalance of power in the Eastern Provincial Council.

However, another group of people's representatives say that the SLMC must be patient and stay in the government coalition further, the party sources say.

We predict that the party will stay with the regime. Whatever difficulty may the Muslims in the country face, the bigwig agents of the government in the party will do their duty of fastening the outfit to the regime. Expect a severe warning! False. 

Promoting Hitler in Sri Lanka

I found this banner shared by one of the students of my school. He is a handsome, pleasant kid of around 18 years of age who belongs to the Sinhala community.

This boy is a prefect of the school and also a scout of a highest medal.

He is a very polite, decent and lovable guy. In the multi cultural school he learns, I have never seen him behaving disrespectfully to the teachers or the students that belong to other communities.

He is a friend in my Facebook and I have observed that the majority things hat he shares there are extremely racist especially against Muslims.

I once invited him to have a chat over a cup of tea regarding our opinions on ethnic relations which are worlds apart. He readily accepted the invitation to come to my house but we both were busy in the past weeks, he getting ready to sit for the G.C.E. (Advanced Level) examination in August in science stream.

"I know your views Sir, but it doesn't matter, let us talk," I remember he said.

Yesterday, he had shared this banner.  I still like him very much but I can't understand what has happened to boys like him.

Thirty years back, when I was in his age, I too was extremist.But if there was Facebook I might have promoted Che, Bob Marley, Marx, Engels, Lenin etc.

But he is promoting Hitler. I don't know what to say.