June 4, 2019

Just when things felt like they were returning to some level of normalcy, Kandy town and some others were closed yesterday including banks and grocery stores in support of a monk MP who was fasting to demand the removal of three Muslim provincial governors.  Yesterday was the 4th day of his fast.  Thousands of people were marching from all over the area and congregating at the Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth Relic), the Buddhist equivalent of the Vatican in Kandy town where he was staging his fast.

On the way to breakfast, we were confronted by a host of army and police who kept diverting us to alternate routes to make way for processions of white clad people all heading for the Maligawa.  My friend Devika had to walk to the other side of Kandy town to get home as no vehicular traffic could get through.  My maid Veenitha said there were hardly any busses running and indeed as we watched the traffic on D.S. Senenayeke Mawatha (Trincomolee Street), one of Kandy's major thoroughfares from the hotel restaurant, there were only a few cars and buses running.  That section of road is usually in gridlock any time of the day.

The three governors and all the Muslim ministers, state ministers and deputy ministers have now resigned and the fast is over.  This will further polarize the various religious communities in my opinion.  I hope the President appoints some new Muslim ministers soon, as the Muslim community must be represented in any cabinet.

It almost appears that some forces are conspiring to destabilize the country every time it seems that things may get back to normal.  A presidential election is due in December and I suspect that this trend will continue until after the election.  Turmoil followed by a period of normalcy followed by turmoil, normalcy, etc., etc.  Just 2 days ago several European governments, including Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria had eased travel restrictions to Sri Lanka.  Yesterday's events mean that travelers will again think twice before coming to Sri Lanka.

Yesterday's closure of all shops in Kandy town was not so unusual except for the closure of the banks and the big supermarkets including Food City and Keels all across the city not just in Kandy town.  It reminds me of the hartals called by the JVP during the war waged by them in the late eighties.  This will be a hard time for all Sri Lankans.

For my part, I am not really affected except for the fact that I couldn't do my grocery shopping yesterday.

On the home front, there has been no sign of Gilly.  Veenitha said she smelled something dead outside the neighbor's fence but I did not have the heart to look.  I hope it was just a rat or something and not Gilly.

I have been swimming sporadically due to curfews and bruised ribs.  I fell out of my office chair while trying to pat Puta.  I didn't feel anything at the time but a couple of days later I had two large swellings on my left side, it was hard to cough or sneeze and to move generally.  It is just subsiding after almost 3 weeks.  Bumping around in a tuktuk doesn't help.

A flame tree in full bloom on my way home from the pool. 

The other cats are happy and healthy.  I am sure they are relieved they don't have to put up with anyone new.

Puta having a snooze in front of the TV

Brother and sister snuggling

They do it a lot.

My little cat family having breakfast.  From left to right:  Puta, the son, Baby, the mother, Nangi, the daughter.  The stripe down the back and the ringed tails show they are related.  Their facial markings are also identical.