5th Column

Wanna tsunami early leaving system? Follow him
My dear Crown Prince,
I thought I must write to you when I heard that you had just returned from your quarterly pilgrimage to America, just two weeks after the tsunami disaster.

I know most people are blaming you for staying away for that long after the disaster. But then, Crown Prince, what can you possibly do when a tsunami strikes killing close to fifty thousand before you could say 'Los Angeles'? It is not your fault and you shouldn't have to interrupt your hard earned vacation!

Of course it is true that even Satellite came rushing back from England but then she is the Boss and you would have too had you been given the job of Prime Minister, at least. This is the problem with our people, Crown Prince, they don't want to give you any responsibility while you are here but when something does go wrong, they want to see you return in a hurry.

Trust me, Crown Prince, with you and Satellite both away for the first couple of days after the disaster, the Pee Em made sure he got maximum publicity for his efforts at distributing parippu but it must have been difficult for him too, having to conceal his congenital grin!

Besides, I have a feeling you knew something was about to happen which is why you went away. Why, you predicted SB's verdict months before it happened so there is no reason why you couldn't have foreseen this disaster as well!

Somebody was even suggesting that we follow your travelling patterns and keep away from the country whenever you do, but then the country would be without people for over half the year, won't they?

Crown Prince, now that you have indeed returned, you should put your talents to good use to investigate the tsunami disaster. We all remember how you went about probing the Shahrukh Khan concert a month ago, asking why there were no toilets and why food was sold at high prices. Now then, this is a golden opportunity for you to find out for instance, why the rathu sahodarayas are hijacking relief supplies and why expensive coffins were taken to the Wanni. We are sure you will come up with some fantastic explanations!

In hindsight, Crown Prince, it is our good fortune that you were not around when the tsunami struck. We heard the story of helicopters being sent to rescue your uncle but just imagine what would have happened if you had been out there - just one helicopter wouldn't have been enough.

Now that you have survived though, I must warn you that you shouldn't engage in your favourite sport of Green-bashing. Party politics is a prohibited word these days and everyone is pretending to be grieving. But of course, you can rest assured that this won't last long; we will be back at each other's throats before long!

Yours truly,
Punchi Putha
PS: I know you won't try to profit from a disaster such as this, but wouldn't it be a fantastic idea to visit all those countries as a special envoy to promote tourism? I am sure the thought hadn't crossed your mind!

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