My Dear S.B.,

I am writing to you after a long time, if I remember right. The last time I wrote to you was when our cricket team won the Singer Cup in Colombo and you made that big fuss about not being the Chief Guest at the Awards Ceremony.

Now, we have won the Singer Cup again, but I am writing to you to tell you about something else - the little games played by your little brother Saliya Bandara - S.B. (jnr.), I suppose - at Hanguranketha.

We know you supported him as a candidate for the Pradeshiya Sabha there. We also know that though he got the highest "manaapa" from your party, Satellite refused to appoint him as the Chairman, because he was your brother, and the PA was against any kind of nepotism. ("General" Anu and Methini must be blushing!)

That was when the trouble started, we hear. Supporters of your "Malli" allegedly went on the rampage setting fire to buildings and imposing an unofficial "curfew" in the area, all because SB (jnr.) was not given the top slot!

Now, dear old S.B., I can clearly recall how you came on TV after Nalanda Ellawala was killed and almost wept in front of the TV cameras to show us how committed you were to democracy and 'ahimsa' and how you hated thuggery and violence. Of course, we believed you, S.B.; you should not have any doubts about that.

But now, we wait with great expectations to see what you will do next. Some say that since you cannot expel your brother from your family, you should resign from the government. Others say that you are not responsible for everything your brother does, because Satellite herself is not responsible for what Anura does.

But what is of greater interest to us is what your Party will do to SB (jnr.). Remember how Ranil suspended Susantha Punchinilame. Then, it was you who criticised that, saying that was not enough. So, dear S.B., what do you think your party should do to S.B. (jnr).

Then, surprising us all, young SB (jnr.) appears on TV (on TNL, your favourite network!) and tells us that Aiya and the Party have dealt with him very unfairly and that he was considering joining the UNP!

Now, If I was Ranil, I wouldn't touch S.B. (jnr.), but then, one never knows. Your party took Ganeshalingam and Hussein Mohamed with no questions asked, so I suppose anything is possible.

So, dear S.B., I know you are in a difficult situation. We are all waiting to see whether our Sports and Youths Affairs Minister will be sporty in dealing with the youth in his own family.

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha.

P.S. They tell me that, in Hanguranketha, to avoid confusion between the two SBs, they call you 'Seeni Bola' Dissanayake and S.B. (jnr.) as 'Sakala Bujang'! Is that true?

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