'Friday - Thonda is making some demands for a pay-hike once again, Ratnasiri tells me. He has offered a raise of ten rupees a day but the old chap wants twenty two rupees a day and the companies say they will run at a loss if they give in to that. Asked Amma whether we couldn't get rid of Thonda. She says that if JR couldn't do it, I won't be able to. I told her that I'm now doing most of the things that even JR wasn't able to do. Anyway must tell GL to find out whether Thonda has paid the EPF of all his employees.....
Saturday - Ranil has said he won't submit his devolution proposals by the thirty-first of January. And this is the man who accuses me of being always late! GL, as usual, has tried to say it was a misunderstanding, and that we were not trying to set a deadline. Anyway, what Ranil doesn't know is that whether they like it or not, we will go ahead with the package. Did JR ask the opposition when he signed the Accord with Rajiv? Huh, he didn't even ask Premadasa!
Sunday - The newspapers are carrying pictures of Amma, Akka and myself at Thaththa's birthday anniversary ceremonies. Mallo, as usual, keeps away from these events now. He must be even more annoyed now that Akka is friendly with me again. And our chaps, specially Anu and GL will also be annoyed if they know that Amma wants Akka to succeed her in the No. 2 slot. I told her it wouldn't look nice and would appear as if we are trying to keep it in the family but she nearly said, "If Sonia can do it why can't she?" Well, I don't mind. Certainly she is better than Mallo. But the only problem is everybody will think that I'm the Akka and she's the Nangi......
Monday - After a lot of talk the LSSP has decided to nominate Batty for Bernard's job. It's not an important portfolio, so I don't mind. In fact, I'm happy because if they named Vasu I would have had a real problem, because that man thinks he knows everything about everything. Anyway, it would have been better if they nominated Athauda because that chap says 'Yes Madam' to any thing I say.....
Tuesday - Recorded a Thai Pongal message to be telecast on Rupavahini. I would have preferred to wear a different colour, but they insisted that I should wear an orange saree and have my glasses on. The Tamil speech, of course, was written in Sinhala letters - an old trick they have learnt from Preme. But Kadi tells me it's a bit of a joke because I had paused at all the wrong places and anyone could at once say that I didn't know Tamil. Well, the only Tamil I know is 'Vanakkam', 'Vanga' and 'Ponga'. That is enough to deal with Thonda......
Wednesday - Sent Mangala, Richard and Dylan to open the Public Library in Jaffna, and thankfully they returned safely. When I told Bala that I was worried about it he says, "Then you should have put Mahinda, Thonda, Vasu and Ravi K on a plane and sent them to open the Library. Then, even if Velu takes a shot at them, you'll be up on the deal!......"
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