BY NEVILLE DE SILVA

Sixty years or so ago I remember reading a collection of essays by that superb American humorist S.J. Perelman titled “Crazy Like a Fox” published by Penguin (if my memory serves me right). From that first encounter with Perelman’s writings I was enamoured of his satire and humour, the wry, witty pieces that he contributed to The NewYorker magazine, some of which appeared subsequently in the Penguin edition.

I wonder what this American humorist would have made of Sri Lanka’s politics and politicians over the last 20 years or more had he lived in this miracle of Asia. In my mind’s eye I could almost see him scanning the socio-political landscape each morning as he brushed his teeth and sharpened his tongue.

Perelman’s wit and satire came to mind while reading some recent comments made by Sri Lankan ministers some of whom, I am sad to say, have long passed their shelf-life and should have been put to grass by the party they represent without prolonging the public agony.

The other day a news report quoted the remarks of Tourism Minister John Amaratunga which, for sheer ludicrousness is hard to beat. Speaking to reporters after some event at Wahakotte, Minister Amaratunga is supposed to have said that the recent increase in the price of vehicles was to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads. That is fair enough though there are other ways to achieve that result if the government genuinely intended to do so instead of increasing prices such as good public transport services and good roads.

Had the minister stopped after saying that it would have been left to the public to discuss and debate the merits or otherwise of this ministerial wisdom. But politicians are hardly people of a few words. So he adduced a second