A group of Diyawanna backbenchers from both sides of the divide including two or three from the North and the East were having a heart-to-heart chat in the House lobby the other day. 

Their attention soon turned to the much talked about Central Bank bonds issue. When the discourse was taking a serious turn, a Betel leaf backbencher spoke up: “Machang, this bonds business is not something that every Jack, Tom and harry can do… There’s a special degree for this subject…” An economist from the JO camp immediately pooh-poohed his colleague’s ‘finding’. “Tosh! This is the first time I heard that there is a special degree for the subject of Treasury bonds!”

 The interlocutor was not prepared to take back what he said about the special degree. “How many things are there that we know nothing about in this world, my friend?”  he asked his challenger. “I hear there is a university called Bond university’ in Australia and the master brain behind the bond scam here is said to be a graduate of that university…”

This statement made visibly in dead earnest drew guffaws from the other members.
“Don’t come out with whoppers, Machang!” one of the members said.
“I swear this is true,” replied the member who made the humorous diversion. “Make a search on the internet if you don’t believe me!”