Cultural Minister's new shoe-style: Minister's reply

Cultural Minister speaks today about ....
the strange-shoes story .... with toes coming out!

The Sri Lankan media yesterday reported in an agitative manner about the strange pair of shoes which the Cultural Minister T.B. Ekanayaka was wearing at the time the agreements were being signed with the Chinese President.

While this incident was a matter of honour, the Minister who brushed it aside addressed the media today that he had worn this Sri Lankan-made pair of shoes by cleaning the cobwebs on the shoes and which happened to be in the corner of the house and that he wore this pair of shoes to suit the national dress; that it was a random dilemma. He further said that he was happy about the attention paid by the media on that old shoe and that he is even more happy that as a person who came from the village stamped his foot on the ground and carried out the relevant duty. This is how he spoke about it: "Actually, to attend that function .... I had my old pair of shoes .... white colour .... it's the white colour that suits the national dress no. There were cobwebs etc, in it ... and it was cleaned up and I wore it and went there.

After I wore it and went; at the Secretariat Office, soles of both shoes came off. So I put those two soles aside and put my feet down on the ground and went just like that.

It is a pleasure to shake hands with the President by putting the foot down as a person from the village. So I signed the agreement I was expected to sign. The President has come not to look how the shoes on my legs were .... it's for the relevant purpose no.

As a villager .... as a person who faces nature .... I signed the agreement and set off. But what was captured on the camera was my toes jutting out of my shoes. I am also specially happy about the attention being given to that ... for paying attention to even the toes of the Cultural Minister.

This is something that happened all of a sudden. I didn't wear these shoes for 7 or 8 years. These were made in Sri Lanka .... it's quite sometime after I bought them.

Information -- adaderanabiz.lk