President keeps aside fork and spoon at lunch given to farmers at Cargills - ceremony

President keeps aside fork and spoon ....

at lunch given to farmers at Cargills - ceremony

A large number of farmers of both sexes from all over the island participated at the Cargils Sarubima Govi Puravesi Awards Ceremony held at Bandaranaike Commemmoration Hall presided by President Maithripala recently.

18 community leaders of cultivated lands were handed over the awards by the President at this ceremony. The lunch for that day was sponsored and prepared by Cargills and facilities were afforded for them to serve the food themselves according to a buffet system. The President had served himself likewise by joining them in the queue. Those who had come were thus treated in a manner of having their lunch as if in a high-class hotel. Maybe because of the lack of knowledge of the organisers or because of the idea of maintaining the dignity of the institution even these farmers were supplied with forks and spoons to make use of on this occasion. Since they were not familiar with this procedure, some of them kept looking up while some others were looking around in a way as if wondering how to eat with fork and spoon. Some of them had been talking among themselves as to what to do, having become restless.

The President who saw the situation kept aside the fork and spoon, then washed his hands and proceeded to go ahead with his lunch, it is reported. It was later understood that the farmers too had followed suit and kept aside the forks and spoons and started to partake of the lunch with their hands. Because of this sudden difference the staff serving the food then began to place bowls to wash their hands at each table.