Much of the political talk in the past week was about Bajiri. The Gazette Minister Bandula Gunawardena was reminding us how our people ate in the World War time of colonialism. Why make such a fuss about not having ‘kaha’ or turmeric in our curries? Surely, you won’t die without kaha, he told a journalist. He gave the impression of having enjoyable memories about the wartime days in what was Ceylon? He must also remember the long queues to obtain regular food, including Bajiri, other seeds and flour, and how the first ration book for rice was introduced. The colonial rulers did it their own way. The cry against colonial rule was rising. Was that the time to demand turmeric in a