5th Column

Ministers without controlling power
"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "what will happen to our grand plans for peace now?"

"Why, Bindu, why are you worried about peace?" Bindu's father Percy asked.
"Why, thaaththa, the Navy is sinking Tiger boats and they are refusing to come for peace talks…"

"But, Bindu, the ceasefire is still holding…"
"But the Tigers are complaining that the firing has not ceased from the Navy…"
"But, Bindu, the Navy is complaining that the Tigers have not stopped smuggling arms…"

"So, will it be all out war, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.
"What makes you think that will happen?"
"Why, thaaththa, they have even rejected the Interim Council they were offered this week…"

"Those are what are now called 'minor setbacks', Bindu…" Percy assured.
"But thaaththa," Bindu asked, "why wasn't the Defence Minister told about the sinking of that boat until it was all over?"

"Why, Bindu, I thought Satellite was being kept informed at all stages and she is after all the Commander-in-Chief…"
"And she must be happy because she didn't want to hand over the Defence ministry to the greens anyway…"

"So, we have a Defence Minister who has no control over the Armed Forces…"
"That's not surprising, is it?" Bindu asked.
"Why do you say that?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why, we have a Minister of Health who has no control over doctors…"
"But I thought he has settled the doctors' issue now…"

"But thaaththa, the doctors weren't accepting the assurances given by him and wanted a cabinet announcement about the salary increase instead…"

"That is probably because they didn't want Satellite saying she was not aware of it and cancelling the wage hike by a gazette…"

"But in the cabinet itself we have a variety of ministers who cannot control the rising cost of living…"
"And of course we have a Minister of Parliamentary Affairs who cannot control Parliament…"

"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.
"Why, Bindu, the reds and the blues were able to bring in a coffin to Parliament weeks after they brought a wreath…"
"Why was that done, thaaththa?"

"Why, Bindu it was to protest the recent killings of opposition politicians…"
"So, they were trying to prove that there was a danger to democracy…"
"I thought they give the impression that democracy was dead because they even staged a mock funeral ceremony in Parliament…"

"Well", Bindu said, "they also succeeded in giving the impression that if the Tigers wanted to attack Parliament, it wouldn't be that difficult…"

"I can't see why they would want to do that because they are getting all that they want and more just by refusing to resume peace talks…" Percy observed.
"But, thaaththa," Bindu was puzzled, "if the Opposition staged a mock funeral, was there a corpse in the coffin as well?"

"No there wasn't," Percy said, "but I wouldn't be surprised if there is one very soon…"
"Why do you say that?" Bindu asked, alarmed.

"Why, Bindu," Percy said, "even though the blues are protesting about the greens talking to the Tigers, some blues themselves are in the jungles in the North trying to talk to the Tigers right now…"
Bindu didn't feel like disagreeing.

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