5th Column

Schools have principals but politicians have no principles
"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "what is all this fuss about the Western Provincial Council?"
"They have postponed its sessions…" Bindu's father Percy explained.
"But can they do that?" Bindu wanted to know.
"Of course they can…" Percy said, "nothing is impossible in this lovely country of ours…"

"But thaaththa," Bindu protested, "I thought there was a vote of no confidence against the Chief Minister…"
"But that is the very reason why the sessions of the Council were postponed…" Percy pointed out.

"Somehow that doesn't seem to be the decent thing to do…" Bindu said.
"That was done to counter something even more indecent…" Percy observed.
"Why, thaaththa, what is indecent about the no-confidence motion against the Chief Minister?" Bindu queried.

"It is not the motion of no confidence that is indecent…" Percy explained, "it is that the Reds are supporting a motion of no-confidence against a Blue Chief Minister when they are part and parcel of the same coalition government…"
"I thought," Bindu said, "the Reds are the Opposition within the government…"
"Yes," Percy said, "and the Greens are the government within the Opposition…"
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?"

"Why, haven't they been most helpful to the government in recent months with their strategy of watchful expectation and masterly inactivity…"
"But they are saying this will all change with their May Day celebrations…" Bindu pointed out.

"But shouldn't they be out and about mobilising the people against the Reds and the Blues about the issues that are bothering them instead of waiting for some 'nekath' time to start their campaign against the government…"
"I suppose now there are enough issues to mobilise people…" Bindu conceded.
"It is in fact a matter of choosing which issue because there are so many issues at stake…" Percy pointed out.

"Yes, there is the joint mechanism for distributing tsunami aid and the hundred metre rule…" Bindu observed.
"Then there are the rising fuel prices and electricity bills…" Percy said.
"Or else, they can talk about the ceasefire that has now almost ceased…"
"Or the crisis in administering cricket…" Percy proposed.
"But thaaththa, no matter what the Opposition talks about, I think Satellite has come up with a quick and effective way of dealing with any problem…"
"What is that?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why, thaaththa, all you need to do is find out who the allegations are against, then interdict that person and appoint someone else in his place…"
"Why do you say that is a solution to all the problems?" Percy asked.
"Why, thaaththa, that is what they have done with school principals and it has worked wonders…"

"There is a small problem about that strategy, Bindu…" Percy said.
"What is that, thaaththa?"
"If they really wanted to do that, by now they should have interdicted the Western Province Chief Minister and appointed someone else instead…"
"They might still do that…" Bindu suggested.

"No, they won't…" Percy disagreed.
"How can you be so sure thaaththa?" Bindu asked.
"Why, Bindu, schools have principals but politicians have no principles…"
Bindu couldn't disagree.

Back to Columns