5th Column

Green man in right royal mess
“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “what is all this fuss about our ancient kings?”
“It seems that our modern day rulers are being compared to the kings and queens who ruled us long ago…” Bindu’s father Percy explained.

“It all started with this Parakramabahu story, didn’t it?” Bindu wanted to know.
“Yes, it did…” Percy agreed, “because the Green Man said he wanted to re-create a Parakramabahu era…”
“And what did he mean by that, thaaththa?” Bindu asked.
“I suppose he meant that he wished to make our country prosperous and self sufficient once again…”

“But instead, posters appeared with the Green Man’s head imposed on pictures of the Parakramabahu statue…” Bindu recalled.
“And then came the ‘Pas Dun Rata’ story…” Percy observed.
“What was that about, thaaththa?”

“The Green man apparently thought it meant a region which provided soil when in fact it was really a shortened form of ‘Pas Yodun Rata’”
“And what happened then?”
“Of course others rushed to criticise the Green Man for not knowing his Sinhala very well and anyway, the matter didn’t end there…”

“Why is that?”
“The Green Man then went to Anuradhapura and said that he wanted to unite the country once again just as King Pandukhabaya did in making Anuradhapura his kingdom…”
“What was wrong with that?”

“Well, the historians once again pointed out that King Pandukhabaya did not in fact unite the country and they said the Green Man was trying to distort history for his advantage…” Percy explained.
“But thaaththa,” Bindu wanted to know, “how did the names of other Sinhala kings enter this debate?”

“Why, Bindu, while all this was going on others were proclaiming the Southerner to be the new ‘Dutugemunu’…” Percy said, "And he is from the South and his agreements with the monks and the sahodarayas seem to suggest that he will go to war with ‘Elara’ in the North…”

“I suppose there is nothing wrong in the Southerner comparing himself to ‘Dutugemunu’ if the Green Man is trying to say he is the new ‘Parakramabahu’ or ‘Pandukhabaya’…” Bindu argued.

“If he claims to be the new ‘Dutugemunu’,” Percy suggested, “he should get himself a set of ‘dasa maha yodhayaas’ or ten great warriors…”
“Oh, I am sure he has enough ‘yodhayaas’ with the Wimals and Mangalas around him…” Bindu said.

“But, Bindu,” Percy said, "he doesn’t have enough of his own party men supporting him…”
“Yes, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “but remember, even ‘Dutugemunu’ had to fight his own brother first before he could fight with 'Elara' and win…”
“But, Bindu,” Percy pointed out, “he has to first fight with the present Queen before he can fight with anyone else…”

“Ah,” said Bindu, “that reminds me of another Queen whose husband was also Vijaya…”
“Who is that?”
“Why, Queen Kuveni of course…”
“But,” Percy recalled, “Queen Kuveni didn’t encounter quite a happy ending to her reign…”

“Yes”, Bindu agreed, “which is why we should all stop this comparison with ancient kings because if we continue to do that, we will have to get yet another King to return from the past and treat us all of us for losing our minds…”

“And which King is that?” Percy wanted to know.
“Why, King Buddhadasa of course…” Bindu said.
“Now, I hope and pray the Green Man won’t start talking about him…” Percy said.
Bindu didn’t disagree.

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