5th Column

"Bindu," Percy Udagedera said, "I think it is back to the era of Sir John Kotelawela..."
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.
"Why, he used to say that he would have his cabinet meetings at Galle Face..." Percy recalled.
"But isn't that because all the details of his cabinet meetings were being leaked to the newspapers?" Bindu asked.
"Yes, that is why he threatened to do that..." Percy said.
"So, thaaththa," Bindu queried, "do you think Mahinda maama has a similar problem?"
"No, Bindu," Percy explained, "but where else but at Galle Face can he accommodate his new cabinet?"
"Why do you say that?" Bindu demanded.
"Why, Bindu, now we are supposed to have the largest cabinet in the world..." Percy declared.
"And how large is that, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.
"It was one hundred and seven, as of last night," Percy said, "though I am sure that number may change at any time..."
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu queried.
"Why, Bindu supposing somebody else from the Opposition wants to join Mahinda maama, he is sure to find a portfolio for him..." Percy said.
"And who are all these ministers?" Bindu asked.
"First, we have the cabinet ministers..." Percy tried to explain.
"Are there any other ministers, other than cabinet ministers?" Bindu asked.
"Why, then there are the non-cabinet ministers..."
"Are there any other ministers, other than cabinet ministers and non-cabinet ministers?" Bindu was curious.
"Why, then there are the deputy ministers..." Percy observed.
"Are there any other ministers, other than cabinet ministers, non-cabinet ministers and deputy ministers?" Bindu demanded.
"Why, Bindu, there are the three ministers who took their oaths later..." Percy recalled.
"Then, are there any other ministers, other than the cabinet ministers, non-cabinet ministers, deputy ministers and the three ministers who took their oaths later?"
"Yes, Bindu..." Percy said.
"And who is that?" Bindu asked, puzzled.
"Why, Bindu, there is also Mahinda maama who is the boss of all these ministers..." Percy remembered.
"But, thaaththa," Bindu asked, "wasn't there a time when there were only about twenty ministers and the country was still doing quite well..."
"Yes, Bindu," Percy said, "but Mahinda maama says that this type of large cabinet is needed to ensure a stable government and better services for the people..."
"But is that true, thaaththa?" Bindu was not convinced.
"I suppose you could say it is so..." Percy said.
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.
"Now, for example," Percy explained, "we have a Minister of Water Supply and Drainage, a Minister of Irrigation and Water Management, a non-Cabinet Minister of Water Supply and a non-Cabinet Minister of Irrigation..."
"So, with four ministers to deal with water related subjects, we should have no problems at all with water hereafter..." Bindu suggested.
"We will have to wait and see about that..." Percy said, "but it is also the same for our transport system..."
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.
"Why, we have a Cabinet Minister for Petroleum Resources, a Cabinet Minister for Highways and Road development, another Cabinet Minister for Transport, a non-Cabinet Minister of Highways, a non-Cabinet Minister for Petroleum Resources, a non-Cabinet Minister for Road Passenger Transport, a Deputy Minister for Highways and another Deputy Minister for Railways..." Percy pointed out.
"Then thaaththa," Bindu declared, "with eight ministers in charge of transport related subjects we are sure to have the best transport system in the world in a few years..."
"We will have to wait and see about that too..." Percy said.
"But thaaththa," Bindu said, "there is one ministry which I don't quite understand..."
"And what Ministry is that?" Percy wanted to know.
"This Ministry of Nation Building..." Bindu said.
"So," Percy said, "what is puzzling about that Ministry?"
"There are five non-Cabinet Ministers with exactly the same subject, the Ministry of Nation Building..." Bindu observed, "and that is a little confusing..."
"What is so confusing about that, Bindu?" Percy asked.
"Why, thaaththa," Bindu asked, "why would you need five ministers in charge of the same subject?"
"Why, Bindu," Percy said, "Mahinda maama must be realising that with a Cabinet of a hundred and seven, it will take at least five ministers to build this nation of ours..."
Bindu was not sure whether five ministers would be enough to do the job.