The Fifth Column

President's UNP man

"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedara asked, "is the IGP a policeman?"

"Of course, he is," Percy Udagedara, Bindu's father retorted.

"Then, are there policemen, other than the IGP?"

"Of course there is, Bindu."

"But thaaththa, are there UNP policemen?"

"I suppose there are......" Percy said.

"Then, thaaththa, are there SLFP policemen?"

"They must be there too....."

"Then, thaaththa, are there policemen who are neither UNP policemen nor SLFP policemen?"

"Why, Bindu, the IGP is there...." Percy pointed out.

"No," Bindu disagreed.

"How can you say that?"

"He is a UNP policeman and I'm not the person saying so..."

"Why say so?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why Satellite herself is saying so...."

"I don't recall her saying that," Percy protested.

"No," but she says that it is the UNPers in the police who are trying to discredit her by using anti-terrorist laws against journalists.

"But.....," Percy tried to argue.

"And," Bindu said, "it was the IGP who went on TV defending the use of those laws against journalists..."

"Which just shows as what a fair-minded person Satellite is..."

"Why do you say that?"

"Why we now have a SLFP President but the IGP is a UNP supporter...."

"But that is dangerous...," Bindu said.

"Why?"

"Our previous Presidents from the UNP appears to have had IGPs who were UNP supporters, but they still found it difficult to rule..."

"Ah, but satellite has an advantage that they didn't have...," Percy said.

"What is that?" Bindu wanted to know.

"We seem to have a Leader of the Opposition who judging by his actions, seems sometimes to be an SLFP supporter..."

Bindu didn't disagree.