The Fifth Column

25th July 1999

He came, he saw and he went away

"Thaaththa" Bindu Udagedera asked, "what is all this fuss about media freedom?"

"Why" Percy said " that is because all this media people were tear-gassed at the green protest campaign…"

"But Thaaththa", Bindu asked " they are talking about a media Mafia…"

"That's what they say…" Percy conceded.

"But they say that thugs from the green camp attacked the police and destroyed public property…"

"Aney Pau" Percy said, "So, that is the kind of police force we are having…"

"Why do you say that?"

"Why, thugs can threaten the police who have weapons and tear gas at their disposal and still get away with it…"

"But that's what our media minister says…"

"So, how were the green MPs assaulted?"

"That, we will have to ask the minister…"

"If you ask him" Percy said, "he will probably say that the greens hired thugs to assault their own people, so that they can make a big issue about it…"

"But thaaththa" Bindu argued, "the greens have no right to shout so much about the executive presidency when it is one of their own creations…"

"But that doesn't alter the fact that Satellite has gone back on her promise to abolish it…"

"Why do you say that?"

"Why, remember what happened when JR introduced provincial councils? The blues opposed it and launched protest campaigns. They didn't even contest the elections that followed…"

"And then?"

"But now they not only contested those councils they are supporting even more devolution…"

"What does that mean?" Bindu wanted to know.

"See, Bindu" Percy said, "what the blues opposed then, they are supporting now. Likewise, with the executive presidency, what the greens supported then, they are opposing now…"

"So" said Bindu, "neither side has a clear policy for the good of the country…"

"I don't know about that" Percy said, "but either side will follow a policy only if it is good for their party…"

"Then thaaththa" Bindu wanted to know, " what is this story that the green leader ran away?"

"They say that he came, he saw and then he went away…"

"But some say he abandoned his party men…"

"I don't know about that but he was not there when they were being tear- gassed…"

"Maybe" Bindu suggested, "they waited until he left, to start the tear gas just to embarrass him…"

"But they say that Karu was there all the way…"

"They always want to create a rift between the leader and Karu" Percy said.

"But thaaththa, don't you think that there is a new trend now?" Bindu wanted to know.

"What's that" Percy queried."

"Why, thaaththa, they have appointed a Jayasuriya as the captain of the team in cricket" Bindu said.

"And what's special about that?"

"Do you think the greens will follow that trend?"

Percy didn't want to answer that.

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

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