Red deal, green deal, Tiger deal, what about a satellite deal?

By Rypvanwinkle

"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "what is all this talk about a secret agreement?"

"Why," Bindu's father Percy asked, "is it the agreement that Uncle Karu reached with Mahinda Maama?"
"Why do you say that?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Why, Uncle Karu never told us why he was joining Mahinda Maama and all we know is that he and his horu were offered ministerial posts..." Percy explained.

"No, thaaththa, I am not worried about that" Bindu said, "what I am concerned about is this so-called secret agreement that Mangala Maama is talking about..."

"What agreement is that?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why, Mangala Maama is claiming that Mahinda Maama struck a deal with the Tigers just before his election..."

"And what is that deal?" Percy demanded.

"Mangala Maama is not telling us what the agreement was but he claims all will be revealed soon...." "But wasn't it the other way around?" Percy asked.

"And what do you mean by that?" Bindu queried.

"Why, wasn't it Uncle Ranil who is supposed to have struck a deal with the Tigers just before the election?" Percy recalled.
"Who said that?" Bindu wanted to know.

"Why, that is what Mahinda Maama was claiming throughout the election…" Percy said, "they even called it the 'ali-koti givisuma'..."

"Is that why Ranil Uncle lost all those votes in the South?" Bindu asked.

"That may have been a reason…" Percy remembered.

"But thaaththa, there was another reason why Ranil Uncle lost that election…" Bindu suggested.

"And what is that?" Percy asked.

"Why, people in the North and East didn't go to the poll…" Bindu remembered.
"So, is that because Mahinda Maama had struck a deal with the Tigers, then?" Percy questioned.
"No one is saying that just yet," Bindu said, "but that maybe what is being suggested…"
"But isn't that a bit silly, Bindu?" Percy wondered.
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.
"What they are suggesting is that we can do deals with the Tigers and sort everything out…" Percy declared.
"But isn't that possible, thaaththa?" Bindu queried.

"Well," Percy said, "then, we might as well strike another deal with the Tigers and end this war once and for all…"
"I don't think it is quite that simple, thaaththa…" Bindu declared.
"Why do you say that?" Percy questioned.
"Why, thaaththa, just look at all the deals that Mahinda Maama has made…"
"Why, what are all these deals?" Percy asked.

"Why, he has a deal with the Reds, then he has a deal with the Buddhist monks, then he has deal with Uncle Rauf and another deal with Uncle Arumugam…" Bindu pointed out.
"Is that all?" Percy asked.
"No, thaaththa, Mahinda Maama also has deals with quite a few smaller parties, not to mention the deal he must have done with Uncle Karu…" Bindu said.
"But that is surely all…" Percy observed.
"Why, he may have even done a deal with Uncle Anura to rope him back after he left in a huff…" Bindu suggested.
"And don't forget that there is the big deal he struck with Uncle Ranil even though Uncle Ranil himself says that deal is no more now…" Percy observed.

"But I think there is still another deal that is absolutely essential for Mahinda Maama if he is to succeed…" Bindu said.
"And what deal is that?" Percy asked.
"He better have a deal with all of his hundred-odd ministers that they will do their jobs properly without getting him into trouble…" Bindu proposed
"But," Percy argued, "even if Mahinda Maama strikes a deal with Prabhakaran, there will still be one person whom he won't be able to strike a deal with…"

"And who is that?" Bindu wanted to know.
"Why, Satellite of course…" Percy said.
Bindu didn't disagree.