It’s fun to chip away at them! Now, will he turn blue?

By Rypvanwinkle

“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “what is all this fuss about the rathu sahodarayas?”
“Well,” Bindu’s father Percy said, “the rathu sahodarayas also seem to have gone the way of all other political parties, Bindu…”
“Why do you say that, thaaththa?” Bindu wanted to know.

“Why, they too seem to have split into two now…” Percy pointed out.
“So, what will happen next?” Bindu wondered.

“Well,” Percy said, “we might have the JVP ‘So’ faction and the JVP ‘Wee’ faction…”
“So, how does that make them like all the other political parties, thaaththa?” Bindu asked.
“Why, Bindu,” Percy observed, “didn’t you realise that every leading political party is now split into two?”
“How can you say that?” Bindu demanded.

“Why, the Greens have the Ranil faction and the other faction led by Karu and his ‘horu’…”
“But isn’t that the only major party that is split, thaaththa?” Bindu queried.
“Of course not,” Percy said, “why, even the Blues are split aren’t they?”
“How is that?” Bindu inquired.

“Why, there is the Mahinda faction and the Mangala faction among the Blues…” Percy pointed out.
“But thaaththa,” Bindu argued, “the Mangala faction now counts for hardly anything, does it?”
“But you can’t rule them out altogether because we know it has Satellite’s support…” Percy explained.
“Then of course there is the Rauf faction and the Ferial faction of the Tree party…” Bindu recalled.
“And don’t forget that even the Tigers are split into two…” Percy cautioned.

“And now the rathu sahodarayas are also split into two…” Bindu conceded.
“That did take a while to happen but it looks like Mahinda maama has managed even that…” Percy said.
“Now it is almost as if you need to be split into two, to be recognised as a political party of any significance…” Bindu said.
“Yes,” Percy said, “for instance, Dinesh’s party is not split but whether it is a party of any significance is an entirely different matter…”

“And the same might be true of the party of the Buddhist monks…” Bindu said.
“Yes,” Percy agreed, “but what will be more interesting is what would happen to the rathu sahodarayas…”
“Why do you say that, thaaththa?” Bindu asked.
“Why, Bindu, Wimal sahodaraya is trying to start a party of his own…” Percy declared.
“But thaaththa,” Bindu countered, “whenever someone breaks away from a party and starts a party of his own, they generally end with disastrous results…”

“But there is another option of course…” Percy proposed.
“And what option is that?” Bindu wanted to know.
“Why,” Percy said, “Wimal sahodaraya could join Mahinda maama’s cabinet…”
“But what Ministry is he going to be in charge of?” Bindu demanded.
“Why, the Ministry of National Heritage, of course…” Percy declared.
“How can you be so sure about that?” Bindu wanted to know.

“Why, Bindu, remember Uncle Anura was in charge of National Heritage and he is no more now…” Percy recalled.
“But that doesn’t mean Wimal sahodaraya should get the same portfolio…” Bindu argued.
“Of course, he should…” Percy retorted.
“And why is that?” Bindu demanded.
“Remember, Bindu, Uncle Anura used to complain that as the Minister of National Heritage his only task was to stare at the Sigiriya maidens…” Percy said.

“Yes,” Bindu remembered, “he did say something like that…”
“And now” Percy pointed out, “Wimal sahodaraya says that the one thing he regrets in life is not visiting Sigiriya, so what better solution than to appoint him as the Minister of National Heritage so he can stare at the Sigiriya maidens for as long as he wants…!”
Bindu knew he couldn’t disagree with that.