5th Column
Factors of 13: Got an answer?
View(s):“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “what is all this fuss about the thirteenth amendment?”
“Ah,” said Bindu’s father Percy, “that is what everyone is bothering Mahinda maama about these days…”
“And why is that, thaaththa?” Bindu wanted to know.
“That,” Percy said, “is because everyone has a different opinion about the thirteenth amendment…”
“Why do you say that, thaaththa?” Bindu asked.
“There are those who want the thirteenth amendment as it is, without making any changes to it at all…” Percy explained.
“And who are those people?” Bindu asked.
“Those in the Green camp and people like Uncle Rauff…” Percy recalled.
“Who else is there?” Bindu wondered.
“Then there are those who don’t want the thirteenth amendment at all…” Percy observed.
“Who are they?” Bindu asked.
“Why, uncle Wimal and Uncle Champika say that we should just get rid of the thirteenth amendment altogether and even the rathu sahodarayas want to do that…” Percy said.
“So, Uncle Wimal and the rathu sahodarayas can agree on certain issues too…” Bindu was surprised.
“On the issue of the thirteenth amendment, they do,” Percy agreed.
“Is that all?” Bindu inquired.
“No, of course not,” Percy said, ‘then there are those who want the thirteenth amendment retained, but wanted to add a little more to it…”
“Who are they?” Bindu asked.
“Why, Bindu,” Percy said, “there is Sampanthan Seeya who is always asking for more and our neighbours in India are doing that too; they want ‘thirteen plus’ …”
“Then, is there anybody who says that we should retain the thirteenth amendment, but with a little less of it?” Bindu wanted to know.
“Of course, there is that type too,” Percy said, “in fact, that is what Mahinda maama’s government has now decided to ask for…”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu asked, “does everyone in Mahinda maama’s government agree with that?”
“No, Bindu,” Percy explained, “as I said, Uncle Rauff has said he wants the thirteenth amendment as it is…”
“So, what will happen to him?” Bindu was puzzled.
“Ah,” Percy said, “you don’t have to worry about him. He always says such things but at the end of the day, he comes around to accept everyone else’s point of view…”
“How can you be so certain of that, thaaththa?” Bindu was curious.
“Why, Bindu, that is what he did when Mahinda maama wanted to pass the eighteenth amendment as well,” Percy recalled, “besides, how could he survive without being a cabinet minister?”
“Who else in Mahinda maama’s government wants to retain the thirteenth amendment?” Bindu asked.
“Why, Bindu, there are the Three Wise men of the Left, Vasu, Tissa and Dew and another from Uncle Dew’s party…”
“Do they want to retain the thirteenth amendment too?” Bindu inquired.
“Of course, they say they do…” Percy declared.
“Then it will be quite tricky for Mahinda maama to deal with them, won’t it?” Bindu was worried.
“Oh, I don’t think so,” Percy was confident.
“But how can you say that?” Bindu asked, “they are senior politicians and respected leftists. What if they resign? That could be embarrassing for Mahinda maama…”
“Don’t you worry about that, Bindu,” Percy said, “it is true that they are senior politicians but I am not sure whether they are respected any more. And remember, for all their protests when Mahinda maama passed the eighteenth amendment, they didn’t resign, did they?”
“Is that all Mahinda maama has to deal with?” Bindu wondered.
“No, Bindu,” Percy remembered, “there are two more, Uncle Reginald and Uncle Rajitha…”
“And what do they want?” Bindu demanded.
“They too want to keep the thirteenth amendment as it is…” Percy remembered.
“Are they insisting on that?” Bindu asked.
“I think so,” Percy said, “I am not so sure about Uncle Reginald but Uncle Rajitha was saying that he would rather resign than stay in a government that was planning to make changes to the thirteenth amendment…”
“And what has Mahinda maama said to that?” Bindu was curious.
“I think,” Percy said, “Mahinda maama is not very happy about it and has said that both of them should either put up or shut up…”
“So, what will happen now?” Bindu was excited.
“I don’t know about Uncle Reginald,” Percy said, “but I think Uncle Rajitha might be in trouble now…”
“Why is that, thaaththa?” Bindu asked.
“Well,” Percy said, “he may have previously earned a living by opening other peoples’ mouths but this time, he might lose his livelihood because he can’t keep his own mouth shut…”
Bindu didn’t disagree with that.
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