5th Column : Ryp VanWinkle

All politicians are good actors
"Thaaththa", Bindu Udagedera asked, "what is Polonnaruwa remembered for?"
"Why, Bindu it was for the days when it was the capital and when Parakramabahu the Great was King..."
"Not anymore, thaaththa..." Bindu said.
"Why not?", Percy protested, "why, remember how he said that every drop of rain that fell from the sky should be made use of before letting it flow to the sea..."
"Those are not the words that Polonnaruwa is famous for now..." Bindu said.
"What is it famous for now?" Percy asked.
"Why, thaaththa, Satellite has made an even more important speech there..."
"Ah, that is the speech that everyone is worried about..." Percy observed.
"Some say she should receive the Best Actress award for that performance..." Bindu said.
"But she must be having some awards for best performance on her mantlepiece already, though they must have been for Best Actor..." Percy noted.
"But this is not the first time that she gave a brilliant performance..." Bindu recalled.
"Why, when did she give a similar performance before?"
"Why, don't we all remember her interviews before the cameras after the bomb blast? That performance may not have won her an award, but it won her an election..."
"Which might otherwise have been a close race..." Percy said.
"But thaaththa," Bindu pointed out, "there is a difference here..."
"And what is that?"
"Satellite says that her performance in Polonnaruwa was not meant for public viewing; it was only meant for a select audience and therefore it was wrong to show it in public..."
"So", Percy said, "then maybe they should direct the Public Performances Board to view Satellite's performance and then maybe classify them as 'vedihitiyanta wadaath sudusui'..."
"Why is that thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.
"I think," Percy said, "all this fuss is because Satellite was trying to imitate someone..."
"That is nothing new is it?" Bindu asked.
"Why do you say that?"
"Why, thaaththa, can you remember when one green supporter tried to imitate Satellite in a procession by wearing an eye patch?"
"But," Percy said, "Satellite herself called that disgraceful and anyway that lady had her house destroyed..."
"But thaaththa," Bindu said, "as the Boss of all of us Satellite must surely be entitled to some privileges..."
"I am not sure about that anymore..." Percy said.
"What do you mean?" Bindu asked.
"Whether she is the boss of all of us..."
"Why do you say that?"
"Why, she has written a long letter to the Green Man complaining that she is only a 'lone figure' among 32 hostile people; it must be like the proverbial tongue between thirty two teeth..."
"But thaaththa, Satellite also says that she also has the power to sack anybody as she wishes..."
"I hope she doesn't do that..." Percy said.
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?"
"Why, Bindu the last time she sacked a minister it led to her downfall, didn't it?"
"So, do you think that the threat to sack someone is also a performance for our benefit, thaaththa?"
"I'm not sure about that," Percy said, "but I am sure of one thing..."
"And what is that?
"All actors are not good politicians. But all politicians are good actors..."
Bindu didin't disagree.

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