5th Column

Many Boards qualify for takeover on form
"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "what is Satellite planning to do?"
"Why," Bindu's father Percy asked, "what makes you think she plans ahead in anything she does?"

"Why, thaaththa, she has taken over that Lotteries Board..."
"But that is just to show everyone who the boss is..."
"But thaaththa," Bindu argued, "doesn't it set a dangerous trend?"
"Why do you say that?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why, Satellite can publish a gazette and take control of whatever she wants to..."
"According to the Constitution, yes, she can..." Percy agreed.
"And she calls that a 'bahubootha viyawasthaava'..."

"But she did say that she is taking over the Lotteries Board so that it functions better..."
"Then," Bindu said, "she has many other places she should take over.."
"What are they?" Percy asked.

"Why, thaaththa she can take over all the ministries which she claims are not functioning properly..."
"And she can take control of the trains and buses which are not running properly..."
"And," Bindu added, "the hospitals which aren't treating patients well enough.."
"And the universities which have so much student unrest..."

"And all the newspapers which are critical of her, not to mention the many television stations."
"Then she should also perhaps take over the distribution of gas and petrol and bring down their prices..." Percy suggested.

"And she can take over the police which is said to be so corrupt..."
"And may be take control of the courts of law, so she can clear the backlog of cases waiting to be heard..."

"And," Bindu said, "she should of course take over the war which she claims is being mishandled..."

"But Satellite is still the Commander-in-Chief, isn't she?" Percy pointed out.
"But she is always complaining that she is not being consulted by the Minister of Defence..."

"So, if she takes over the war, Satellite can end the cease-fire, cancel the peace talks, send the Norwegians away, finish the war and rid the country of terrorism..."

"But thaaththa," Bindu said, "the fact is that Satellite has done none of these..."
"That's exactly what she is saying;" Percy said, "She says, 'I have all these powers which I can use but I am not doing that'..."

"But isn't that wrong, thaaththa?" Bindu was puzzled.
"Why is that, Bindu?"
"Why, thaaththa, if she can indeed correct everything that is wrong in the country by simply taking control of them, she should go ahead and do it because it will benefit the people..."

"That's true," Percy agreed, "we don't really care who is in charge, as long as the job is done, do we?"

"But thaaththa," Bindu persisted, "in fact, she has done none of that; she has only taken over the Lotteries Board..."
"And why do you think she did that?" Percy queried.

"That is the one place, where you have to perform well to make money..." Bindu pointed out.

"If that is so," Percy said, "there is one more institution that she should take over..."
"And what is that?"

"Why, Bindu, the Cricket Board..."
Bindu didn't want to disagree.

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