5th Column

No talks, no money, that's how things appear to be
"Thaaththa", Bindu Udagedera asked, "shouldn't we all be happy now?"
"Why is that?" Bindu's father Percy wanted to know.

"Why, thaaththa," Bindu said, "we have got more money than we wanted from Japan…"
"But that is not all, Bindu…" Percy said.
"But thaaththa, they expected three billion and got four and a half billion dollars…"
Bindu argued, "and that is even with Satellite refusing to send a televised message to the aid conference…"

"No, Bindu, may be she feared that if she sent a message, we would get less money; so, since she loves this country and wanted us to get us as much money as we can, she didn't send a message…" Percy suggested.

"But thaaththa," Bindu said, "then she must be a very busy person…"
"Why do you say that?"

"Why, thaaththa, she has said she is unaware of what was happening in Japan which is why she is not sending a message. We have to believe her because she never lies, so she is probably not watching TV or reading the newspapers, because even the average three-wheeler driver knew about the conference …"

"I am not so sure that is why she didn't send the message," Percy said.
"Why do you say that?"
"Why, she can send TV messages when she really wants to…"
"What do you mean?" Bindu was puzzled.

"Why, Bindu, remember when she suffered that bomb blast just before the election? She then came before the cameras with a bandaged eye and gave a memorable performance…"

"But we still have the money…" Bindu said.
"Yes," Percy said, "but the Tigers have yet to return for talks…"
"But, thaaththa, wouldn't they regret not attending?"
"Why would they?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why, had they attended, they could have got their hands on a couple of billion dollars…"
"No, Bindu, I think the money will be released only if the talks begin…"
"So, now we have money which we can't spend?" Bindu queried.
"For the moment, it looks like that…" Percy said.

"But there are so many things to spend money on…" Bindu suggested.
"What are you suggesting?"
"Why, they can appoint more ministers so that they can develop the country more…"

"And maybe appoint more bodyguards for all those ministers…"
"And then they can appoint more committees to probe the killings done by men dressed as bodyguards…"

"And then of course say that all this cost so much money that they cannot afford a salary increase for the general public…"

"But thaaththa," Bindu argued, "we must give some money to the Opposition too…"
"Ah, yes, then they can set up more newspapers to attack their own party people…"
"And we must, after all, allocate some money for the Tigers as well…"
"With which they could carry out more secret killings in Colombo and maybe buy a helicopter to take all the ambassadors to and fro to Kilinochchi to plead with them to attend peace talks…"

"But what about some money for Satellite to spend?" Bindu queried.
"We must give her what she wants most these days" Percy said, "and she will then do whatever the Greens want her to do and there will be no more problems with cohabitation …"

"What's that, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.
"Why, we give her a new Development Lottery Board" Percy suggested.
Bindu didn't want to disagree.

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