5th Column

Election promises being fulfilled: Not by Mahinda mama but by Tigers
"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "what has happened to the ceasefire?"
"Why, Bindu," Bindu's father Percy asked, "what makes you so worried about the ceasefire?"

"Why, thaaththa, with dozens of soldiers being killed every other day, we must begin to wonder whether there is a ceasefire at all…" Bindu pointed out.
"There is, according to the Norwegians…" Percy said.

"But thaaththa, didn't Mahinda maama promise to review the ceasefire?"
"That is one promise he should not bother to keep" Percy observed.
"Why do you say that" Bindu wanted to know.

"Why, the Tigers have already ensured that there is no ceasefire because they are killing soldiers as and when they want…"
"But thaaththa, the Armed Forces are still keeping to their side of the bargain and not retaliating…" Bindu argued.

"So, Mahinda maama has kept his promise after all…" Percy said.
"How could you say that?"
"Why, Bindu, he promised to review the ceasefire because he said it was more favourable to the Tigers. Now the Tigers have ensured that there is no ceasefire at all on their part…"

"But that doesn't mean that the ceasefire has been reviewed or it has been called off…" Bindu protested.
"But the Tigers have themselves reviewed the ceasefire and judging by what has happened in the past two weeks, they seem to have also called it off…" Percy declared.
"What will happen to Mahinda maama's other promises, then?" Bindu was worried.

"What promises are you so concerned about?" Percy asked.
"Why, thaaththa, he promised a unitary state and not a united country…"
"He still promises that, doesn't he?" Percy said, "why, he said so in India too…"
"But thaaththa, what happens if the Tigers decide to deal with that promise in the same manner that they deal with the ceasefire?"
"And how would they do that?" Percy wanted to know.

"Why, just like they took it upon themselves to honour Mahinda maama's promise of reviewing the ceasefire they might also take it upon themselves to honour his promise of a unitary state by declaring a unitary state of their own…"

"And, what would that mean?" Percy asked. "Why, they could just go ahead and declare that they have their own state…" Bindu suggested.
"I think Bala in London has already done that, though not in so many words…" Percy observed.
"Why do you say that, thaaththa?"

"Why, he has said that Mahinda maama is welcome to travel to the Wanni for talks with Velupillai but he has to get a visa first…" Percy recalled.
"Then what will happen to Mahinda maama's third promise, thaaththa?" Bindu asked.
"Which promise is that?"

"Why, the promise of an 'honourable peace' or 'gauravaneeya saamayak' as he himself likes to call it?"
"Well," Percy said, "if the Tigers are capable of fulfilling the other two promises that Mahinda maama made they may even honour this promise, Bindu…"
"But, thaaththa, they will never agree to peace of any kind…" Bindu argued.
"That's true" Percy agreed, "but if they can start the war as they already have and if they can then declare their own unitary state why shouldn't they want peace after that?"

"But thaaththa," Bindu protested, "it won't be an honourable peace…"
"It won't be honourable for Mahinda maama or for the South of the country," Percy observed, "but it will be quite honourable for Velupillai and his terrorists…"
Bindu did not feel like arguing about that.

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