Green
leader plays chinthanaya card to counter change-the-captain call
"Thaaththa," Bindu Udagedera asked, "what is wrong
with the Greens?"
"Why," Bindu's father Percy asked, "what makes you
think there is something wrong with them?"
"Why, thaaththa, they are bit like our cricket team, they keep
losing contest after contest…" Bindu observed.
"But
unlike our cricket team, they seem to have a plan…" Percy
declared.
"Do they?" Bindu was not convinced.
"Why, they seem to think that changing the captain will solve
all their problems and they can start to win again…"
Percy suggested.
"Is that what they are trying to do?" Bindu wondered.
"That appears to be the plan…" Percy said.
"But
all we have been hearing is that the dentist and some of his colleagues
are trying to get the present captain to give up his job…"
Bindu pointed out.
"And they seem to be arranging a way for the present captain
to leave gracefully…" Percy said.
"But
thaaththa," Bindu asked, "is that fair?"
"What is unfair about that?"
"Why, thaaththa, the Greens themselves are saying that they
were robbed of victory both by the Tigers calling for a boycott
in the North and also because so many in the South were struck off
the voting lists…"
"And that seems to be a justified complaint…" Percy
agreed.
"But
thaaththa," Bindu argued, "what it also means is that
the Greens have lost not because of their Captain…"
"There are some who still say that…" Percy conceded.
"Then, isn't it unfair to call for his removal?" Bindu
countered.
"But
it is also true that the Greens lost quite a number of votes because
some people didn't want to vote for this particular captain…"
Percy pointed out.
"But thaaththa," Bindu protested, "what is even more
ridiculous is that those who are calling for his removal are mostly
people who lost their own electorates…"
"That
may be true," Percy said, "but something also needs to
be done and the easiest way of doing it is to replace the captain…"
"But thaaththa," Bindu asked, "who would they want
instead?"
"They seem to think on the lines of 'aavoth Karu, paayai hiru'
…"
"But thaaththa," Bindu queried, "will that alone
guarantee success?"
"They seem to think it will, now that Mahinda maama is making
a mess of things and with S.B. also due to see the light of day
soon …" Percy explained.
"But that is exactly what happened at the last election, thaaththa…"
Bindu pointed out.
"Why
do you say that?" Percy wanted to know.
"Why, the Greens expected to win just because Satellite has
made a general mess of things over the past eleven years…"
"That's true…" Percy agreed, "but Mahinda maama
cleverly dissociated himself from everything that Satellite did
and made some daring promises in his 'Chinthanaya' which he now
finds difficult to honour…"
"And the Greens believe that will push them into power soon,
if only they elect a new leader…" Bindu observed.
"That seems to be their strategy…" Percy said.
"That won't be so easy, thaaththa…" Bindu suggested.
"Why
do you say that?"
"Why, thaaththa, the present captain of the Greens has chosen
to follow the 'Chinthanaya' strategy…"
"How could that be?" Percy was puzzled, "he was opposed
to the 'Chinthanaya' during his entire campaign…"
"He
may be opposed to the 'Chinthanaya' promises, but he is following
Mahinda maama's strategy when it is about the leadership issue of
the Greens…" Bindu said.
"And what strategy is that?" Percy wanted to know.
"He will promise anything and everything to everyone just to
retain the captaincy of the Greens and once he holds on to that,
it will be difficult to dislodge him, just like it is difficult
to dislodge Mahinda maama now…"
"Then," Percy said, "that only solution will be to
get Jayasuriya to lead the team, no matter what…"
"But
remember, thaaththa," Bindu cautioned, "bringing Jayasuriya
in as the captain may not solve all their problems, just as much
bringing Jayasuriya back won't solve all the problems of our cricket
team…"
Percy didn't want to argue with that.
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