Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “is Sri Lanka a very important country?”
“Well,” Bindu’s father Percy said, “it is important to us but it is still a small country...”
“But are we a very important country internationally?” Bindu wanted to know.
“Well, because we are a small country we are not so important economically,” Percy said, “but why do you ask?”
“I thought,” Bindu said, “we must be a very important country like America or Britain, for instance...”
“And what made you believe that?” Percy asked, puzzled.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu explained, “it seems that everyone wants to do something nasty to our country...”
“Who said that?” Percy inquired.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “look at all the conspiracies that are being hatched against Sri Lanka...”
“What conspiracies are these?” Percy demanded.
“Why, thaaththa, there are so many of them if we are to believe what is being said...” Bindu pointed out.
“And what exactly are these conspiracies?” Percy queried.
“Well,” Bindu explained, “first, we were told that there was a conspiracy to stop the war against the Tigers...”
“But Bindu,” Percy said, “there is some truth in saying that many countries wanted us to stop the war midway and enter into a ceasefire with the Tigers...”
“That is true,” Bindu said, “but some say that was because of a conspiracy to let the Tigers escape and that some locals also wanted the war stopped for their own reasons...”
“But now that the war is over,” Percy said, “what are the remaining conspiracies that you are worried about?”
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu observed, “there is this conspiracy to discredit the country over how it treated those displaced by the war...”
“Well,” Percy said, “it does seem that certain countries are making more noise than they should about the matter...”
“And,” Bindu recalled, “some countries showed fake videos to discredit Sri Lankan troops; so there could be some conspiracy there...”
“I suppose you can say that,” Percy conceded, “but what other conspiracies are there?”
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “there is this move to withdraw the GSP concessions...”
“What about that?” Percy wanted to know.
“Why,” Bindu said, “some say that this too is part of a greater conspiracy...”
“And is that the last of your conspiracies?” Percy wondered.
“Of course not, thaaththa,” Bindu declared, “there are many more...”
“And what are these other conspiracies?” Percy was curious.
“Why, thaaththa, now there is supposed to be this great conspiracy to field a common candidate for the presidential election...” Bindu suggested.
“And what is wrong about that,” Percy asked, “that is part and parcel of democracy, isn’t it?”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu argued, “they say that by trying to field a senior army officer as the common candidate, there is a conspiracy to create a rift between the government and the military...”
“I suppose some can see it that way...” Percy conceded, “but surely, that must be the last of your conspiracy theories?”
“No, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “there are many more...”
“Is that so?” Percy was surprised.
“Why, thaaththa, they said that even the strike launched last week that resulted in a shortage of petrol was a conspiracy...”
“If it was,” Percy said, “that must be over now, because that strike has been called off...”
“No, thaaththa,” Bindu protested, “they say that it has only been postponed...”
“So,” Percy wondered, “what happens next?”
“They say that other sectors like Power and Water Supply will join later,” Bindu explained, “so the conspiracy theory is still valid...”
“And is that the last of your conspiracies?” Percy wanted to know.
“No,” Bindu said, “the best conspiracy is not that...”
“And what is this ‘best’ conspiracy?” Percy demanded.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “the Minister of Health says that finding pieces of glass in vials of medicine is also a conspiracy...”
“And what kind of conspiracy is that?” Percy asked.
“Well,” Bindu said, “I suppose these conspirators are so desperate that, having failed in all their other attempts, they are now visiting hospitals and inserting pieces of glass into vials of medicine hoping that it would bring down our government...”
“It certainly hasn’t brought down our Health Minister,” Percy observed.
“I have a different conspiracy theory, thaaththa” Bindu said.
“What is that, Bindu?” Percy wanted to know.
“Don’t you think that all these conspiracy theories are by themselves one big conspiracy of a different kind?” Bindu asked.
Percy didn’t quite know what to say to that.