“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera asked, “what is all this fuss about the Reds and the Greens?”
“Why, Bindu,” Bindu’s father Percy asked, “what about them?”
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu said, “they say that they are going their separate ways now…”
“That is hardly surprising…” Percy observed.
“Why is that, thaaththa?” Bindu asked, “they were very much together when they were fighting for the General…”
 |
“But Bindu,” Percy said, “then they had a common goal…”
“And what goal was that?” Bindu wanted to know.
“Why, they both wanted to defeat Mahinda maama…” Percy explained.
“That is true,” Bindu conceded, “but shouldn’t they be having a common goal now as well?”
“I suppose they should …” Percy agreed.
“And what goal should that be?” Bindu wondered.
“Well,” Percy said, “they should now be trying to defeat Mahinda maama’s party at the general election…”
“I think both the Reds and Greens do have a common goal,” Bindu said, “but I am not so sure whether it is that…”
“What is their goal, then?” Percy inquired.
“I think both the Reds and Greens want to have a larger number of their members elected to the new Parliament at the next election…” Bindu suggested.
“Then,” Percy said, “that is exactly why they should be trying to defeat Mahinda maama’s party at the election…”
“But thaaththa, the problem is they don’t want to do it together,” Bindu said, “instead, they want to do it at each other’s expense…”
“Now why would they do that?” Percy asked.
“Well, the Reds say they don’t want to desert the General at this stage…” Bindu said.
“But, Bindu,” Percy pointed out, “even the Greens said they could offer a place for the General in their camp…”
“But the General was not happy with that, thaaththa…” Bindu recalled.
“And,” Percy said, “the Reds were unhappy to contest under the Elephant symbol…”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu countered, “the Reds were quite happy to contest under the betel leaf symbol at the last elections…”
“And,” Percy remembered, “they were not unhappy even after those elections because they won nearly forty seats…”
“And that,” Bindu said, “is the reason for them to try to contest under a common symbol with the Greens at this election…”
“And that may just be the reason why the Greens didn’t want to contest with them, then…” Percy suggested.
“That may be so,” Bindu said, “but in the end, their contesting separately doesn’t help either the Greens or the Reds…”
“Why do you say that, Bindu?” Percy wanted to know.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu pointed out, “while the Greens and the Reds are still figuring out whether to contest together or to go it alone, Mahinda maama and his Blues will walk away with most of the seats…”
“That is possible, Bindu,” Percy agreed, “but even if they were to contest together, I don’t think they would work together for long…”
“Why do you say that, thaaththa?” Bindu was curious.
“Why, Bindu,” Percy explained, “even the Reds and the Blues who think alike on some matters couldn’t work together and they separated before long…”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu protested, “I thought the Greens and Reds worked very well together when they were fighting for the General…” “But, Bindu,” Percy cautioned, “don’t forget that the Greens and the Reds think differently on most issues, so even if they were to contest together many people would be confused as to what they would be voting for…”
“I think I know what the Greens and Reds should have done to settle this matter…” Bindu said.
“And what is that?” Percy demanded.
“Why, they should have called for a conference of all their members opposite the Maligawa…” Bindu proposed.
“And what good would that be?” Percy was puzzled.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu explained, “then there would be so many people appearing on state television telling us how bad it would be for the Reds and the Greens to get together and some would even say that they have been misled into doing what they want to do…”
“And,” Percy asked, “what will happen then?”
“Well,” Bindu said, “regardless of whether the Greens and Reds get together or not, they would have got so much of free publicity that they will be able to get some more votes…”
“Will that be enough for them to win the election?” Percy asked.
“Not unless there is a computer jilmart...” Bindu said.
Percy didn’t disagree. |
E-mail