“Thaaththa,” Bindu Udagedera said, “I think we have found a solution to all the legal problems in the country...”
“Why do you say that, Bindu?” Bindu’s father Percy wanted to know.
“Why thaaththa, isn’t there a large number of cases that have been going on for years and years resulting in a massive backlog?” Bindu asked.
“Yes,” Percy said, “but what do you propose to do about that?”
“Now there is an easy way to get rid of that backlog...” Bindu pointed out.
“And what is that?” Percy inquired.
“Well,” Bindu said, “you don’t need to have a case at all...”
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“But Bindu, how could you do that?” Percy was puzzled, “if someone is supposed to have committed an offence you need to have a case against him to see whether he is really guilty or not...”
“No thaaththa,” Bindu disagreed, “you don’t...”
“Well, then,” Percy asked, “how can you decide whether he is guilty or not?”
“Why, you can have a disciplinary inquiry against him...” Bindu suggested.
“And what would that be like?” Percy demanded.
“Why thaaththa,” Bindu explained, “that would be like the inquiry they had against Uncle Mervyn...”
“What happened to that?” Percy wanted to know.
“Why, thaaththa,” Bindu recalled, “remember how Uncle Mervyn took the law into his own hands and tied a Samurdhi officer to a tree for the offence of not attending a meeting?”
“Of course I do,” Percy said, “it is not often that we forget what Uncle Mervyn does...”
“And then he was sacked from his ministerial job and also from the post of organizer for his party in his electorate...” Bindu pointed out.
“Yes he was,” Percy remembered.
“Now, they have had a disciplinary inquiry against him...” Bindu declared.
“So how did they punish him?” Percy was curious.
“Don’t forget, thaaththa,” Bindu cautioned, “a person is innocent until he is found guilty...”
“But surely, Bindu,” Percy said, “we all saw what happened on television and how humiliating it was, and how even senior Cabinet Ministers condemned it afterwards...”
“Yes,” Bindu conceded, “we did see all that...”
“Then,” Percy recalled, “we even heard of how Uncle Mervyn was summoned by some very important people and given a severe tongue lashing...”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu said, “now there is a different explanation for all that...”
“And what explanation is that?” Percy demanded.
“Now they say it was all a performance and that the Samurdhi officer was also enacting a performance and he tied himself to the tree ...” Bindu suggested.
“But surely, Bindu,” Percy protested, “wasn’t he on record saying he couldn’t attend that meeting summoned by Uncle Mervyn because his child was sick?”
“May be the child was acting too...” Bindu proposed.
“Then,” Percy countered, “what about the dozens of people who had gathered there who were shouting at Uncle Mervyn and pleading with him not to tie that Samurdhi Officer to a tree?”
“Well,” Bindu said, “if we are to believe the findings of this disciplinary committee they too were actors in this drama...”
“It sure is some drama then...” Percy declared.
“So thaaththa,” Bindu said, “maybe that incident where Uncle Mervyn was assaulted at a television station was also a drama...”
“I suppose we could say that too, then...” Percy agreed, “after all it was staged at a television station…”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu asked, “can’t you see the endless possibilities this would create?”
“Why,” Percy wondered, “what are you thinking of?”
“Why thaaththa,” Bindu explained, “we can use the same method to get rid of all those cases that have been dragging on for years and years...”
“Yes, I suppose so,” Percy said, “if we have judges like those very intelligent people who sat on that disciplinary committee we can quickly have a hearing, say that it was only a ‘performance’ by the offender and then discharge him...”
“So, maybe we should remember these brilliant people who sat as judges on this disciplinary inquiry, in case there is a vacancy in the Supreme Court...” Bindu proposed.
“I have a better idea...” Percy said.
“What is that, thaaththa?” Bindu asked.
“Maybe the General who is being tried on a dozen charges should go before this disciplinary committee...” Percy suggested.
“Why thaaththa,” Bindu wondered, “what could he say if he does that?”
“Why, Bindu,” Percy said, “he could say that this whole incident about shooting Tiger leaders when they were surrendering with white flags was also a ‘performance’ which was enacted to educate the other Tiger cadres about the futility of continuing the war...”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu pointed out, “those Tiger leaders are supposed to have been shot at...”
“No, Bindu,” Percy suggested, “like the Samurdhi Officer who tied himself to the tree the General can say that those Tiger leaders shot themselves...”
“But thaaththa,” Bindu argued, “those Tiger leaders are supposed to have actually died as a result...”
“Of course they did,” Percy declared, “remember they are an outfit known for their suicide missions...”
“So you think the General can be discharged after all?” Bindu asked.
“Certainly,” Percy said, “if he goes before the same disciplinary committee that Uncle Mervyn was sent to I have no doubt it at all....”
Bindu knew he could not disagree. |
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