The Fifth Column

22nd March 1998

This land belongs to…

"Thaaththa" Bindu Udagedara asked, " what is this live telecast all about?"

"Why" Percy, Bindu's father asked, "are they showing the South African tour?"

"I don't know about that" Bindu said, "but they are showing a Parliamentary debate live on TV for the first time

"Ah that", Percy said, "that's about the civic rights of Wijeyapala Mendis..."

"What's so important about that, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know, "I'd rather see Sanath bat than having to listen to Jeyaraj or Nimal Siripala..."

"What is special is that it gives the government a golden opportunity to sling mud at its opponents with the entire country watching on TV...."

"But what's that all about, thaaththa?" Bindu wanted to know.

"They say it's about some land deal..."

"But now they are saying that even Mr. Clean was involved in land deals..."

"Well" said Percy, "anybody who buys or sells land is involved in a land deal...."

"But then why don't the greens protest against those allegations?"

"That is because they are now the Unanduwak Nethi Pakshaya, that is why they don't even attend Parliament..."

"So, Thaaththa, you think the government is taking advantage of all this?"

"You can't blame them, can you?"

"Why do you say that, thaaththa?"

"Because it was they who started this Commission business..."

"When was that, thaaththa?"

"Why, in the late seventies, JR had a commission probing Mrs B's land deals...and stripped her civic rights... And there's more to the story... Why, later, when the Blues came to power, Parliament passed a motion ruling that Ms.B was not guilty after all......"

"Then" said Bindu, "the Blues will also get a taste of their own medicine..." " What do you mean by that?" Percy asked.

"When you are in power, you do business, when you are in the Opposition you are found guilty by a Commission and punished, then when you are in power again, they rule that you were not guilty after all....."Bindu said.

"That's the moral of the story...." Percy agreed.

"And the people pay for all the commission reports, Parliamentary sittings and live telecasts" Bindu said

"Then" Bindu said, "We must contribute in some way." "How" Percy asked. Bindu switched off the live telecast.

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