The Fifth Column

31st January 1999

Escaping unhurt

"Thaaththa" Bindu Udagedara asked, "what do you think of what happened in Wayamba"?

"As usual," Percy Udagedara, Bindu's father said, "there are two sides to the story.."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well the Blues say that they have won comfortably but the Greens say the poll was heavily rigged.."

"And whom should we believe, thaaththa?"

"The problem Bindu, is not what the Greens are saying," Percy said.

"Then?" Bindu wanted to know.

"The problem is that even the reds, including Vasu who is supposed to be part and parcel of the Blues, are saying that the election was rigged."

"Then. what about the independent monitors, thaaththa?"

"Why Bindu, even they are saying many malpractices took place."

"But the Greens can hardly complain, can they, thaththa?"

"Why do you say that, Bindu?"

"Why thaaththa, considering what they did at the Referendum in '82 and even in '89."

"But two wrongs don't make a right, do they, Bindu?"

"That's true, thaaththa." Bindu agreed,"but many say that the Greens are only getting a taste of their own medicine."

"The Greens did the same things when they were in power. That maybe so, but now the Blues are saying you did this at the Referendum and continuing those bad habits."

"What will happen next, then?" Bindu queried.

"Why, the next time when the Greens are in power they will say 'you did this at Wayamba' and continue those same traditions."

"But thaaththa" Bindu argued, "Satellite has said she is not happy with what happened."

"Why shouldn't she be happy?" Percy retorted "she has won handsomely."

"No" Bindu persisted, "She has said she is not happy with the reports of rigging, she even wanted some results cancelled.."

"Remember what JR did in 1982", Percy asked.

"What was that?"

"Why, he also said that he was not happy about the Greens losing some seats at the referendum and wanted to have by-elections for those seats."

"But anyway thaaththa" Bindu said, "finally the Blues have won."

"And that is the difference between the Sri Lankan government and the Sri Lankan Cricket team;"Percy observed.

"What is that, thaaththa?" Bindu demanded.

"Our Cricket team does not cheat but it loses and the Captain gets punished."

"And what about the government?"

"Our government cheats but it wins and the Captain gets away without being punished."

Bindu didn't disagree with that.

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

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