Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

15 February   2016

The Dangers of Separation

“The Tamil Peoples’ Council (TPC), which Wigneswaran had created in December 2015, had proposed a constitutional scheme for Sri Lanka which no government in Colombo would touch with a barge pole. The TPC demands a constitutional set-up based on “shared sovereignty” in which two “sovereign” entities, the Tamil “nation” and the Sinhalese “nation”, come together to form a federation. The TPC’s scheme does not envisage “devolution” in which the Centre is the main repository of sovereignty, and it only “devolves” power to the Tamil province. In the TPC’s scheme, two separate sovereign entities pool their sovereignties to form a whole. It’s a deal between equals.”  www.newindianexpress.com

Using the language of Mr. Wignewaran’s alma mater – one must then conclude that power is to be shared between the Executive and the Judiciary through the Constitution. To my mind this is due to lower level interpretation of Nationhood. As per  Mr. Wigneswaran’s stated religion of Hinduism – the Holy Trinity Brammah, Vishnu, Shiva are Equal but Different to each other due to their functionalities. Likewise, the Legislative, the Executive and the Judicial Separations. Where there are no such separations of functions – a unit is the child of another – with the power of the parent. The process through which this happens is devolution. The devolved unit/child is Equal to the parent but not more than the parent. A self-manifested country born by its own powers - Swayambhu does not exist within Sri Lanka. In any case – Mr. Wigneswaran, who is the elected member of Tamils within the current structure does not have the mandate of Tamils to form such a new structure. As Chief Minister of Northern Province – he is limited to Provincial level. Academically however, Mr. Wigneswaran could work out such a structure and show the mental pathway to self-governance. This would need to become public intellectual property that anyone could use and own as per their need. That is a facility like Wikipedia. The way Wikileaks cannot become Wikipedia – the Wikipathway cannot become Eelampathway. To the self-manifested Governor – the pathway needs to be Truth – as realized by her/him.

These structures are outer forms of the work done and sacrifices made by others who realized self-governance before us. To self-manifest as an adult – one should not be conscious of, leave alone show, relativity – including as Equals. Sovereignty is Absolute and one who has discovered her/his/its Sovereignty would naturally share that with others. The TPC structure is the parallel of the UN for Tamils and not for Sri Lankans. Mr. Wigneswaran is revealing that he is yet to realize self-governance as an individual. The following, if confirmed by Mr. Wigneswaran reveals this state of Relativity:

‘Wigneswaran had formed the TPC because he felt that his own party, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), had developed a cozy relationship with Colombo, “betraying” the Tamils’ struggle for self-determination. The TPC’s constitutional proposals are meant to publicly embarrass the TNA, as much as they are an ideological assault on Colombo’s political sensibilities.’ 

Tamils being of Equal Political status as majority Sinhalese, has been confirmed by the way the Opposition Leadership evolved at the National level in 1977 as well as in 2015. That is the maximum limit a Politician is allowed to give structure to. Now that Mr. Wigneswaran has taken on Political Leadership at Provincial level – he needs to facilitate that for Sinhalese also at the Provincial level – if they so deserved. Desiring outcomes beyond that level is in breach of Lord Krishna’s message to do one’s duty without expecting results. When we ‘see’ results – before structure – that confirms that we are driven by results. Benefits when taken by force or by denying a deeper investor – is like stripping off the outer layer of the very structure through which the benefits flowed.

The Tamil People’s Council is a de facto association and it would be wrong of Mr. Wigneswaran to give it higher status at the public level than the one that the Sri Lankan structure permits. When one is driven by results than internal corrections, one would upset the structure of Truth and would start copying others or seeking lower structures that divide. It is for this reason that they say in Tamil culture that relatives must not be driven by money. This is in recognition of Human Value being higher than money value. Such outcomes when taken without the taker having earned them – divide and separate. That is not the mandate of the Tamil People through which Mr. Wigneswaran holds his position.

Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims must be facilitated to follow their own pathways of faith. If it is faith based – then one would not interfere in the other’s. This is possible when the two run parallel without meeting each other on the way. They would then merge once they realize self-governance. Those pathways are mere scaffolding to protect us while we are travelling. Premature declarations of nationhood happen due to attachment to outcomes. They make us selfish as a community. A strong player does not need big tools.

The most reliable pathway through which Mr. Wigneswaran could lead the People who shared their status with him – is his own – which is Sri Lankan and not Tamil only. Writing that for the younger generation is the Constitution that Mr. Wigneswaran’s followers would naturally work.