Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 06 July    2016

Money doesn't buy class.

Our dear friend Dr. Gamani Goonetilleke sent me the message of friendship which included valuable discoveries. One was that late Andy Rooney of CBS ’60 Minutes TV’ program,  learnt  during his lifetime ‘that money doesn't buy class’.

We have the parallel in Sri Lankan Tamil culture – according to which ‘money damages relationships’. How does ‘class’ develop? How realistic is it to claim that  an Indigenous Aborigine could  be grouped as being of the same class as a White Australian; a Pariah be grouped as being of the same class as the Vice Chancellor; the Tamil Community or the Muslim Community or the Burgher Community of Sri Lanka, be grouped as being of the same class as the Sinhalese Community which is armed with the advantage of vote power to form National Government?

Our Australian Prime Minister the Hon Malcolm Turnbull for example stated today, that Labor misled by false claim that  the Turnbull government was going to do away with Medicare. Some of the TV messages give credibility to that criticism. Mr. Turnbull revealed the higher mind through the following message to us:

 “Politics is ... not about the personalities of politics, not about Barnaby (Joyce) and me, not about the media, it’s about 24 million Australians,” Mr Turnbull said.

“It’s about their dreams, their aspirations, their families, their sense of security, their anxieties about the future, about government services, whether they can keep their job, whether they will get a better job and so forth.”

To my mind – that confirmed class.

I am looking for that ‘class’ in the most important matter (as per my mind) currently before ‘my class’ Sri Lankans – the termination and appointment of Central Bank Governor. A Governor is free to act as per her/his discretionary powers. A person who acts ‘freely’ before completing the Administrative and Operational duties of her/his position needs Political Belief  or carries the high risk of acting in breach of the law. Given that the President appointed the Central Bank Governor – if the person is wrong for the position – then the President is automatically wrong for his position. It is to prevent such ‘wrongs’ that we have the Administrative pathways which help lift our minds through higher pathways. Money tends to take shortcuts to status / titles and therefore the above sayings – that it cannot buy ‘class’ and that it damages ‘relationships’. A relationship confirms the existence of  two positions and the laws through which they operate. Every action of ours needs to be passed through those laws to qualify for ‘class’. The highest ‘class’ comes from being True to the position and therefore to the relationship.

In terms of Sri Lankan war – the side that demonstrated higher class through Truth and/or the highest law applicable to the person on the other side – is the true winner. Such person would add value to the place – be it the particular spot and/or the Unit that includes that spot as an intrinsic part of itself – as per the mind of the citizen/official. Foreigners including those to whom that place is not ‘home’ by belief – would not feel this empowerment through Experience.

In the Sri Lankan Central Bank issue – the main concern of those opposed to the new appointment was that Dr. Indrajit Coomarswamy was associated with American Tamil of Sri Lankan origin - Mr. Raj Rajaratnam who was found guilty of ‘insider-trading’ by American Judiciary.

As per the  latest reports in this regard:

[[‘Newly appointed Central Bank Governor Indrajit Coomaraswamy said today he was delivering certain ‘professional services’ as an economist to the Sri Lankan-born jailed hedge-fund manager Raj Rajaratnam.

“My job was to provide him with research reports,” Dr. Coomaraswamy said addressing his first news briefing as the Central Bank Governor.]

To my mind, the accusation by those opposed to this new appointment – are going against the verdict of the People who elected Mr. Sirisena as President,  despite him having been closely associated with former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is reported to have ‘avoided’ the law in many instances including in terms of financial management. If one takes that as the LAW – by the People – then we need to respect that at the political level any accusation must first clear accusations based on parallel associations. Such is the protection  that a Sri Lankan is entitled to.

Once we discover the Truth and give it form – a relationship gets completed at that level. Any interaction beyond that – needs to be strictly on ‘Business’ basis where the completion happens at a lower level than was indicated by the structure. In some instances the completion is confirmed by transfer of money – as in Dowry to daughters at the time of marriage and Muthusum (inheritance) by sons once the parents die – as per the Law of Thesawalamai applicable to Northern Tamils of Sri Lanka.

If we Australians voted as per our Experience of Governance we would have elected the ‘right’ government for ourselves. If we were swayed by propaganda based largely on how much more or less money we would get – we would have the government that would influence us to speculate and become low class voters. A high class voter confirms and strengthens the mind connection that already exists through governance/ownership  experiences.

Dr. Coomaraswamy states that he provided ‘professional services’ – to the now jailed Mr. Rajaratnam. In 2009-2010, when Dr. Noel Nadesan invited us to the Conference at University of Jaffna – I accepted that invitation strictly on the basis that it was a University (Academic) activity and categorically stated that any services by me due  such participation would be strictly on Business basis. That way I did not go down in my mind, when the previous Government which supported that Conference – went down. The ‘intelligence’ I gained due to that participation helped me have the experience of recruiting a new Vice Chancellor. I still do not know whether the new person in that seat is delivering as per the position requirements. But when there are issues that would affect the University as a whole – I am able to participate in the Experience due to my contribution at that level. That is how Truth takes us to the true class that we belong to in an environment.

A Pariah / Toilet cleaner who has completed her/his duties as per the job and provides services beyond that point without return benefits – becomes an owner and hence achieves ‘all and any class’ status. Such a person is a Governor. It is highly likely that Mr. Rajaratnam would not have been jailed for similar offenses through proper Judicial process in Sri Lanka where money has seriously damaged relationships including at family and community levels. Given that families are the first institutions known to most of us – the Nation could be taken to be the consolidated form of families. If we uphold at least our inherited family structures and/or the Truth – we would become first class voters. If we voted for money and/or status sans belief – we would turn our political fields into kuttai /muddy pits. As they say in Tamil – we become ‘Ore Kuttayil Oorina Mattaihal’ (Rain-worms soaked in the same muddy pit).