Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

21 January 2018                                     

Cause - Sirisena Takeover of Economy  

Effect – Rajapaksa Return to Presidency

From time to time, I recall our Australian Prime Minister John Howard’s message against  over-regulating financial systems. For example it was reported as follows on 15 November 2008 under the headlines - Howard warns against over-regulation:

‘Former Australian prime minister John Howard has warned governments against reacting to the global economic crisis by over-regulating financial systems.’ – AAP

As per my experience, we were economically richer under Mr  Howard’s leadership. But we experienced, during the same period – also the 9/11 fear followed by the Bali Bombing tragedy during which our electorate of Coogee suffered highest numbers of casualties.

Now in Sri Lanka, I hear more and more Tamils complaining that they were economically better off under the Rajapaksa regime. They seem to have already forgotten the 2009 tragedy in which Tamils suffered seriously, including the shameful encampment of innocent civilians. I conclude that Tamils of Sri Lanka have gotten immune to such encampment due to giving birth to Militancy.

In simple terms – our Tamil culture states that money divides families. As per my own observation  – those who migrated to Australia from Sri Lanka, on the basis of war related suffering, enjoy greater financial freedom but relatively lesser Human values. Hindu values promote the  Homemaking mother as Shakthi / Energy of the family.  This is true ownership which naturally happens where the relative  value of benefits enjoyed is less than the relative value of cost contribution by the person. This is also the soul power of the family which when strongly identified with, holds the family together.  It is for this reason that money transactions without connection to a common family value or principle is discouraged in Tamil culture.

As per reports that our Vaddukkoddai  folks  identify  with as true,  the LTTE – Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam – accepted money from Mr. Rajapaksa to stop Tamils from voting in the 2005 Presidential elections. Yet, supporters of the Tamil Tigers and their ‘separation mandate’ continue to claim,  that  genocide was committed in 2009 by the Rajapaksa government.

The value of the investment made by Tamils in Political Freedom through the 1976 Vaddukoddai Resolution gave us Equal status as majority race in National Parliament through the 1977 Elections. This happened due to identity by all Tamils who drew relatively less benefits than their Sinhalese counterparts for the same level of work. The ‘gap’ becomes ownership when we accept and carry on with our life.

Likewise the  suffering of Tamils who were encamped in 2009, and the pain of indignity suffered by Tamils all over the world to whom the encamped Tamils were a part of themselves,  freed Tamils from the Political  prison that entrapped them including through the 2005 exchange of money between Mr. Rajapaksa and the LTTE,  in return for surrendering our voting rights. Those whose net value taken from the war experience is financially positive,  automatically demote themselves in terms of Political cohesion.

As per current ECONOMYNEXT  news : “ Sri Lanka's President Maithripala Sirisena said he is taking over the economy from this year, though for three years the United National Party of Prime Minister Ranil  Wickremesinghe was allowed to manage in the latest escalation of tensions between the two.”

If this did happen,  Mr  Sirisena is likely to be taken over by Mr Rajapaksa and his less visible followers within the Tamil community driven by cheap politics. The popular anecdote shared within the Tamil community of my generation about clever politician the Hon G G Ponnambalam – leader of Tamil Congress is that he went to the rural voter and said ‘ give me back the Rs 5 that the (Tamil) Federal Party gave you and I will give you double that!’ . That’s how easily the less educated emotionally driven Tamil could be fooled back then by the Politician and later by the Militant who ‘traded’ Political rights for custody of Land through armed power.

To my mind, Mr. Sirisena is focused on the ‘economy only’ part of the UNP – and is trying to ride the  bicycle (the political symbol of Tamil Congress – the economic side of Tamil Politics)  in the gap created by the Bond matter – which has exposed the weakness of UNP associating with Tamils like Mr  Mahendran with little feelings for Jaffna Tamils and their heritage. ‘Riding the bicycle in the gap’ is an Indian Tamil expression used to describe a frivolous trouble-maker.

But even if one Sri Lankan Tamil identified with the Human Values of the Global minded Sri Lankan that UNP upheld over the years – Mr. Sirisena would be defeated by his own short-sightedness.

One to One as individuals – Economy is the strength of Mr. Rajapaksa and weakness of Mr. Sirisena. When Mr. Sirisena takes over the Economy – it is a guaranteed victory for Mr. Rajapaksa – provided all external infiltration is blocked.

As per my little eyes - John Howard lost even his seat in Parliament – due to failing a true Hindu Australian whose powers naturally invoke not only Australian Indigenous powers of common ownership but also of Hindu Bali’s regional Hindu power.

Mr  Rajapaksa relatively speaking did not lose his seat in Parliament due to blame being attributed by LTTE supporters especially from outside Sri Lanka who benefited well above their contribution to the Independence value of the Tamil Community. Mr Sirisena had his warning at Thirupathi Venkatachalapathy Temple where Indians – especially film stars and Businessmen surrender their excess money wealth.  I strongly advise Mr. Sirisena to meditate and identify with the True message in that experience at that sacred place and save his political career.