Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

28 April  2019

Boss went to Jordon and deputy went to Thirupathi

[….But Mr Wickremesinghe argued the fact that he was unaware of the warnings meant he did not need to step down from his position.

"If we had any inkling, and we had not taken action, I would have handed in my resignation immediately," he said, adding: "But what do you do when you are out of the loop?"

The apparent lapse in communication has refocused attention on the infighting between the country's two most powerful men, Mr Wickremesinghe and the president, Maithripala Sirisena.

Relations deteriorated to such an extent that last October, Mr Sirisena sacked Mr Wickremesinghe. He was reinstated in December following rulings by Sri Lanka's highest courts.] – BBC at https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-48070552

The above confession takes us towards the root cause. Mr Wickremesinghe’s influence over the armed forces was seriously damaged last October. Had Mr Wickremesinghe reacted back then the carnage would have been worse than that of Easter Sunday bombings. Mr Wickremesinghe non-violently occupied the Premier’s residence and allowed Due Process to happen. His investment in law protected him then. Mr Sirisena failed the test of law. The pain that that action caused to law abiding Sri Lankans went towards ownership.

When Truth surfaces – it leaves us leads / milestones in its pathway. One such lead was that about the lack of strength of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Batticaloa MP and PLOTE member, S Viyalendiran. The pain we endure becomes the protection we and our people need. Karuna led and Viyalendiran followed – both betrayed for economic purposes.

Each sovereign territory has its own belief based protective structure. Only those to whom that territory is home have the power to invoke that protective energy. The Easter Sunday message from Jesus is about that Energy. Viyalendiran would invoke Rajapaksa whereas Mr Sampanthan and Mr Sumanthiran would invoke the protection of law.

A Prime Minister largely by majority vote in free elections would need to resign if the failure was due to lack of belief in fellow members. But a Prime Minister driven by commitment to law – would be failing in his duty is he resigned due to such a breach.

The primary responsibility to act was that of the Defence Minister as per the  Administrative structure. This was the President. Even if Ranil had had knowledge – he did not have the authority to Administratively direct the officials. His duty would then have been to report to Parliament. Then if Parliament failed to act – the Parliament would have had the duty to dismiss itself.

Kochchikade St Anthony’s church in Colombo was more than a Catholic church. It is common to non-Catholics like me also. It is therefore a Church of Colombo through which many workers invested in Sri Lanka. There is pain but that pain will bring about protection to those who endure the pain without losing faith. They will then get families and loved ones from wider world. That is the way of faith.

Not only IS but law abiding people from all over the world are sharing their good values directly with Sri Lanka through the victims. One could therefore take this as globalization pain that we also have to share in.

During the period of testamentary case relating to the estate of my brother in law, I asked my husband whether his sister who is the parallel of Mr Sirisena – had really suffered pain to deserve leadership and foremost heir status. My husband said ‘she cooked for 10’. I then said ‘withdraw the objections you have filed in court’. My husband did not and asked me why I had asked the question. I said it was because I did not have the direct experience with her and I did not want damage the belief based relationship in the family through a court action led by lawyers and therefore was intellectual at best.

Cooking for 10 was what happened. The main responsibility was that of my father in law. Any court ruling that failed to uphold this truth would be damaging to the bridges with wider community through common values. Who had the experience as the strongest residual value? That person is the true leader.

Between the President and the Prime Minister - Mr Wickremesinghe has demonstrated greater participation in the pain of the victims while Mr Sirisena has behaved more like a foreign  observer – as was Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa who was out of Sri Lanka – in Jordon for a conference. They may have had their ‘private’ reasons  but so far as the believer is concerned – they ran away from the disaster that was going to strike Mother Lanka.

In Mahabharatham, during the last stages of the great war between cousins – Kishna’s brother Balaraman went on a pilgrimage and returned only during the last phase. When he talked of normal rules in the fight between Beeman & Thuriyothanan – Krishna said words to the effect ‘You were away allegedly on pilgrimage. This is the Gurushetram – the place where Truth is enshrined and from which lessons are learnt.’

Both Mr Rajapaksa and Mr Sirisena acted like Balaraman due to divided loyalties. They failed to be the participating forces at the height of war. Both abandoned posts - as heads of Defence Forces.  The Easter Sunday bombings is the war between extremists and law abiding citizens. Those who ran away have no right to rule.