Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

02 April   2020

EXECUTIVE PRESIDENCY & DEMOCRACY

We are all governors to the extent we live in our truth and share our truth. I identified with such a message headed ‘Keeping the Faith’ by Yoga Joseph. It included the following:

[The reality is that the virus is a "natural evil" like earthquakes hurricanes tornadoes floods fires etc.]

How do we know whether we created it or whether it is ‘natural’? That which cannot be logically understood by a group that claims to be ‘Sovereign’ is natural to that group. In a truly sovereign group even war related death would be a natural evil. Hence the celebrations of war heroes who fought to protect our group’s sovereignty.

As per Sri Lanka Army News headed ‘Army to Devise Transport Plan to Take Pensioners to Banks for Receipt of April Pension - Lt Gen Shavendra Silva’:

[“A medical team of 11 persons, including doctors and nursing staff who treated the COVID-19 victim who died on Monday (30) at Negombo District Hospital is being kept in quarantine for 14 days by the Army and Health officials in a hotel at Waikkal at the moment. To facilitate the pensioners who are senior citizens of this country to draw their pensions, the Army has planned a transport service to take them to their banks from their homes during 1-2 April 2020 payment days,” Lieutenant General Silva announced.]

In Democracy – the above members of the medical team would have self-isolated. At 70 if President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is able to move around, then it is taken as a natural ability of the pensioners aged 75 and below. Then there is the President’s brother – Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa who is 74 and is known to be seeking to continue his Executive leadership of Sri Lanka. On that basis all below the age of 80 are taken to be self-executing. That is how Democratic sharing happens. If they consider those above 70 to be dependents – then they ought to retire and self-isolate from Executive Administrators.

Due to the curfew the custodian of our funds in Jaffna was unable to go to the bank to withdraw money for a large family near our temple in Thunaivi – in Northern Sri Lanka. This family’s eldest member Chellamani, sells peanuts at the Jaffna Bus Stand. Chellamani who is a grandmother works everyday – except when she is sick as per her own assessment. She is a role model not only to me but to other women in that area. Then there is George our hairdresser here in Coogee who must be well over 70. Just before the social-distancing rule came into operation, I sought  Georges’ services because he is another role model from our electorate. Hence even when some were puzzled by the rule that non-essential services did not include hairdressers – I identified with it as a natural bonus. I took it as my god communicating with the Prime Minister’s god.

If we identify with our own sovereignty as individuals and/or as a group – we would govern the Coronavirus instead of letting it rule over us. Likewise the Army which is a virus in a self-governing democracy.

The Buddhist clergy in Sri Lanka are setting a poor example in this regard:

[Asgiriya, Malwatta chief prelates request all temples to chant Pirith for a week

The chief prelates of Asgiriya and Malwatta chapters have requested all Buddhist temples in the country to chant ‘Pirith’ every day for a consecutive week.

This request comes as Covid-19 cases tally of Sri Lanka is on the rise, and the risks of the local outbreak are yet to be eliminated.

The chief prelates have also appealed to the general public to join this religious programme from their homes while adhering to the health guidelines of the government.

Accordingly, all Buddhist temples in the country are to chant ‘Pirith’ for a period of an hour (7.00 pm to 8.00 pm) every day for a week starting from tomorrow (01). They have been requested to ring the temple’s bell, to observe Pansil, to chant Ratana Sutta and Girimananda Sutta followed by an act of truth (Sacca Kriya) performed at 7.55 pm in all temples to seek blessings for the people.] Adaderana

There is also the following news report published  by Adaderana:

 

[Police to take strict action against social media posts attacking public servants

Strict legal action will be sought against those who make defamatory, malicious posts on social media against public servants who are fighting the COVID-19 outbreak in the country, says the Police Media.

The Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) has given instructions to the DIG of the Criminal Investigation Department and all the OICs across the island to arrest such individuals and produce them before courts.

The Police Headquarters points out that the public sector is committed to controlling the spread of COVID-19 virus in Sri Lanka.

However, there have been reports regarding videos and statements on social media with false or malicious content that criticizes and obstructs the work of public servants and threatens them.

Accordingly, persons who are involved in activities of this sort will be dealt with strict legal actions as per the instructions of the Acting IGP, the Police Media said further.]

My question is – Do the Police & other Public Officers have enough spare time to read Social Media ? Social media space is largely for leisure purposes. Those Sri Lankans who are active in that space – are confirming to be not seriously concerned about Coronavirus. In fact in terms of death rates as published – Sri Lanka is doing 25 times better than China and two thousand times better than America. Since it is Ape Aanduwa (OUR GOVERNMENT) the People are taken to be educating the Officers – as in ‘Customer is Right’ principle. Between the  Buddhist Clergy and Leaders of Cyberspace the latter is more democratic than the former and promotes self governance regulated by fellow participants. The main purpose is to be connected to each other’s mind for better or for worse. Except for a few – I do not read work published by social media.  But I accept that some find it as relaxing as going to the movies. It is their ‘private space’ and should not be brought under the control of the other Pole – the Armed Officers. They are poles apart in Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka will be functional only when they are poles apart.

I believe that Cyberspace leads me to important information – almost instantaneously because I respect the high minds that have shared their truth with all of us. Cyberspace could be the Bible or the Tabloid – as per our own seeking.  Unruly public officers would find the tabloid. Seekers of Truth would find the Bible. Truth will come through Cyberspace – to those who live in Truth and use Cyberspace to share that Truth and nothing but the Truth.

At the moment in Sri Lanka – the Coronavirus has been made the enemy of the Armed Forces by the President. Like the Tamil invisible armed rebels,  this virus is invisible to the body and mind of the common armed Sri Lankan officer. The victim is the civilian who is battling in her/his own way – as Tamil civilians also did during  the war. In Sri Lanka, the gene has mutated from war fear to Corona fear.

Those who die in this epidemic in the path of their duty and this includes politicians and civilians and parents who share the sovereignty with each other – they have died honourably – just like war heroes. That is the value highlighted by the following social sharing here in Australia:

If Mr Trump is democratic he will smile! This is why America is hierarchically above Sri Lanka. Madam Angela Merkel as portrayed above is  an example of elders who died so their heirs – the  young would live. Since  Hitler has been replaced by Angela, the Coronavirus is sure to be replaced by therapeutic virus such as oncolytic virus that kills cancer cells. One who believes has hope.