Friday 14 August 2020

 

 

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

14 August  2020

 

Light at the End of Election Tunnel

Recently, there was a discussion about why I resigned from the University of NSW and went into writing about my experiences. It was in fact recommended by a senior academic- administrator who could not facilitate the structuring of my work as per the mandate of the recruitment which was to democratise the Financial Management system. To the extent I qualified as per the selection criteria, I was self-recruited. As a self-recruited person, I structured the work I had to do and I was successful within the Medical Faculty of the University. But the challenge came when I wanted that for the whole which was under the jurisdiction of Central Administration. My moves began in 1998 August during Nallur Festival. It is now – 22 years later that I am able to appreciate what happened back then – and particularly the role of  Democratic powers that I naturally connected to through the stand I took by opposing Autocracy. . As mentioned previously – I was true to my professional ethics which merged with ethics of wider society. It was this natural merger that surfaced my true structure as ‘courage’ to write in opposition – including against the Administration that was led by the then PM - Mr John Howard. I believe that my commitment to democracy within the workplace was carried through the voting system known as Universal Franchise. This confirmed to me that Truth is Universal. Gradually, when manifestations happened without my physical or mental intervention I realised that the power of truth was supporting me. When my book ‘Naan Australian’ about the above experiences was taken without my knowledge or expectation on my part - to the National Library of Australia – I realised its heritage value even more strongly than previously. In essence it contributed to Australia’s independence in global structures including in the current issue with China.

Many members of the Tamil Diaspora are attaching themselves to the status of Ms Kamala Harris. None of them showed any appreciation for my above contribution. But a few have demonstrated its value to them and one of them is Journalist Swadesh Roy who did have enough interest in my book to commission it. In his article ‘Sri Lankan parliament election and two brothers government’ Swadesh highlights as follows:

[How did Gotabaya win the election? On the Election Day, people who  were going to cast their vote seemed very happy that their government (Gotabaya’s Government) successfully controlled the coronavirus. In Sri Lanka, only 11 people died from covid-19 and total corona infected cases are below 3,000.

 

… people of Sri Lanka have taken the issue of Covid-19 control as a success of Gotabaya. Their opinion is, as a military person Gotabaya imposed and maintained the first 14 days lockdown very seriously.]

 

The above confirms a mind structure to which ‘seeing is believing’. When they exercise their votes – the manifestation is ‘Boru Show’  as  we say in Sinhala. Boru=lie.  It would not merge with the Universal power of truth. Hence those who use their vote on the basis of the ‘seen’ did not vote for Democracy but for it opposition Autocracy on which they are dependent for outcomes. Truth being truth – will give you what you are really voting for – which is autocracy in this instance. Hence majority race which distanced itself from minorities who were disobedient – lost the power of those who died believing they were dying for independence.

Suicide bombers – both Tamils as well as Muslims died in the name of independence for their community. Like in the case of soldiers who die in combat – we take it that they died for the nation and/or stated purpose – even though as individuals – their purpose may have been at lesser personal levels. Death makes them heroes of common purpose.

In his Virakesari article headed ‘To whom has the authority been awarded’ at https://www.virakesari.lk/article/87871 , Kaarvannan highlights beautifully in relation to those who were influenced by LTTE outcomes to be in politics. More importantly, Kaarvannan highlights that the LTTE never sought glory through politics. Their mandate was separate to Politics. A good example of pollution of their purpose was highlighted through Mr Wigneswaran’s running mate Ms Ananthi Sasitharan whose husband was a leading member of the LTTE. Now that the Rajapaksa running mate in Jaffna - Mr Angajan Ramanathan has earned first place through the preferential voting system – one is entitled to conclude that Sinhala Buddhist Nationalists have defeated Tamil Hindu Nationalists. This picture is confirmed by the following picture of Udupiddy division’s results:

SLFP Sri Lanka Freedom Party  (representing Sinhala Buddhists)  6214 votes = 27.09%

TMTK Thamil Makkal Thesiya Kuttani ( representing LTTE – through a Hindu Tamil leader – Mr CV Wigneswaran assisted by Ms Ananthi Sasitharan – 4457 votes = 19.43%

 

It is misleading to take these percentages as relations of the total votes cast in Uddupiddy division as the choice of the people of Jaffna. The Preferential distribution would work only when the destination / goal is common to the electorate. When the goal is largely to enter parliament for its benefits, it is an abuse of the Universal Franchise of Democracy which requires each person and / or group to believe in the stated common goal which at National level is Equal Opportunity and not Separate state. By competing through National Elections those who claimed separation were separating themselves from those who were seeking Equal Opportunity. Their mandate ought to have come through Provincial Council elections until they believed they had greater numbers than those fighting on the basis of Equal Opportunity. The interesting manifestation in the above results is that it is TMTK that is SLFP’s Opposition and not ITAK which politically represents majority Tamils battling to remove blocks to self-governance.

 

This picture  does not reflect the reasoning by those like Kaarvannan above.

 

First of all  we need to identify with the real opposition within the electorate/division.  In Udupiddy 35% did not vote. Expressed as a percentage of those voted this is more than double the portion that the SLFP candidate polled. As an Australian Tamil highlighted – so much for our Maths status !

 

Someone said that we called them Modayas (ignorant) and they called us Pariahs and now we seem both!

 

But I see light at the end of the Election tunnel. That light is the light of truth highlighted through the figures representing the whole of Jaffna electorate:

 

1.             1.Not interested in Politics           = 25%

2.    2.  ITAK                                       = 20%

3.     Minor Parties                          = 16%

4.    4.  AITC                                        = 10%

5.     5. SLFP                                        =   9%

6.     6. EPDP                                       =   8%

7.    7. TMTK                                      =   6%

8.     Ignorant Voter                                    =   6%

According to the above Rajapaksa SLFP ranks 5th with only 9% approval. Those who sang the separation song (AITC & Mr Wigneswaran’s TMTK) have won together only 16% approval. The rest are taken to be seeking Equal Opportunity in a multicultural Sri Lanka.

Most interestingly SLFP which got first place only in One division – and polled 2nd in three out of 11 divisions) leads due to the preferential distribution.  How can one expect to see a party that introduced ‘Sinhala Only’ and ‘Buddhism foremost’ legitimately lead those who are practicing Non-Buddhist Tamils? If Tamils accept this – then we are digging our own graves to bury our investment in independence especially through so much pain and loss through the war? We have allowed ourselves to be cheated.

Similar analysis about Southern electorates would confirm that Mr Premadasa’s SMJ pulled the wool over the eyes of the rural voter by failing to educate that UNP and SJB were two separate entities. This is like the K in Mr Wigneswaran’s party. K stands for Kootani / Alliance which is not an independent political party. The Electoral Commission that includes that Tamil pundit Hoole also did not reject it as a disqualification.

 The truth always wins. When we clear the Maya we will identify with the truth and this will invoke global powers towards self-governance through our own specialty. This is Administration for Tamils who are connected to our ancestral roots. My direct contributions will continue to strengthen Democratic Administration in Jaffna and Batticaloa.

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