Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

13 February   2021

 

 

BUDDHISM & COMMUNISM IN NORTHERN LANKA?

 

Truth I believe is a Universal Energy. Those who have continuously experienced Truth will appreciate that it renders one Courage. Recently someone wrote to me:

 

[You claim that you make frequent visits to the North to help and rehabilitate and even rejuvenate the moronic Thamils. Who invites you there.  My worry is that whether you are a "mother Theresa"  or a planted mole? ]

When I am true to myself about this person,  I will naturally identify with the truth in what this person says. Hence I took the above as concern for me if the person were in my shoes – not with my truth but with that person’s truth. The person was ‘wishing’ that I would be in agreement with the person and not oppose the person. On that basis I wrote as follows:

[What you think is your truth. If you ‘believe’ that  I am a planted mole – then you are likely to become my first victim. What’s your address?]

 

In the above, I am that person and I am Gaja. Since I have included that person as part of myself, whatever I do would be common to both. This was why I was surprised when a senior Tamil whom I took to be the other side of my relationship disciplined me in terms of my interpretation of Eelanadu cartoon where ‘the Common Citizen of Jaffna questions as to whether Buddhism came from China? The article was headed ‘BUDDHIST DIGNTY FROM INDIA & NOT CHINA’

 

Buddhist EFFICIENCY  may come from China. But with that also comes the risk of Communism – especially in countries like Sri Lanka where Buddhist law is also the law of the government. Dignity comes from deep ownership with zero relativity. But majority human beings are driven by relativity and hence are affected by wins and losses. Hence we need to look at the level of Buddhist efficiency in Northern Sri Lanka and its link to Communism.

 

The Sunday Times reported earlier this month:

[India has lodged a strong protest with Sri Lanka on the award of a tender to a Chinese company to set up three renewable energy projects in outlying islands off the Jaffna peninsula.]

Some in the Tamil community seem to be upset by this. But back on 11 September 2018, Dr. Sudha Ramachandran of the Diplomat did report as follows under the heading ‘China Expands Its Footprint in Sri Lanka’:

[In April, state-run China Railway Beijing Engineering Group Co. Ltd. won a more than $300 million contract to build 40,000 houses in Jaffna district in the Northern Province, which suffered extensive damage during Sri Lanka’s 26-year-long civil war.]

As per the Reuters report that the above referred to:

[India has longstanding ties with Sri Lanka, located just off the tip of southern India, bound by cultural and ethnic links with Sri Lanka’s Tamils, many of whom live in the island’s north and east.

But in recent years China has swept in, building ports, power plants and highways in the island that sits near busy international shipping lanes and is seen as part of China’s String of Pearls strategy of building a network of friendly ports across Asia.]

This was before governments were threatened by Corona Virus with its exponential spread. The question that comes to my mind is whether Lankan Tamils were already connected to Buddhism and Communism through leaders like Malayapuram Singaravelu and through Madras Presidency which included Ceylon for a short period:

[Malayapuram Singaravelu (18 February 1860 – 11 February 1946), also known as M. Singaravelu and Singaravelar, was a pioneer in more than one field in India. In 1918, he founded the first trade union in India. On 1 May 1923 he organised the first ever celebration of May Day in the country. Singaravelar was a major leader of the Indian independence movement, initially under the leadership of Gandhi, but later, joining the budding communist movement. In 1925, he became one of the founding fathers of the Communist Party of India; and chaired its inaugural convention in Kanpur. Though the British Government arrested him along with other leaders on charges of conspiring to wage war against the Crown, he was set free, soon after, on account of his failing health. Singaravelar was also a path-breaking social reformer who in his early life took to Buddhism, seeing it as a weapon against the evil of untouchability, which was particularly severe in the 19th-century India. He was also in the forefront of Self respect movement, in the Madras Presidency that fought for equal rights for backward castes. Though in his advanced years, he withdrew from active politics, Singaravelar remained a staunch advocate of the causes he had pioneered till his death at the age of 85….. he Madras Presidency, or the Presidency of Fort St. George, and also known as Madras Province, was an administrative subdivision (presidency) of British India. At its greatest extent, the presidency included most of southern India, including the whole of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, and parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Odisha and the union territory of Lakshadweep. The city of Madras was the winter capital of the Presidency and Ootacamund or Ooty, the summer capital. The Island of Ceylon was a part of Madras Presidency from 1793 to 1798 when it was created a Crown colony. ] Wikipedia

Where our investment in an issue is deep, we invoke the Energy of that investment beyond time and place borders. Hence unless we protect our investments in religion through Sovereign borders, it is highly likely that Politics and Religion would mix indiscriminately and it would be difficult to know which pathway we are taking in regulating our thoughts.

Given that parts of Tamil community  also accepted LTTE version of Communism, it would not be that difficult for them to restructure their thoughts  Communism under China’s authority. China may also become the Common ruler – just like the British were .

During discussions within the Sri Lanka Reconciliation Forum, Sydney, I learnt that Dr Daya Somasundaram of the University of Jaffna had said that Oppari / lamenting aloud was a way of releasing and sharing our pain. Seniors in Tamil community need to facilitate this and Sri Lankans in law only  – i.e. Sinhalese need to keep their distance from it and not react. Civilian victims of war who marched from Pottuvil to  Polikandy are sharing their pain. Their walk was also Oppari. To the extent it is genuine, we need to listen and develop structures that would prevent such pain for our heirs and also for wider world. If we rely merely on UN – we are likely to ‘profit’ from others’ pain. Then, like the current government we would keep reviving the Tamil only armed forces who have little respect for common rules and laws.

UN is also answerable to the non-Tamil families seriously affected by the war. This includes soldiers in the official army. The way I see it – each community needs to discipline its own and leave punishment to Natural Forces/god. This is essential in nations where vast majority follow a religion. Where religion is indiscriminately mixed with Executive Government – it is highly likely that in places like Sri Lanka – there will be war between Democracy and Communist autocracy. Myanmar is struggling due to this and next would be Lankan leaders who have been mentally imprisoned  by the Buddhist Sanga. Tamils who excessively find fault with the Buddhist government will also inherit those genes.