Strengthening the Root-Connection
Gajalakshmi Paramasivam
The upcoming Presidential election in Sri
Lanka is a great opportunity through
which Tamils of Sri Lankan origin could strengthen their connection to their
roots. This includes Malaysian Tamils, Singaporean
Tamils, British Tamils and Australian Tamils who emigrated from Ceylon/Sri
Lanka but kept the connection to their roots/origins going in one form or the
other. This is the heritage value of the time based vertical system. Tamils in
Sri Lanka who have apparently ‘lost’ political status due to the LTTE led armed
struggle need strengthening at the roots to carry forward the true consolidated
values of the struggles of Tamils to operate as independent individuals in Sri
Lanka – carrying with dignity the full value of their genuine contribution –
including through armed struggle which is only a part of the total
contribution. The value of this
contribution was diminished due to the
abuse of power and exercise of authority with no connection to the independence-root.
The root of freedom is independence. Power
exercised beyond the feeling of this root weakens that connection. Not only the
LTTE, and the Government of Sri Lanka
but also the UN are guilty of such abuse that resulted in the narrowing of the
pathway through which the Tamil Community could enjoy and show this independence, with dignity.
While we may feel the loss of lives in the
2009 Battle of Vanni, we need to ask ourselves whether we did not expect that
as the Cost necessary to strengthen our roots – given the armed pathway chosen
by a significant section of the Tamil Community? If the LTTE did not expect this - they were wrong in resorting to armed rebellion.
If they did expect this and did their best to protect civilian casualties –
then each one of those who died is a war hero and their wholesome contribution
as independent citizens would go straight to the root of independence. The
death of such civilians is a heritage investment and should not be treated as a
cost or worse as a loss.
The deaths of those who joined the armed
struggle for current benefits of money and status – is the current cost paid
for that part of our struggle. We need to consolidate and carry forward the net
loss consciously to prevent future excesses of assumed authority by individuals
and groups – overriding the political
freedom of the democratic path.
This Presidential election is the first
opportunity Tamils have in a long time - to freely exercise their political
franchise and confirm to themselves their right to act as independent democratic
citizens. If we abstain from voting – we would be handing that right to the
lower paths of rule and thus would be writing off our own investments in the political path towards
realizing ownership. That in a family is like writing off our own mother as a
common leader of the family. ‘No Vote’
is being recommended by those who support LTTE – which confirmed its excess
when it actively prevented the Tamil Community from voting in the 2005
elections. By doing so, the LTTE voted en-bloc for the Rajapaksa group - their natural Opposition group in armed
struggle. It’s like a mechanic planting nails along the roadway for the
business of repairing tyres. The LTTE’s
world was limited to the project of armed struggle. Playing politics outside
those borders weakened our root connection to independence. The
essence of that project needs to be included in our program to not only realize
independence but also to maintain and handover a stronger independence heritage
to our next generation – wherever they may live physically.
Those who are truly connected to their roots – be it through family, community or
national pathway, empower naturally – through God’s system - the active
generation living in the physical environments of the roots. The 2009 defeat of
the armed struggle is temporary to those who are connected to the roots of the
independence issue. Those so connected
would not be distracted by ‘revenge’ or competition. They would act/defend to
protect their investments but not attack to damage the other side. One who is
truly independent would value that independence in others.
Through my own experiences I believe that
those who feel the root connection would naturally connect to the most
disenfranchised – whether they are living in the physical environment around
the physical root or in faraway places such as Australia and Canada. These
need not be the ones who ‘show’ most damage on the outside but the quiet
bearers of suffering including suffering in their current environments that
‘show’ more ‘freedom’ than do Tamil
areas in Sri Lanka. I am one such person who suffered with forbearance, suppression
of right to express intellectual and
physical independence here in Australia. Through that experience I realized
independence from the fruits of
contemporary Australia and now feel connected to the roots – as if I
were an Aboriginal Australian.
Likewise I feel the connection to the
parallels of Aborigines – the Toddy
Tapper community in Northern Sri Lanka – largely due to indifference within the
Tamil Community to my pathway of quiet
achievement – the slow pathway of the tortoise. Grandparents who feel connected
to their family roots – would realize this fulfilment – often with
grandchildren. Towards this the grandparents need to be independent of the
benefits of current and active parenting directly and / or on behalf of the
their children who are now parents. Like Governors, Grandparents need to work
through the facilities available to them and/or use current benefits earned
through current costs. The parallel of the latter for the Tamil Diaspora is the
net current earning through direct service in Sri Lanka.
Grandchildren in family are the closest to the roots of the family
because they are still close to their birth – closer than all of us. They say
that babies and god are One. Babies often become the messengers of God when we
are in genuine need. Likewise the poorest folks in Sri Lanka – poorest in
status in this instance.
I believe that those in the Tamil Diaspora
who feel connected to the poorest Tamil in Sri Lanka – would strengthen the
roots of our community in that area. As Lord Krishna states in Bhaghawath
Geetha – about Kalpagatharu – the wish-fulfilling tree – the roots are in
heaven and the fruits are in earth – with the tree hanging upside down. The fruits of the independence tree is the
physical ‘freedom’. When enjoyed at a level higher than the independence felt
at the root – such freedom leads to excessive authority being taken over those
with apparently lesser status in the physical environment. This was the case
with LTTE and is now the case with many sections of the Tamil as well as
Sinhalese Diaspora. The Common Sri
Lankan, like the Grandparent without active status but strong feelings for
family – continues to quietly maintain the root connection through the tiny
spaces available in a society busy showing outcomes towards majority win.
Politics, like Emotions produces the other side more quickly than does Administration.
When emotions are controlled they lead to quiet consolidation within – as if
both sides are within the same person. That is the direct path to ownership. It
bypasses Administrative highway with its high status through wins and defeats. This
is why I say mothers are feelers and fathers are thinkers.
Both main contenders in this upcoming Sri
Lankan Presidential Elections claim victory over armed rebels of Tamil
ethnicity. To the extent they were connected to the ‘roots’ of their own
origins that person would have strengthened the root connection of all
ethnicities. To the extent Sinhalese who have the power to elect government
feel the connection to their own roots – they would elect the person who would
demonstrate Equal respect as they allocate to themselves – for the Tamil who
demonstrates similar connection to her/his roots in Sri Lanka – whichever part the root may be
in. Earth is One and this is realized at the deeper levels close to the nucleus. I say Tamil because Tamils as a community have
demonstrated strong Administrative structures that are needed to regulate the
path of the rich middle class owners who form the majority section known as Sri Lankans. When
such Sinhalese and Tamils form common structures – that becomes the
Administrative structure needed by all those who seek to be Common Sri Lankans
carrying their respective cultural diversity without disturbance. The Diaspora
needs to demonstrate more than the resident voter – that its roots are in
heaven – independence heaven. This is also the message of Christians through
the forbidden fruit – and Lord Buddha who recommended the renunciation of desires. Where we pay the due costs – the
benefits that flow are earned and therefore rise to the higher level – the
level of ownership - to the root Energy. Desires/Wishes that are unearned but
are enjoyed - would cause damage at one time or the other – at some place or
the other when the person gets displaced. The longer the costs paid in genuine
belief remain unreturned – the stronger their maturity as ownership. Hence, it
would be good for Tamils to show that maturity and demonstrate their common
ownership of Sri Lanka through free and
voluntary participation in the elections. The ultimate success is realization
of independence. Genuine participation goes to that independence root of
freedom.
Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 30 December 2014