Pushparasa Jeevarasa of Thunaivi - Sri Lanka - under the Banyan Tree

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