Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 26 February 2015
http://hariharji.blogspot.com.au/
The feedback from grassroots is positive and
gives one hope. The new Governor of Northern Sri Lanka – the Hon HMGS
Palihakkara is listening to the difficulties of workers as per a group that has
been affected by the war. Many in the group are war widows and the new Governor has promised to address them as soon as
possible. This confirms to me that the current Provincial Council is more
united in serving Northern Sri Lanka than was the case previously. Given that
this was done with least publicity but to the satisfaction of the victims – I feel
that Mother Power is working strongly.
As I often say – Mothers are Feelers and Fathers are Thinkers. In this
instance I feel strongly that the feelings of the Governor and the feelings of Chief
Minister have combined to deliver a satisfactory outcome to this group of needy
widows in Northern Province.
On the other hand I am feeling rather upset
over the news of LTTE influenced groups burning the effigy of the Hon M A
Sumanthiran - who along with the Hon R
Sampanthan, participated in the Independence Day Celebrations under the new
Government. To me they were confirming their independent interpretation of the
feelings of Tamils who seek self-governance as Sri Lankans. This according to
news reports has upset the LTTE supporters within the Tamil Political
leadership. I expect such to happen. But burning of effigy confirms poor
culture on the part of such LTTE supporters. One member of the Tamil Diaspora
wrote in anguish:
[Shame
on those who participated and encouraged this to happen! Are we to destroy
ourselves? Get rid of the members in TNA & NPC – who are not politically
astute but playing into the gallery!!]
There
are others with whose reasoning I do not identify. In his article in relation
to this for example, Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole states:
[Today
we lack Tamils fluent in English who can read the many strands of thought
available widely in English and engage the Sinhalese. The field is left open to
extremists. University youth are cut off from the liberal ideals of previous
generations because they can read only Tamil language websites. (The Sinhalese
situation is not as parlous as judged by who passes SAT and GRE English tests
to get university admissions in the US). As a result Tamil youth lack choice in
getting leaders who can articulate themselves to outsiders.
This
is the challenge before the universities serving the North and the East where
those comfortable in English are few and confined to the staff”
Language is a handicap for members of both
ethnicities who have embraced education
in their own respective languages. Whilst this limits one’s interactions with
other cultures in wider society – majority Sri Lankans at most times did not
use English in their everyday living. Christians like Professor Hoole, had greater advantage to learn English due to
Missionaries. I myself was educated at the Holy Family Convent and majority in
my class were not fluent in the use of English. As my son said about speaking
Tamil – they understand but they do not make the effort to structure their
expressions in that language. In terms
of family – one cousin said that she used English when she got cross with her
husband and the other said she used Tamil when she was romantic with her
husband. To my mind, that sums up our upper middle class Tamil families.
Anything learnt without belief as its base - is likely to be used for trading purposes. This
is the reason why Sinhala only law would have worked against Tamils. Belief is
the reason why one needs separation of powers – especially in democracy. I did
not learn Hinduism in school. Now I feel that the discoveries I have made about
the deep values of Hinduism were due to my genuine faith in my elders with whom
I shared common belief in Nallur Murugan. I did not study Hinduism formally or
informally through the intellectual path. But by practicing the little I knew
and attributing to the Lord through the Divine
Forms known to me – His share of the
benefits, I was able to develop deep insight into the Hindu values known to me.
I appreciate the parallels of this in the case of true believers in all ethnicities in Sri Lanka.
The test is that they would not damage the other side under any circumstances. They
would respect them as Equals.
Education in one’s mother language is important in Democracy. Otherwise we Tamils are
likely to feel second class in England and other countries where English is the
official language. I admire the clever minds of
Tamils including LTTE Tamils who produced their own weapons and
equipment with very little material resources. They are not different to clever
academics at the University of Jaffna.
Professor Hoole writes about this group:
[A
petition dated 24 Feb. (today is 22 Feb.) to the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights by the Jaffna University Teachers’ Association (JUTA) says,
among other things,
“We
understand that you recommended the postponement of the report, inter
alia, with the hope that the new Government headed by President
Maithripala Sirisena will initiate a credible domestic mechanism to investigate
into the mass atrocities committed during the civil war in Sri Lanka. Given the
current composition of the Government (which includes those who took an active
part in the war) and prior history relating to domestic mechanisms having
failed to deliver justice, we wish to make it very clear that we have no faith
in any domestic mechanism that this Government may establish. Given our long
experience with Sinhala Buddhist hegemonic institutions that dominate Sri
Lanka’s politics we have no faith that members of the Sri Lankan armed forces
will ever be prosecuted locally for any wrong doing. International supervision
of any domestic mechanism will only serve to waste time.”
These
fears reflect what many Tamil people think. This is why both Sampanthan and
Sumanthiran were emphatic that the report should be released now. Although the
UN has a point in saying that more evidence could be forthcoming if the
government cooperates, that is no good reason to stop the interim report. But
given the postponement, the issue has been hijacked by Tamil extremists to work
against the two moderate leaders, untruthfully accusing Sumanthiran of secretly
agreeing with the UNHRC to the postponement.]
This letter is in English language and it
is from a Jaffna Tamil University. English Language obviously is not a problem
for this group of academics. But like with LTTE weapons produced to elevate the
status of armed warfare above the political path – these judgments are in breach of Due
Processes applicable to all sections of the Tamil Community. These confirm the
role played by this University in the ethnic war. The Doctrine of Separation of
Powers needs to be maintained between independent bodies – in this instance the
University and the Human Rights Commission. Each independent body has to
publish its discoveries and judgments to the Public and other independent
bodies need to read through that Public to retain the independence of the
information being published. The Jaffna University Teachers’ Association has
every right to publish its findings to the Public – independent of any other body. But it does not have the
authority to use its status to judge the Government of Sri Lanka or worse – the
UN. This above communication by the
Tamil academics confirms that they also are indifferent to the Tamil Provincial
Council. This is their parallel of burning of effigy by LTTE supporters. By
failing to condemn them, Professor Hoole
also has confirmed his lack of independence. To my mind this is due to academic
ego.
There is a beautiful Hindu Legend about the
need to surrender ego to enjoy the experience of Divine Powers. It is about Emperor Bali – who like Alexander
the Great – conquered many countries and ruled Supreme. In celebrating his
victory Emperor Bali conducted a Yaaham (Religious ceremony around the
Fire). Towards the end of that Yaaham Lord
Vishnu takes the form of a Short Brahmin (Hindu Priest) / Vamanan (person of
short status) and seeks alms from Emperor Bali – as part of ritual. He asks for the land covered by three paces
and his request is granted. Lord Vishnu
then takes gigantic proportions. His
first step covers the whole of the world of gods captured by Emperor Bali; the
second step covers the underworld and there was no more space for the third
step. Overruling the advice of his guru – Emperor Bali bows down so the Lord
could complete the third step on the Emperor’s head. That act of surrender
completes the Yaaham / Sacrifice.
The common interpretation of the three
worlds is – the mind, body and soul. In the above context - it is the academic world, the armed world
and the ‘I’ world of the individual. Until the last is surrendered one does not
have the total experience of Universal Independence.
Even an Emperor needs to be humble and surrender her/his individuality to God
to experience wholesome Independence. It’s a lesson not only for Tamils who
killed to ‘win’ but also for the President of Bali who is waiting to kill
Australians without belief as One human society.
Thou shall not kill without Belief.
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