Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 05 March  2015

Thirukadaiyoor Abirami

Opportunity to Cure Extremism

With much sadness I keep reading the reports of  Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan. I identified with our Prime Minister’s expression – that there is still hope. I blessed Mr. Tony Abbott for raising the dignity of  our political leadership to the higher level. As per ABC news:

‘Indonesia's ambassador to Australia, Nadjib Kesoema, said the imminent execution of the duo is very sad, but Indonesia is fighting a chronic drug problem. Mr Kesoema spoke at a business breakfast in Perth shortly after Sukumaran and Chan were moved from Bali, and said more than 1,500 Indonesians died every month because of drug abuse. He said the imminent executions were a "very bad and very sad situation also for Indonesia".

The ambassador insisted Indonesians were not "trigger-happy" and said the country was having a robust national debate on capital punishment’

The expressions of the Ambassador are taken as those of the President. If Indonesia is having a robust national debate on capital punishment – then the right thing to do is to adjourn the execution until an outcome of this debate is known. That is an essential requirement in democracy. Otherwise the global community has the duty to isolate Indonesia – until it reaches a decision on its own. It would be wrong of the international community to carry on as usual after Indonesia failed to include wider society’s feelings as its own. That would then help us not go to Indonesia risking our own lives. If 1,500 Indonesians are dying every month due to drug abuse  that confirms that the threat of capital punishment has not worked to prevent such deaths. Those are capital punishments by Indonesians on themselves. Isolation from those who have the wisdom to manage such problem often leads to such suicidal tendencies – as  happened in Sri Lanka also.

At the humanitarian level – every death caused by the government’s failures is the government’s responsibility. If the people were facilitated to manage themselves in this issue  drug users are more likely to live for their families. Sukumaran and Chan are now Indonesian examples of such success. Not so if they are killed by the Government of Indonesia. Sukumaran and Chan would then strengthen all those who felt / believed they should live.

Jesus also died – only to be resurrected by Himself. Mother of Jesus also must have been devastated when Jesus was crucified. But Jesus Resurrected Himself – confirming that the mind driven by Truth never dies. As per Hindu belief – when one corrects her/himself in the environment in which one caused damage – one does not owe that environment any more compensation for the damaged caused by her/him. Once the opportunity to do so is not taken – wrong becomes sin by travelling beyond the current time and place. When one who has corrected her/himself in that environment to the best of her/his ability is punished by use of higher  authority (through physical possession and/or through law) the authority so doing becomes the offender.  No authority in the mind of one who believes in God as the ultimate Judge would kill someone who has reformed her/himself. If that leader continues to punish, the karma  returns to the person punishing the corrected person. We are answerable ultimately to the God within us.

Myuran & Andrew may die at the physical level. But the happenings in this current period have confirmed that they would continue to live in the minds of all true parents than in the minds of Indonesian leaders who are failing to take this opportunity to develop a more humane solution to the drug problems Indonesians are experiencing. One who is deeply concerned would take this opportunity and use the global resources made available to Indonesians to cure themselves of extremism. Killing them now means that the Indonesian President does not believe that they are reformed or Indonesia is not part of the global community.