Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 07 March  2015

Hindu Indonesia and Muslim Indonesia

I keep reading the updates about Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran  with some relief as well as continued anxiety. The delays in execution is confirmation to me that Truth has found a way to manifest Itself in this issue of death penalty through these two young men who even when they thought they were near death – did not show any signs of violence on their part – nor have they expressed any thought that they were deserving of the death penalty. One message in response to my contribution came all the way from Canada – from a Tamil Hindu:

‘I totally disapprove of capital punishment.   To punish someone who has reformed themselves and trying to bring change to others, I don't understand it.  Maybe it is their Karma!  I am sitting here and crying after reading your email.  Gaja, I cannot write like you but I feel you have said very nicely what we feel in our hearts.  I can only say that I have both Mayuran and Chan in my daily prayers.  Hope Swami gives them the strength to face whatever happens.  My heart goes to the families.  Thanks for your heartfelt email.’

My heart melted further when I read the above message. It meant also that my sharing is being received at the deeper level – confirming the strength of my contribution to social media. The deeper the sharing the stronger the experience felt.  At that level each contributor has the experience as per her/his feelings and no genuine contributor is left out. Truth answers to all without exception. The value of social media is to invoke this Truth in others – and those who desire status or write for commercial purposes – would weaken the powers to develop opportunities to connect to experience of participants outside their physical circles.

At the Australian Political level also – I felt deeply touched by the gesture of politicians who came together for migrant Australians under the leadership of the Hon Tony Abbott. This is a strong leadership example for  Indonesians. We have truly become One Nation and I feel deeply grateful to the Lord for having had this experience during my lifetime.

Last week’s communications included some emails regarding the declaration by the Chief Minister of Northern Province of the Hon C.V. Wigneswaran claiming that Sri Lanka was ‘One Country Two Nations’. In terms of Bali this would mean that the Governor of Bali was the ultimate authority to punish the Bali 9 group. The feelings of the Governor of Bali read at the deeper level is that he did not think that the Bali 9 deserved Capital Punishment (Emperor Bali & the Tamil Mind (http://austms.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/httphariharji.html).

When a Muslim leader overrides the just expectations of a Hindu – expectations based on the latter’s cultural beliefs – any punishment by former without due consideration to the latter’s belief,   would come back to the former. It is to prevent such that a leader is empowered to use Discretionary powers to deliver belief based decision.  When one is in that area – and both parties of  one culture -  the risk of  wrongs as per the system of Natural Justice would be minimal – due to the leader having earned the high status through her/his investment in common culture.  When the cultures are different – the leader has the responsibility to go down to the humanitarian level – by renouncing all benefits from the cultural and official  systems. Such a decision alone would prevent return exponential karma due to excesses committed by the leaders.

That is the way the Lord’s system of Truth works. In the case of Indonesia – failure to give due recognition of the Right to Equal status  of  minority culture  is likely to invoke exponential damage to leaders.  Given that Australia has a different culture to Indonesia – death should not be part of the punishment by one on the other. When we feel Common – the punishment would be to ourselves. Otherwise it is outright murder except when it happens between two EQUALS.

Eventually when this goes on - it could result in Indonesia dividing into Muslim Indonesia and Hindu Bali to which the power of other Hindu parts  such as Yogyakarta would naturally be added.  Then like one country two nations – we may have divided Indonesia where majority relate rather than own in Common.  In the alternative, with the help of Hindu India – Bali may separate itself to be an independent country. Indian rule in Bali is not new. India itself separated into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan due to the ambitions of Muslim politicians.  

 These are the consequences that are likely to happen if one overrode with human authority – the authority of Truth – to manifest premature outcomes. Former Sri Lankan Leaders did this by using majority power for selfish reasons. Now they fear global authority led by United States of America. The real power is the power of Truth. When there is a deep need – Truth would manifest Itself through appropriate media. When one is exercising one’s authority to take another’s life and that other person at that moment is not ‘free’ and ‘equal’ to defend her/himself – one has the responsibility to go deep into the Truth within – before deciding to kill that other person. That is when one has the authority of Truth to kill that other person. Such a killer would feel the pain as if s/he had killed a part of her/himself. The Sri Lankan armed forces killed in combat and to the extent they killed armed fighters it was ‘free’. Not so when they bombed civilian areas indiscriminately. To the extent governments thus kill members of other cultures to a relatively higher degree than they kill their own – it amounts to genocide. Every such excess leads to natural accumulation and manifestation of karma against oneself. Leaders of Hindu Indonesia are more likely to  identify with this intuitively than Leaders of Muslim  Indonesia. The empowerment to accelerate or prevent this is with the believer and not with the apparent leader – elected by majority.

Hindu Indonesians including Balinese would naturally influence outcomes in India and v.v. Likewise Hindu Sri Lankans – especially those continuing to live under the direct rule of the Government of the majority.  A Community that has truly attained nationhood would naturally influence global outcomes – without ever leaving home.

Given that majority citizens of Indonesia develop belief  through religious paths and not the common secular path any punishment by one culture on the other, needs to be through common grounds actually practiced at the time of punishment. In Sri Lanka – any community  claiming Nationhood - including the Tamils of Northern Sri Lanka – has to demonstrate that their own policies and systems would facilitate the authority of majority not exceeding the actual level of investment made by the Provincial Government in - practice of secular law by other cultures. Beyond that level – the minority cultures are entitled to their own system of law and order. But before declaring it to the world – as the Chief Minister of Northern Province of Sri Lanka has done – one needs to demonstrate the development of structures to protect  minorities in those areas – for example – Muslims in Jaffna who were chased away by the Tamil Tigers.

Bali was an independent province of Indonesia and to the extent its citizens are lacking in investment in the common government laws and policies due to the inability of the Central Government to operate as one nation – minorities are entitled to use their cultural principles to lead a harmonious life within their cultural territory. Hence drug related policies for Muslims may need to be different to drug related policies for Hindus. Going by these two cultures in Sri Lanka – Hindus tend more towards vegetarianism than do Muslims. Christians use wine in Church but Hindu leaders abstain from all forms of alcohol. Hence through daily worship Hindus who so abstain are more likely develop  strengths to prevent drug related damage than do other religions where such abstinence is not built into cultural policies. The way to cure the minds of the two communities would therefore be different. The risk is greater if one without such natural prevention indiscriminately applies the rules of her/his religion on the other. In this instance the rules of drugs by a Muslim on a Hindu – to kill a member of the Hindu community in Bali or related to Bali through Hindu culture – would be a sin.

Where the two sides are not of Common Culture the rules of war including against drug traffickers – need to be based on Truth  within the person taking the weapon of authority in her/his hand.  In this instance it is  Mr. Joko Widodo who as President has the Responsibility to use the power to kill – with care born out of his belief that he and the person being killed are One. Otherwise like Prince Abimanyu of Mahabharatham – a legend which is believed in by Hindu Indonesians - President Joko Widodo may also not know of the way out of the International Chakras (Circles)  formed by Drug barons and/or People smugglers. Have Commonness – have authority to punish. No Commonness – NO  authority to punish – certainly not condemn one to death.

Often past rules are used blindly without belief.  When one discovers Truth and gives that Truth priority – one does not need the rule any more. Then a Restructure is needed to include that Truth into new policies – just as we do with new Scientific discoveries.  Indonesia’s problem with drugs continues to be a major problem due to lack of  Restructure to include current needs of places such as Bali – in the current global context.   Those who believe in karma and rebirth do just that – give recognition to Truth in their new policies. This absolves them of  their wrong-doings.  

One who fails to give recognition to Equal status for other cultures – earns the karma of separation from the total system.  A good example is where one interacts with a family member on a bilateral basis – which then results in separation from the big picture. Attachment to physical outcomes often leads to this need to narrow the big picture to the level of two people only. Then we lose the value of tradition. This is why programs are given less importance than projects in democracy. In programs one does not give identity to beginning or end.  In projects one has to be able to ‘see’ the beginning and the end.

Towards this ‘project-based’ multicultural management, we need to cut off our attachment to the dysfunctional policies of the past that continues to give us high status and often money. Attachment to the dysfunctional past for the purpose of status and money is as damaging as drugs that damage our brains.