Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 12 March  2015

Shiva-Parvati seated on mount Kailash, while Ravana tries to lift it

Capital Punishment – Tradition or Myth?

There has been much support from all quarters to eliminate Capital punishment. To the credit of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran – the Australian leaders in the Bali tragedy - they continue to be non-violent even when they went so close to dying. This to my mind, confirms that they are no longer punishable and therefore anyone who punishes them would get their karma back. Such  a decision would be based on Virtual Reality. That decision would never be wrong.

One who lives in Truth lives in Virtual Reality. In my yesterday’s communication in relation to the Legal system in Northern Sri Lanka, I quoted as follows:

‘Lord Natraj is Kinetic Energy – the Consolidated Common Form  of the five forms of Energy - meaning we need to work. We promote work. Nanthi in that logo is from my husband’s home in Vaddukoddai.  Nanthi Thevar is also part of logo of Jaffna University. My husband won the best science student prize at the best school in Vaddukoddai – Jaffna College.  It is therefore fitting that we carry the symbol of Higher Education  leading to Truth – and hence Nanthi Thevar’

In response to that mail – a Sinhalese member of the Sri Lankan Diaspora, forwarded to me the response from a Tamil with reference to ‘The Kailasanatha temple, Ellora’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2Jl4HNDixc )

Even as I watched the clip, I felt as if I was present when the work happened.  That Virtual Reality is possible when one is immersed in belief.  I am thus able to identify with the following in relation to King Ravana of Lanka:

‘The grand sculpture of Ravana attempting to lift Mount Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva, with his full might is a landmark in Indian art. The construction of this cave was a feat of human genius – it entailed the removal of 200,000 tonnes of rock, and took 100 years to complete.’ Wikipedia

King Ravana was great but he went beyond his boundaries and hence Lord Rama had to bring an end to his reign. Indonesians who believe in Hindu Legends – would be able to go into this as if it is happening now. Rama fought and  disarmed  Ravana.  Rama proceeded to facilitate  Ravana an opportunity to handover Rama’s wife Seetha who was abducted by Ravana. Hence Rama says to handover Sita and for Ravana to protect  his reign. Rama says  ‘Go  today and come back tomorrow’. (Indru Poi  Naalai Vaa).

Rama adhered to the law of fighting and went beyond that also in granting  the above Grace. All of us who are able to Experience this Divinity would be free of excesses. One who is using Discretionary powers – needs to go into this virtual reality. Any punishment is to help the one being punished to come into this virtual reality to appreciate the discipline of the other side and cure her/himself. Without this motive – one is entitled to kill only as an Equal.

Rama & Ravana are distant to us due to time. Australia is distant to Indonesia due to its physical positioning and culture. Until therefore a leader goes into global reality any decision in relation to other country citizens would be unjust – expect when UN principles are used. If discretionary powers are used – then the return karma happens through that leadership position. Even within one country – the higher authority needs to come down and feel that s/he is the victim as well as the punisher – in order  to exercise discretionary powers justly. Otherwise negative karma accumulates to isolate the punisher’s group.

This is a huge risk for both major ethnicities of Sri Lanka and of  Sri Lankan origin. One UK Tamil Diaspora leader wrote recently in a Public Forum, in relation to the Protests in London during the recent visit of the Sri Lankan President:

‘Why is Sumanthiran Anna asking British Tamils to stop their protest when he did nothing to stop the protests in Jaffna of the brave war widows, mothers and daughters and university students. Don't we do our work to support these protests? His lordship Wigneswaran Ayaih has made very serious allegations against this government. Is Sumanthiran saying Ayaih is wrong? We also live in a Western democracy where public protest is an inalienable right. Is saying exercising that right is wrong?’

The Hon Sumanthiran is an elected Member of National Parliament.  The Hon Wigneswaran is the Chief Minister of One Province in Sri Lanka. The latter was senior to Mr. Sumanthiran when the latter was acting within his Judicial Boundaries – a membership crowned by the position of Justice of the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka – the highest Court in the Country. But in the current structure – Mr. Sumanthiran’s authority is above that of Mr. Wigneswaran.

I doubt that the above author – a British Tamil - would experience the suffering of widows, mothers and daughters in Sri Lanka – as if they were a part of him. If he did appreciate – he would not recognize any current difficulties by British Tamils unless those British Tamils had little or no knowledge of British Laws and Policies in relation to racial issues. Like with the Doctrine of Separation of Powers – we need to separate power based orders of thought – where there is a gap between cultures – due to time and place.

If on the other hand the author went physically to his paternal city  of Vaddukoddai in Northern Sri Lanka  – where the first political declaration of  Independent Tamil State was made – and lived there with the victims of the war – he would appreciate that any accusation of  Genocide against the Sri Lankan Government must be balanced by accusation of  Terrorism against the Tamil Community which the LTTE was/is  very much part of.  There are only a handful of persons in Vaddukoddai who would relate to current British order of thought. Majority British Tamils of Vaddukoddai origin – have become so remote from their origins – that to them current residents of Vaddukoddai are ‘outsiders’. Today’s solutions need to address current problems.

One who cries ‘Genocide’ without the authority of the law – needs to have gone into the past as if he is that past and still be conscious of Genocide experience. Such a person needs to distance her/himself from the LTTE which killed those Tamil leaders and damaged the investment made by Tamils in those educated leaders. I am not able to be both at the same time.  When LTTE were in need of Administrative systems support soon after the 2002 Ceasefire – I was with them fully – connecting to their deep needs – often needs that they were not conscious of. When on the other hand I am in reality of the educated Politicians and Administrators in the Tamil Community – I am not conscious of LTTE leadership at all.   When the two are consolidated – LTTE certainly comes under local Tamil leaders who tend to be associated with Religious institutions. Nallur Temple Administration is an outstanding example of Democratic leadership. Likewise many Christian Schools through their investment in Education. When such Leadership is stronger and more reliable than our political leadership – we need to bring this out and are fully entitled to do so through Peaceful Assembly also.  The more peaceful we are the deeper the sharing. The deeper the sharing the deeper the cure from the urge to react and blame others instead of  including their Truth and elevating our own standards through the Consolidated Common Power. Tamils so doing have the opportunity to form model communities that others would learn from.

This virtual reality is the basis of Strategic Planning. If we are not able to go into that virtual reality bearing the pain on the way – we are yet to identify with the solution.