The Hon Tony
Abbott, MP
Prime Minister
Parliament House
Canberra, ACT 2600
26 June 2015
Your Ref:
C15/24330
Dear Mr. Abbott,
Closing the Gap with
Indigenous Communities
Thank you for your
letter dated 16 June 2015, in response to my communication with you.
I am deeply
appreciative of the effort made by you
to connect to me through this issue. In a way – I am able to identify with the
deeper feelings you have through my own feelings for the disenfranchised in the
Tamil Community – here in my Fatherland Australia as well as in my Motherland
Sri Lanka. To the extent I am genuine – I connect to your feelings expressed
through the ‘Closing the Gap’ program.
As you have stated
in your Statement to the House of Representatives ‘None of us should seek to score a
point or defend a legacy here – just to
reach out across the aisle because this is the only hope of lasting success’.
I proceed to respond in the consciousness of this Oneness Feeling.
You state ‘…as a nation we do need to have a discussion free of
rancor and partisanship about our remote Indigenous communities.’
You then go on to
raise the question: ‘Do we ask ourselves - how can we better manage the dual objectives
of preserving connection to land and culture while ensuring stronger economic
integration?’
To my mind, you
have indicated the direction in which the solution lies. You state:
“I’ve engaged with remote people all my
parliamentary life. They are frequently in stunningly beautiful locations and underpinned by a rich
and ancient culture.”
To my mind, this
is an acknowledgment, that we the urban dwellers do not have that enjoyment of
Nature and our heritage of the past as much as the Indigenous communities do. To
that extent we are even and one community does not owe the other – so long as
we stay in our own ‘Home areas’. We have
the regulated workplace and they have the Natural space; they have the time and
we have the money. In this respect – there are no gaps but just Diversity.
You go on to
state:
‘Many communities, however, are not healthy
places despite the hard work of local leaders. In fact the average remote
community comprises people who, on almost every indicator are the most
disadvantaged in Australia.’
Indicators are for
Internal Management and should not be used by External observers to assess from
outside. When we use indicators as outsiders – we are acting in breach of the
Doctrine of Separation of Powers. Once you/we become ‘internal’ we have the natural authority to develop and
use indicators for self-assessment purposes. The moment we are ‘outsiders’ – we have the responsibility to
use objectively measurable outcomes produced by each Sovereign group.
Appended below is
a communication with former New South Wales Auditor General – in regards to the
unacceptability of Auditors using Client Management’s Performance Indicators. If
you are referring to Government’s Performance Indicators – then this is NOT
about Indigenous Communities but about the Government’s own Performance in that
subject matter.
To my mind, the
Doctrine of Separation of Powers is the pathway that suits us to appreciate those
Indigenous Communities that are very much part of Australia’s rich tapestry.
The moment we mix the two indiscriminately, WE create that GAP.
The Judiciary is
outsider to the Executive Government and v.v. Likewise the ABC which was
strongly criticized by the Executive Government recently - is an outsider to
the Government and v.v. I do identify with the response from the Head of ABC –
returning the criticism to the sender – by saying that ABC was on the side of Australia. Whether it is the Judiciary,
the ABC or the University of New South Wales (the institution at the center of
my experiences) – they are Separate Entities to the Government due to their unique and Diverse purposes. Likewise,
various communities of Australia, which are part of our Humanscape. The Government’s first duty is to
give recognition to this true Humanscape in its most natural form while developing
Commonness of experience as Australians.
In our ambitions to satisfy Western standards for grades, we often run the risk
of damaging our unique Humanscape which is different to Arnhem Land, to England
and in my case to Sri Lanka.
The Government due
to majority persons in Government - is culturally different to Indigenous
Communities. When we are unsupervised
and ‘natural’ we tend to surface our natural cultures. This is ok – so long as
they are not displayed in Public as if the whole of Australia is the
Government’s home and all others have to follow the Government. In spirit the
whole of Australia is Home of the believer – be that person a Public
Administrator or Citizen in Custody; the
Prime Minister or an Indigenous person without official portfolio. That area
must feel ‘home’. The duty of our Government is to facilitate such ‘homes’
through appropriate laws. It would be in breach of the Spirit of Separation of Powers and Privacy Laws – to enforce
the way of one on the other. The risk of Separation is also isolation through
abandonment. Your efforts confirm that you are involved and do not carry that
risk.
Good and Bad;
Right and Wrong are Relative values. Relativity needs firm boundaries. Hence by
law – Public institutions are
facilitated to interpret the principles and values independent of the
Government. These Public Institutions
are answerable to the Public in terms of Service. Hence their Performance Indicators need to be
structured through their own core purposes. Operationally they do not have the
obligation to play second fiddle to the Government. There are Administrative
areas in which the ABC has the responsibility to report to the Public through
the Government – for example as to safety measures during that ABC Q&A session at the center of controversy. But
Operationally – these institutions need to be Independent of the Government and
their Powers separated.
As members of the Public – we all have equal
rights to question the ABC - as to whose
side they are on? – Islamic State or Australia? But like Politics – unless such
question is belief based – it has little Administrative / Management value. In
any case there is no obligation on the part of ABC to respond to such
questions. They may listen and improve their services through such feedback. Just
because it came from the Prime Minister - there is no obligation for the ABC to
accept that at a higher level to the citizen without portfolio. But the ABC did respond to you – because as we
say in Tamil – you are – the Cow with the Bell - the Holy Cow. I - a black cow who was ordered by the NSW Police
to remove my bell / necklace for waiting peacefully to engage with the Vice
Chancellor of the University of New South Wales, had to take the then ABC Managing Director –
Mr. Jonathan Shier to Court – to be heard at that level. The outcome happened
and I believe my genuine contribution raised itself to Common Energy that worked through those with portfolios. The
job got done through the Democratic pathway.
Communities with
Diverse culture are likewise unique and independent to the extent they are
self-sufficient in practicing and maintaining that culture. The confusion
arises when we indiscriminately mix cultures – for example Judiciary with
Executive; Mother with Father; Christian Community with Muslim Community;
Structured Religion-based Community with Free Indigenous Community living close
to Nature. Science happens irrespective of whether we are conscious of it or
not. The urban dweller – passes it
through the brain whereas the rural inhabitant accepts it as part of Nature and therefore
part of her/himself. There is no conscious separation.
The example that
comes to mind is that of Indian Legend
Ramanujan who is described as ‘Srinivasa
Ramanujan FRS was an Indian mathematician and autodidact who, with almost no
formal training in pure mathematics, made extraordinary contributions to
mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions.’ Wikipedia
To my mind, the main
reason for the surfacing of the above talent from within the Indigenous Indian
society during British rule - was the strict discipline practiced by the Brahmin
Caste (Priest Community) who had deep memory power through meditation. Brahmins
are Vegetarians. I have found that my focus is much sharper when I am
vegetarian. Brahmins needed that for their leadership position in Hindu
community. Abstinence from / sacrifice of individual pleasures leads to higher
level of enjoyment. It is the parallel of your physical fitness activities when
others are relaxed and are fast asleep in the mornings. At that time we connect
to Nature through our inner Truth. When
we continuously and independently enjoy through the mind, and less through the
body – the pleasure is raised to happiness – which like the aura comes with us –
even though we are often not conscious of it.
Amongst Indigenous
Communities also one would find such extraordinary talent from which we would
benefit if we respect and facilitate it to serve Society – their Society. We
saw high level display of cleverness by Sri Lankan Tamils during their time of
self-imposed isolation towards a Common cause. Such is like meditation – and it
opens the path to access ancestral powers. But the moment they are used for
lesser purposes – they become destructive. They must be Natural and they must be
used for Common purposes devoid of selfishness and they must be shared with
others contributing to that Belief through diverse pathways. Armed Tamil
rebels who stayed within their areas of belief – would have at all times
defended and not attacked. That belief would not let them attack. But those who
did not have enough belief attacked even the very source through which they were
able to give form to their cleverness.
Due to the war and
the exodus it caused – Sri Lanka especially in war-affected areas - is facing
similar problems to those highlighted by you about Indigenous Australian
Communities. I for example was born and was groomed mostly in Jaffna town. But
now when I go to Sri Lanka’s North - I reside
in a village called Thunaivi in Northern Sri Lanka within Vaddukoddai
District where the first declaration of Political Independence was made in
1976. Thunaivi was considered a
high-risk zone by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. This is because the folks of
Thunaivi are physically strong and they were separated through the Caste system
beyond its functional purposes. The Caste system was based on the type of work
undertaken by various families. Unlike in India, in Northern Sri Lanka the Farmer
Caste enjoyed higher status than the Priests. The folks of Thunaivi were by
work and caste largely Toddy Tappers. They are physically strong but did not
actively seek education. Even now – when I go there I find little kids avoiding
school to idle. But most men undertake manual work and most women are
home-makers whilst some work as domestic helps in the higher caste homes in the
neighborhood. The last group developed a thirst for higher education through
the families and individuals to whom caste was for functional reasons only. I
expect this to have happened within relationships that members of the
Indigenous Communities had with Mainstream Australians.
Like you, I was
also keen to promote ‘education’ within that Indigenous group - with a view to
eliminating caste based discrimination practiced by both sides. Treating Vellalar (Farmer Caste) as a higher caste even though one is no longer
a farmer amounts to social discrimination. Often this is done for the same
reason why migrants treat senior migrants of British origin as being of higher
class. In both instances it is easier that way and more economically beneficial
for the junior class. It is living with the folks of Thunaivi that I learnt how
to structure their / our common pathway. It was NOT by showing them that I was
better educated than they. It was/is by facilitating for them to show me how
clever they are in their own special areas such as cooking traditional dishes,
masonry work, developing vegetable gardens, tailoring, drama and sports. I am
actually not as skilled as they in all of the above areas.
You state in your
letter ‘In very remote areas of the
Northern Territory, only a quarter of children attend school often enough to
learn and I have met far too many teenagers who can barely write their name. What
hope will they have of getting work? And if they have no hope of work, what
hope is there of these teenagers living long healthy and happy lives?’
We do have their
parallels in the above area in Sri Lanka. We facilitated some to train and some
others to work in Colombo. But they came
back ‘home’ due to their ‘freedom’ which they did not have in Colombo. We then restructured their training and work
and we monitor teenagers and children through our camera system and then
provide them with ongoing education in discipline through Skype. In addition we bring young ones together
through story-telling and writing competitions exclusively tailored to suit
their environments. All this would not be possible if we had given them
handouts. To my mind, I am doing this
for my sake – for me to fill the Gap on behalf of my section of the Community.
Subsequent to the
above mentioned Vaddukoddai Resolution, political victory through which Tamil
Political Group became the Equal Opposition in Government in 1977, confirmed
that that declaration was Belief based.. The pathway was beyond conscious
average calculations. It was Natural. Believers
would identify with that karma. Ethnicity based war is part of Sri Lanka’s
tapestry as the Indigenous Gap is part of Australia’s tapestry. It is due to
our respective heritage. When rights and wrongs go beyond their current place
and time – they become heritages. We may like it or we may dislike it. Once we
accept it as our own true picture of the
past – it is no longer a threat. We just have to contribute more towards wider
society of our current times and/or save enough for the future generations by
raising our standards beyond the physical to become Commonly accessible to all
seekers.
The Australian
parallel of the above picture of Tamil Equality – despite being minority in
terms of numbers - would be for a Party
of Indigenous Communities to become the
Equal Opposition in National Parliament. That would happen if the incumbent
party in Government position strongly loses the confidence of the People and the current Opposition Party gets a landslide victory in the following
elections AND in the meantime Indigenous
Communities had worked and sacrificed for Equal status through the Political
pathway. Belief by minorities would make
that happen if all the ingredients are present. Belief alone is an Eternal
Power that travels with us beyond time and place borders. One who invests beyond one’s official
position - would naturally develop such Belief. If that were to happen, then
the Indigenous Political Leader in Parliament would by law enjoy Equal status
to the Prime Minister – just like the American President has the Opportunity to
take up equal status in the UN as the Sri Lankan President – despite the US
led Resolution against Sri Lanka in
relation to War-Crimes.
Most of us do not
know how exactly Belief works but we know it works. The Mathematical genius
mentioned above connected to the theory of numbers that already existed. He did
not go through formal training towards this. Accordingly zero in form represents no value
as well as full value along the same vertical plane of 1 to 9. When you add the
first number 1 to the last number 9 – in value you get 10. But if you stay
along the same vertical plane - mentally
the 9 is connected to the 1 and you complete that vertical placement. This is
the way of Indigenous communities who live close to the land. Those of us who have come far from the origin
– show 10, 100, and so on until we are not able to comprehend physically and/or
mentally. Hence Infinity. In terms of
Sovereign value , one who never left home – but connected the first to the last
along the same plane – is as wholesome as one who uses the lateral plane and
connects to the culture many columns away. Those who do not make this connection
– are in fact weaker than the one who stayed at ‘home’ and connected to the
origin.
Australians and recent migrants who did not complete their relationships
with their cultural leaders at their places of origin – would be less Sovereign
than Indigenous Communities who never left their homelands. Hence the latter
need to bow their heads when going into those Indigenous areas which become Spiritual
by staying in one place living largely through the Natural Resources available
to them.
No vote as well as
full Governance may show the same Freedom on the outside. It is the Experience
that confirms the real value. If therefore we take a member of the Indigenous
Community who is close to self-governance and place them in our lateral system of
migrants – senior migrants and junior migrants – we weaken/damage their
self-esteem due to change of status. If
they seek to come out – that is a choice they make to become relatives in wider
world. The value of zero could be nothing or everything – depending on how
close it is to its place of birth. Hence 9 becomes 10 to spread laterally – but
only when it stays along the same vertical plane.
It is that Belief -
that we are Sovereign - that ‘Closes the Gap’ in the mind of the Minority power
– as demonstrated by the ABC Managing Director who demonstrated his belief in
Higher Independent Media Values. Outsiders may criticize us of neglect.
Minorities themselves may expect quid pro quos to follow majority – as happens
with most migrants. But they take value away from Australia’s Sovereignty even
though they may seem to be the Government’s darlings. Every migrant from less
developed country relative to Australia or Indigenous Australian who foregoes
quid-pro-quos to uphold her/his Sovereignty adds real and wholesome power to
Australia. So long as we are Sovereign including through the narrowest of footpaths
– we promote Natural Harmony anywhere anytime we ‘feel at home.’ It is the Government’s duty to clear any
blocks along this pathway of Truth.
As highlighted by
you – Administration of Common Areas need to be devolved to States and
Municipalities – towards better balance between Law & Truth. The latter is
best enjoyed confidentially through our Sovereignty in our home areas. Those of
us who seek to participate in that need to reside with those communities and
become part of them during that period of residence, would be part of the
solution – the bridging solution. It happens through Truth and not principles. Mathematical
Legend Ramanujan questioned his teacher (who said any number divided by itself
is 1) - as to how zero divided by zero could be 1 when zero added to other
numbers raises the value of that number? That was the start of his lateral spread and
yet he did not need any formal / structured leadership into this.
Once completed
locally that whole would naturally merge with other wholes. Their achievement
should not be measured at Work-In-Progress stage. In the world of that
Commonness we would not ‘see’ any differences in educational standards or
hygiene.
Belief has higher
value than Cleverness. A person with
belief but poor educational standards and poor hygiene as seen by wider world
through the eyes of relativity is likely to be more at Peace with her/himself
than a Clever person whose mind never stands still to experience the beauty of
Truth / Nature but keeps relating and hoarding and enforcing the obsolete. As
per my direct experience with the Government – you are more close to Nature
than your senior – Mr. John Howard during whose time I felt strong
discrimination pain.
Hence I urge you
to take a look at the picture at http://austms.blogspot.com.au/2014/11/tamil-sinhalaavatars-today-23-november.html and honestly
ask yourself whether you would achieve through your system – the natural
harmony demonstrated by the devotees of Nallur Murugan of Northern Sri Lanka? I
am often part of such large gathering during Nallur Festival time. To my
mind the gathering is self-managed
because of strong and reliable Administration at Nallur. How could they or
their relatives be listed as Terrorists? They would not be by their own. Instead
they would be cured internally of any weaknesses. Also, would you be comfortable
in removing your shirt as Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa – immediate past President of Sri Lanka has demonstrated? Yet in terms of Refugees both of you had
common interests due to your official positions. I believe that is all the
commonness we are entitled to take for
granted until we become Sovereign along our respective diverse pathways.
I pray that you
continue with your goodness.
Yours sincerely
Gajalakshmi
Paramasivam
Appendix
Mr. Sendt wrote on 20 November 2003 in
response to my Public demand for him to pay his Dues as an Accountant::
Ms Param, I fully understand that auditors
are not to participate in the management of the entities they audit. That is
basic. What I said in my report is that external financial reports only give a
partial view of the performance of many public entities. Such entities are not
established to earn a profit or a return on assets, but to provide services to
the public. So to give a true and fair view of how well they are providing
services, they also produce non-financial performance indicators. If financial
reports are required to be audited – to give the public confidence in their
accuracy – then so too should the performance indicators. I fail to see how you
can state that this is participating in the management of the entity.
Bob Sendt
NSW Auditor General
My response to the above indicates the deep
wisdom I have in Audit and Compliance, largely based on my Sri Lankan training:
Thank you Mr. Sendt for the prompt response. Most progressive
organizations produce both – Financial and Non-Financial Performance
Indicators. They are both for MANAGEMENT
purposes and reflect the THINKING and WORK_IN_PROGRESS. If you use Performance
Indicators – then you are thinking with them. This is like the Executive
Government participating in the Judicial process. Your Non-Financial Reports
are the Legal records that these organizations are required to maintain – such
as the Recruitment and Employee Assessment records. Where there is a big gap
between Law and Practice – it requires YOUR staff to do the additional work.
Taking the Performance Indicators distracts you away from this work. It is in
breach of the Doctrine of Separation of
Powers. These organizations must be allowed to confidentially do the
cooking and it’s up to your staff to do the spy work from the finished product
to the LAW and not to their dreams and goals. You are seeking the short path
because your staff are not trained to find out from the client staff what is
going on. Staff often ‘hide’ information from you because you are third party.
So they should. That way your staff would improve their skills. Using
client-staff’s work-in-progress deters your staff from thinking through their
own specialty = AUDIT on the basis of existing LAW. Then we would become a
uniform society instead of a diverse society challenging each other – you
within the existing law and the operational staff towards tomorrow’s laws.
Challenging leads to creativity – as you can see from me. Gandhi also said that
the night he was thrown out of the first class compartment of the South African
RAILWAYS was his most creative experience.
You need to get the client organization to
publish their non-financial reports that are mandatorily maintained. Public
service organizations primarily make goodwill. This can also be positive or
negative – profits or losses. They are collected together and are balanced with
the total costs through Common Funds. It will be useful for you to develop a
standard dollar value for these legal requirements so the People can SEE and
know the Truth. Your role is not to help them make a profit but to report
whether they are and how much. How about doing one on UNSW? Or State Rail?
Thank you again for responding. It has helped
deeply.
Regards, Gaja
