Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 04 June  2015

K. B. Sundarambal (left) as Nandanar and 

Maharajapuram Viswanathan Iyer as Brahmin

in the 1935 film Nandanar.

Majority-Minority Relationships

I believe that in any relationship – the higher contributor to the relationship is the leader – irrespective of what the social, official or cultural systems say. I believe also that to the extent the net value of our contributions to a relationship is positive we inherit the qualities that would be positive for the whole and would naturally boost our self-confidence.  Where the net value is negative we inherit the negative qualities that weaken the Natural Powers that work that institution, family, community or nation. Where we take the person through her/his position – relative to ours – we are relating to all those in that position in the past and at current times – for better or for worse. Where we take the person as an individual the relationship is limited to the individual – for better or for worse. In terms of a country – we could therefore relate to others through our relative status with the Government – the highest relative or as individuals. The Prime Minister of Australia could therefore be Head of that Government or just Mr. Abbott with his own personal qualities. Today, I read and responded to the following  Facebook message:

 “Australia is generally a tolerant society until a member of its minority demonstrates that they don’t know their place. The minute a member of the minority acts as though they are not a mere supplicant, we lose our minds”

I commented as follows:

‘We would lose our mind only if we believe that we are lesser. Those of us who believe we belong as per OUR contribution would help our predecessors not lose their minds. To feel that sense of belonging our contributions to the Common need to be of greater value than benefits drawn/received from the Common’

I have thus confirmed that I took the Common Position as ‘migrant’ which makes me a majority power and not minority power.  But to get there I had to renounce earned benefits from my official positions which were still under subjective leadership – and feel the confidence that I was the real leader – through net positive contribution to the relationship. In terms of the position of Prime Minister – I made the sacrifice when Mr. Howard was in that position and the return came through our current Prime Minister – Mr. Abbott who to my mind is more democratic than Mr. Howard was in that position.

A member of the minority could demonstrate that s/he does not know her/his place – meaning her/his earned position – as per her/his True contribution to the whole or may assume a position in Australia as per their past – in their country of origin.  One who truly earned that position in the past would be acting as per her/his Truth. But one who got that higher position through external influence and/or through inheritance without having paid their due respects at that place of origin – would be making a negative contribution to the new relationship in Australia. Such a position would therefore be false and would weaken the investment Australia has made in Independence/Sovereignty.

Within the Sri Lankan Community of both Tamil as well as Sinhalese ethnicities – we find more of the latter. I attribute the common cause for the Sinhalese to be their majority power in Sri Lanka and for the Tamils to be desiring the same majority power through ‘Tamil Eelam only’ ambitions. Most of these folks would go along with the Australian Government – not because they believe in the Australian Government but more because they have abandoned their Australianism to the Government. Majority Sri Lankan Tamils  outside Tamil Only areas  did just that back in Sri Lanka. Likewise majority Sri Lankan Sinhalese outside Sinhala Only areas. The above statement about minorities getting into trouble for not taking their places was clearly visible in Sri Lanka. We, the current generation have the opportunity to get it right for ourselves as well as for the younger generations. Often those who are ‘spoilt’ by their communities become the natural causes of conflict when they occupy the higher seat in a relationship – including by emigrating to money-richer countries.

Prior to the civil war in Sri Lanka, I could walk into any large institution and take my true position without needing any external influence. But within family I had to largely take my official position as allocated by family elders. Now I believe that the ‘sacrifice’ transformed into ‘Maintenance & Development Energy’ in terms of family and in parts of the community that is still hierarchical or is ready for democracy through equal position for the junior once the debt to the senior is settled. This settlement happens in many ways – including by the junior becoming a senior in another section of the extended family and/or  by attaining public status that adds value to the Common Family.

In Australia, as a migrant I took my allocated position – and not the official equal position as per the law, nor my earned position as per my Truth.   I now realize that this made me feel Australian much more quickly  than if I had demanded my official position of equality. By taking that allocated position as a new migrant, I was including all  our elders including our  First Australians also as my elders/seniors. Hence the relationship was easy to work. In terms of the current occupier of the other side of the relationship – I continue to work the relationship in most instances, due to that sacrifice and the relationship is completed at the higher level. When I am not able to – I complete that relationship at the lower level. I then include that discovery about the current occupier – to restructure the relationship in my mind – so that my investment in that position is reduced. This often is to allocate a position in the outer circle. That is how we restructure continuously when Truth is more important than particularly calculated and expected outcomes.

Until Tamils in Sinhalese areas and Sinhalese in Tamil areas take their true positions in Sri Lanka – our conflict will continue. The Judicial system in Sri Lanka has been polluted by Politics – not only due to Politicians interfering with the Judiciary but also due to Law-Makers being driven by votes rather than Equal Justice to all. In a nation where the law enforcement agencies have become weak – one needs to use Truth and one who genuinely cares about the whole – would.

Minorities in their countries of origin,  who abandon their status to their leaders and/or to Majority – come to new countries as dependents and this adds to Australia’s dependence tendencies. Independent minorities on the other hand strengthen Australia’s Independence Forces/Sovereignty. Likewise when the Diaspora participate in Independence Activities of their countries/cultures  of origin. Those who are independent would add Independence Power. Others would abandon one or the other or both for immediate pleasures. They would lack the power to Structure and Restructure. However low a relationship may be in status - once we work through and become independent of the relationship, we have realized the wholesome value of that relationship as well  ownership in the whole institution that the relationship is a part of. That is how whether we are Pariah or Brahmin/Cleaner or Vice Chancellor/ Rebel or President  – we become That.