Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 11 July  2015

Sins of War

Wrongs when left uncorrected become sins once the current period when costs and benefits could be calculated through current measures, has expired – like in ‘use by dates’. Likewise, when the person wronged is no longer accessible. The longer it is left uncorrected the stronger the force of negativity which often is a demotivating force in terms of work. Once the wrong evolves as negative force – one could only compensate and not correct the wrong to restore to original position.  This negative force is the form that the wrong evolves into. When left uncompensated even then - it becomes sin. Once it is a sin – we cannot make amends through compensation either. From then on – there is no relativity but the sin travels with us as a debilitating aspect.  It becomes downward pulling force – as if the demon is travelling with us – until we become the demon wherever we go. The redemption is Surrender to whoever is believed to have a virtue in that regard.

The Indonesian President played god with Bali 9 leaders in his War against Drugs. Now Bali Tourism is suffering due to Mt. Raung erupting. Others  may make the connection in different ways. We would all be right – as per our genuine contributions. Karma never fails.

As per latest Sri Lankan news – former President Mahinda Rajapakse is also a contestant in the upcoming Parliamentary elections. Is this positive or negative for Sri Lanka? Let’s start with the 1978 Constitution which gave birth to the position of President in Sri Lanka.

National Leadership structures need to be models that citizens would be able to follow successfully in their local areas – right down to the basic organizational unit – the family. Leaders share their real energies with voters – towards this and v.v. At the individual’s level – belief is the path through which such empowerment happens. Hence an individual is needed to work a system  that is beyond the reach of the local group through the official and cultural pathways.

Keeping this in mind, I conclude that  the parliamentary structure that Sri Lanka had until 1978, had the effect of working through family units. The structure with President as the head of   State – directly elected by the People – meant that individuals counted more than institutional structures – starting within family units. Would this suit Sri Lanka whose leaders tend to be driven by time based traditions? Is it not another form of  the Monarchical system? The effects/outcomes  in Sri Lanka confirm that it is -  through  both the Bandaranaike family as well as the Rajapakse family.  Likewise on the side of Tamils – it’s the Prabhakaran family – albeit at the military level. All other forms of Administration would be pushed down to the lower Administrative level under such a leader. There is nothing wrong with this – so long as we do not claim benefits in the name of Democracy and also find fault with others for not being Democratic.

The best Lesson known to me to distinguish between the two  systems – is the Hindu legend about the Divine Mango. To me this legend is the mind of persons of  Hindu Tamil culture who were able to foresee the need for democratic assessments and judgments.  Hence the Hindu part of Tamil culture – which as majority face  of Sri Lankan Tamils – is as old as Muruga – the Deity with six faces depicting 360 degree view / assessment.  That is also the electoral system forming parliament and voting on top governance issues on the basis of belief – beyond Administrative decisions. This is the additional power of parliament that the Judiciary does not have. The Judiciary does not have the belief based authority to make new laws. But the Judiciary has the authority to Judge the Executive Government from a higher position.

 Belief of voters must culminate in belief of elected members/President to bring about necessary changes to the system. This must happen beyond their Administrative positions – for them to have the moral authority to give birth to new laws  or repeal or amend existing laws. Such changes would naturally drive voters through this belief based connection – the belief being that the elected person is their government. In democracy without President – this ceases with sending members to Parliament.  In systems with President – it was extended beyond the Multicultural Administrative system and this has the effect of preserving higher investments in the time based subjective hierarchical system. But the power to work the Presidential system is diminished when the elected person fails to respect and value the past contribution by all those who came along that pathway. Respecting parallel leaderships in other cultures is therefore essential for majority to maintain this within their own areas of cultural belief.  Actively facilitating such leadership would help develop this respect. This is often known through ‘attitudes’.

The Vice Chancellor of University of NSW who had me arrested for peaceful assembly – was trained under the American system and hence went back to students directly as President. This resulted in conflict with the Governing Council who were continuing to use the parallel of Westminster parliamentary system of governance. This is also the case with Sri Lankan  Government and this ‘habit’  was given form through the 1978 Constitution. One in fact wonders whether the 1978 Constitution was towards this ‘double-dipping’ – once into the Democratic free world and again into time based seniority?

Under the parliamentary system therefore – the elected leaders must vote as if there is no one above them in position. That is a requirement to uphold Sovereignty. At that level  - the elected leader is the basis of belief/god. Each Minister is responsible for the issues under her/his portfolio and needs to believe in the issue as if s/he were the issue – in order to use discretionary powers beyond Administration. The elected member on the other hand needs to only identify with the issue to the extent s/he believes that her/his electorate needs it. The rest is not her/his business. It’s like the system of many religions and one god.

The 360 degree view is needed in the system of global democracy because of lateral global movements which result in multiculturalism. If I need to know my merit based value to my current environment – I need to assess myself through the values recognized by various parts of my environment over a period when I have been active with that part of the environment. That is my active current value. Likewise I  have the right to assess each and every one of them on the same basis. But there needs to be no inclusion of ‘past’ merit in the current assessment. Often this is difficult for those who are used to the hierarchical system.

If the above is lower than the total value as per my past valuations – it is better to keep the old credits confidential to be  used as ‘Reserves/Character’ to help someone else surface their credits in their current systems which are closely connected to my old system through which I accumulated the Reserves. For example Sri Lanka for me. 

Many retired migrants go into governance discussions of their countries of origin for this reason. Many share their Reserves with those who need to surface their credits during current times. The requirement in doing this is that we should not be actively Administering those juniors but be there for them as governors – so they would share through common belief. Likewise subjective powers in Presidential system.

In the above Mango Legend, Muruga who went around the world to claim the prize  - got upset with His parents for giving the prize to the elder brother. The elder brother Ganesh – went around the parents and claimed the prize/heritage. The parallel of Ganesh in the Sri Lankan Community are the practitioners of  Customary laws including Thesawalamai Customary Law which is the essential base of Tamil Royal ancestry. The parallel of young brother Muruga are the global Tamils. In terms of Sri Lankans who practice local traditions  - Ganesh is the example. That  system is Monarchical and is time based. Hence SWRD Bandaranaike’s Sinhala Only mentality – evolved as President Only structure. 

This was strongly upheld by Mr. Rajapakse especially through military force. Mr. Rajapaksa has confirmed already that he can work the military system and that he was very ordinary before the military defeat of LTTE. As a Vaddukoddai resident pointed out – Mr. Rajapaksa’s performance was better after the 2010 elections.

Given that Mr. Rajapakse failed to correct the wrongs during the war – they have now become sins of war. They are carried by him and that position and if indeed the LTTE or other type of rebels are activated – the damage would be worse than it was before due to the exponential power of these sins. This time, the causal reason would be the citizen – who already has knowledge of what would happen post-war under such leadership. Blaming the LTTE for the war would only make it worse. We continue to observe whether the Sinhalese voter is using brawn power or brain power in these elections.