Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 29 Aug  2015

Black Magic & Voter Faith

I was feeling refreshed after responding to the Pandits of Colombo 7 – one of whom said about me towards the end of our conversation in relation to the article ‘Lord Muruga Blesses America’ :

We can thank Lord Muruga that the gnat is finally gone.  What a pain in the neck!

She should be spanked by a naked fakir!

I gave this ‘Association of Muthalalis,  Golayas & Panthangkarayas’ (Traders, henchmen and bribers) more of the same as part of the ‘continuing education process’. Then I relaxed and the anecdote I first heard in Papua New Guinea came to mind.

It’s about the Fisherman who claims ‘Jesus I was not serious but just joking’. This guy was trying to catch fish and was waiting a while when he resorted to a vow to give Jesus half the fish he caught. Soon a big fish was hooked. Quickly this guy thought ‘why would Jesus want the fish – I will keep it all’. Then the fish slipped away. The guy said ‘But I was only joking! Jesus does not understand the difference between being serious and joking!’. Thinking of this in relation to the Election outcomes in Sri Lanka – especially in relation to the position of Leader of the Opposition which according to my calculations rightly belongs to the Tamils if the two leading parties form Unity Government – I  went to ‘Sri Lankan News’ and read the ‘Ceylon Today’ article ‘US backing local inquiry into alleged war crimes - Old wine in new bottles’ by Manekshaw.

I was impressed that the author had noted the main ‘dress-change’ act by Tamil Politicians as I also had noted. The author says about this:

‘The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarians are sarcastically described as 'white veshti men' by the voters in the North and the East for appearing in their traditional white attire during their election campaign.

However, a week after the election, four of the newly elected TNA Parliamentarians led by their Leader R. Sampanthan and Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran appeared in western attire wearing suits to meet the US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal Desai at the US Ambassador's residence in Colombo a few days ago.’

The dress change did seem strange – considering that Sri Lankans were hosting Americans. It gave me some further indicators  as to why TNA was not claiming the position of Leadership of the Opposition. Some excerpts from the above article in this regard :

‘The failures experienced in the political moves in the past three decades in bringing an end to the armed struggle had led to extensive human rights violations and war crimes.
It was none other than the US Government that realized extensively the adverse effects of the war in the Island when the resolutions were brought against the Rajapaksa regime by the UNHRC in Geneva in the past three years.
Since the Tamil National Alliance had emphasized on an International probe into the alleged war crimes in its Election Manifesto and requested the voters from the North and the East to stand by its stance on demanding an International investigation, the new move by the US Government to support the domestic investigation will certainly put the TNA in a dilemma towards building a healthy reconciliation process.
With the credibility lost over the local investigations and commissions which were established in the past to bring relief to the war victims by establishing truth, the new move by the US will be viewed by the people who seek justice as nothing new but 'Old wine in new bottles'.

Focusing at the National level  instead of  just the TNA, the Island Editorial states in regards to the Leadership crisis:

‘Empty rhetoric

People were urged, before the recently concluded election, to vote wisely and they have done so. They haven’t enabled either of the two main parties which are responsible for taking turns to bring the country to the present pass, to secure a working majority in Parliament, thus compelling them to work out a compromise formula. When governments get comfortable or steamroller majorities they get intoxicated with power and their leaders act like druggies. It is only when they are weak that they behave and respect the public.’

This applies also to the official media which fails to recognize the Minorities without whom Majority cannot be Majority and therefore do not have the power to form Democratic Government. In other words like the Fisherman who promised half share to God the Politicians who promised half share to the True Opposition, are now thinking of keeping the whole in whatever form they can. As per the Election outcome – Tamils have won the Leadership position if the Party that got the second highest seats takes up Government Portfolios. Yet  the above editor seems to have forgotten about the TNA’s position. The Editor states:

‘The Maithripala Sirisena faction of the SLFP and the UNP had been planning to form a joint administration even before the August 17 parliamentary election because that was the only way, they thought, they could keep their mutual enemy Mahinda Rajapaksa at bay. But, today, some of their ambitious members are not happy with the ministerial portfolios they are to be given, we are told. Two dogs at the same bone seldom agree, as they say. The on-going wrangle over ministerial posts has found expression in acrimonious rhetoric from both sides’

When the two main Sinhalese parties came together to form Common Opposition – to remove former President Mahinda Rajapksa and his clan – they were acknowledging that neither could do it on their own – Mr. Rajapaksa’s party through internal measures nor the Opposition UNP through the elections. Yet – in numbers Mr. Rajapaksa’s group was in the minority. If such is the case with Mr. Rajapaksa clan – it is also true of  Tamils who are have the capability of producing another Velupillai Prabakaran with India’s support.

In his brilliant article ‘Election Defeat: International Conspiracy Or Hooniyam?’ Gamini Weerakoon of Sunday Leader confirms similar mind order to mine – as to the invisible powers that work the Lankan mind:

‘Two old friends of the Forward School for Backward Boys were meeting at their Waterhole to analyse the election results…………..

Nodath (No Teeth)– the UNP (the party that came first) guy* to Sududath (White Teeth) the UPFA (the party that came second)* : Your party must decide on the kind of conspiracy deployed – Computer Jillmart, substituting ballot boxes while in transit to counting centres, stealing manape votes at counting centres or the old fashion tactic of ‘bath (rice*) packet and a bottle of arrack(*)’. I will give you a tip. Investigate bribery of astrologers and deployment of Hooniyam(witchcraft*).

Find out who gave a dead rope to Mahinda on the inauspicious time and day to hold the presidential election? I know the CIA got to Mahinda’s Achilles’ Heel – astrologers. Using RAW Indian decoys they bribed astrologers to give Mahinda dead ropes.

The RAW then got to Thovil (devil-dancing to heal*) ceremonies which Sinhalese down centuries have sworn by. They performed Hooniyam and buried charms in compounds of the Rajapaksas. Mahinda got wind of the possibility of Hooniyam quite late. That’s why he fled to Kurunegala.

So what to do Machang? asked Sududath in desperation.

Nodath: Remember Vermin Silva who unearthed a Hooniyam buried in the Rosemead Place residence of Mrs. B. Get him to your side. Poor fellow is now trying to jump into the Kelani Ganga after Ranil said, no.

*Gaja’s interpretation

Through Murugan Philosophy, I have explained my own thinking along these lines – not as witchcraft – but as true belief. President Maithripala Sirisena for example went to Kathirgamam before the Presidential elections. If he won due to Lord Muruga’s blessings – then like the fisherman above – he was also promising half share to Tamils in Government. Little did he know that his own party in Parliament would lose that status through the formation that was developed by Sinhalese Leaders. A relative-in-law said to me that when she got married and went to Kathirgamam and could not get the sweet rice that was being distributed – she prayed to Lord Muruga to bless her with a tall daughter. She did get a tall daughter but later the parents had difficulty finding her a taller husband!  My experience in 2005 was the opposite. Like Tamils I was a minority devotee at Kathirgamam – when I went to thank Lord Muruga at Kathirgamam for clearing the pathway for me to take the Tsunami Reconstruction Proposals for Mangkerni in Eastern Sri Lanka to the then President Madam Kumaratunga. I travelled by Public Transport had not booked in advance for accommodation. The lodge that usually accommodated Sri Lanka Transport Board families gave me a room just for one night. After a shower – I went straight to the temple – even though I was hungry. I managed to get close to the altar and later found a mother and daughter next to me speaking in Sinhalese and communicating with one of the priests. Soon after mass we were ushered out and this priest gave me a big lump of sweet-rice and said in Sinhalese ‘wait outside for me’. I felt that he had mistaken me for that other lady. I turned around – but that lady was not there. I went outside and waited. The priest also did not turn up. Then I went to the Ganesh shrine next-door sat down and had the sweet rice for dinner. To this day I believe that Kathirgama Murugan sent me that rice because He kept account of my service.

All the intelligence agencies mentioned in the above conversation – are the ‘other side’ of true belief. They are the demons of selfishness generating business / work for themselves. Hence they qualify as witchcraft.

Going back in that consciousness to the Common Opposition - once they managed to remove Mr. Rajapaksa through this Common process they planned similar for Parliamentary elections. At that time – they did not realize that this was likely to make the TNA the Opposition Leader in Parliament – confirming that Tamils were Equal in status to Sinhalese even though the latter are in the majority. A reliable Administrator would have known at THAT stage that this was going to happen. Even now – if the Party with second largest vote considers the Opposition to be of Equal status to the Government – and abstain from accepting Cabinet positions – they would have half the Fish.  When they go back on their promise to even One believing voter, the big fish will slip away through Divine Intervention invoked by the President at Kathirgamam – where Murugan – the Tamil God is the Presiding Deity. Whoever prays at Kathirgamam Murugan Shrine – is praying to the Tamil minds that gave form to their Philosophy through Murugan. The Nation reports that TNA’s entitlement has been confirmed by the President’s Party’s spokesperson:

‘Sri Lanka Freedom Party spokesperson Dilan Perera has been quoted in the media in his personal capacity that he believes that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has the right to hold the post of the Opposition Leader. Some of the UPFA members who were elected and parties affiliated to the UPFA are of the view that they have no intention of joining the national government therefore will sit in the Opposition.’

Those who are ‘attached’ to the benefits without having truly earned them on common principles – would tend to ‘divide and rule’ as the above UPFA section seems to be doing. What a mess!

The Tamil problem if  ‘forgotten’ by those in official positions would continue to invoke wars in Sri Lanka. In essence, we are now seeing a repeat as follows:

1976 Vaddukoddai Resolution – has evolved as UN Resolution

1977 Election Victory which facilitated Tamils to take up Leadership position– seems to be that of the Tamils again if UNP & UPFA form coalition government.

1978 Constitution paving the way for a messy Presidency – is promised in another form by this new coalition which is not able to even declare as to which party has the Opposition Leadership.

Reminds one of the 2000 American Presidential election mess. Are we copying Americans to eliminate the threat of war-crimes inquiry?? That the karmic punishment for plagiarism.

As per Colombo Gazette report ‘Political groups based in Tamil Nadu have threatened to stage a protest next week against the US Government decision to back a domestic investigation on the war in Sri Lanka.

Tamil Nadu politician Thol Thirumavalavan said that he has organised a protest outside the US Embassy in Chennai on September 3 against the announcement by the US that it will sponsor a resolution in support of Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council.’

When true believers pray – vows of the unjust would turn towards the true devotee and against the worshipper looking for quick outcomes – through temporary wins.

I recall in appreciation the feedback by Patrick Harrigan to supporters in Michigan, during our Tsunami Reconstruction Service:

 ‘You will immediately notice the professional approach that Gaja and Julia have brought to our work in Mankerny, which hitherto had consisted of my occasional visits, including 18 annual pada yatra foot pilgrimages through Mankerny, whose poverty never prevented the Mankerny folks from feeding the multitude of pilgrims on their long trek to Kataragama. Gaja’s style also tells you something about her motivation in wishing to serve the poorest devotees of the inscrutable god of Kataragama, Lord Skanda-Murugan’