Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 07 November  2015

How Northern Tamils defeated Mr. Rajapaksa

Daily Mirror reports through its article The Solheim claim  ‘Mahinda planned to offer the North to Prabhakaran’:

‘Former Norwegian Development Minister and peace envoy to Sri Lanka, Erik Solheim dropped this bombshell days ago claiming that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been willing to give self-rule to Tamils without calling for elections in the North.’ -‘

Those who have been investing in Sri Lankan Governance would not find this surprising. A good example included in the above article, confirming this is as follows:

[The undiplomatic nature of some of the comments made by the former Norwegian  minister, whether they were true or not, must be the result of his somewhat bitter last encounters with the former president. To mention a case in point, during an interview former “The Hindu” Editor N. Ram had with Mahinda Rajapaksa in July 2009 the latter’s secretary Lalith Weeratunge had intervened to say:  “It was about March 2006 when Mr. Solheim came to see H.E. after he became president and had also said, in the midst of other things: ‘Prabhakaran is a military genius. I have seen him in action etc., etc. to which the President had responded: ‘He is from the jungles of the North. I am from the jungles of the South. Let’s see who will win!’ It was very prophetic. Later the President met Minister Solheim in New York and reminded him of their conversation on the ‘military geniuses,’ of the jungles of the North and South, and who would win. The East had by that time, in 2007, been cleared and the President had said: ‘Now see what’s going to happen in the North,[ it will be ]the same.”]

But as per what happened ultimately – Mr. Rajapaksa was defeated by Northern Tamils. One could say that Prabhakaran lost to the armed forces and Mahinda Rajapaksa lost to the People – both due to giving preference to ‘foreigners’ above ‘locals’.

They say that no man is an island. We have networks of connections – some human and others natural. The most difficult ones to identify with are the natural ones – especially when one is used to being pampered including by one’s own past. When we are connected to our own Truth we recognize others’ Truth. That’s the way of Creation. When I wrote about my experiences at family and/or institutional levels – there were many who were critical of such writing. Despite losing popularity with them – I kept writing. I felt empowered by those who had previously appreciated my work and others who developed faith in me due to my writing work. I fully believe that when I share my Truth – the minds of those of Common Faith would become more orderly through such sharing. That is a higher reward for my work than being popular with those who are yet to identify with their own Truth.

I now realize that when the individual is connected to her/his Truth – the Family that s/he is a part of is orderly; when the Family is connected to its Truth – the Community that the family is part of is orderly; When the Community is connected to its Truth the Nation is orderly; When the Nation is connected to its Truth – the Region that the Nation is a part of is orderly. When the Region is connected to its Truth – the Globe is orderly.

Sri Lanka, to be connected to its Truth needs its own space. Hence the status of Sovereignty at UN level.  Another Nation – such as Norway – has the authority on bilateral level through common institutions. This does not include Politics on the basis of Land. India and other members of the Region have that added advantage – but only to the extent they feel Sri Lanka is a part of them through Regional commonness.

There are many lessons in the Indian Epic Mahabharatham through which one could work out one’s responsibility in particular situations involving Governance. When I read the above heading ‘Mahinda Planned to offer North to Prabhakaran’ – the example that came to mind was that of the loss of Pandava  Brothers – their country, their people themselves and FINALLY their wife – in a game of Dice. The question asked then by wife Throupathi was ‘Did my husband offer me as the stake before he lost himself or after?’  The reply  was ‘after’. Then Throupathi says words to the effect ‘that she was not a commodity to be offered as stake’. The question whether the offer was ‘before’ or ‘after’ was asked towards bringing this out. It’s the difference between cook and chef. If Throupathi was a servant – without ownership in Head Position in that structure – the master had the authority to offer her as ‘stake’ as per the policies of that time. But given that Throupathi chose her husband out of many who claimed to be eligible -   she confirmed her Equal status as a Royal  at the point of entry. It’s the parallel of Equal Opportunity entitlements to those who enter Australia as Equals through the migration process – not as assessed by officers – but as per the migrant her/himself through the Truth known to her/him..

By threatening the voters in North during the  2005 Presidential Elections  Prabhakaran made a commodity of  Tamils. But the minds of Tamils continued to accumulate power by rejecting this move. When we try our best to follow the processes within our environments and then submit our contributions to our own Truth within – with our conscience as our Judge – we are in the system of Truth which works independent of any particular individual or group. It answers to all contributors to Its system along the way. As a Sri Lankan – I followed my conscience and the law most of the time I was living in Sri Lanka.   As an individual I naturally add value to my family, my community and my nation through my Truth. If I therefore followed law above my Truth – when they showed different outcomes, I would be damaging this natural network. Hence my setting aside  of the official system from that point  onwards. This connected me to grassroots level including through Australian ancestors.

Where I could not identify with the law naturally – I limited my area of authority  to my Truth. Hence I feel connected to Sri Lankans also at grassroots level. If I feel I am a Sri Lankan of Equal status to the President – then all those who are connected to me through Common Faith – are part of that institution that is an equal parallel to the Government. THAT is Natural Devolution. 

Once Vaddukoddai Resolution was declared in 1976 – all believers in the status of Tamils as a Community  being Equal and Different to Sinhalese as a Community  became such a parallel in Sri Lanka. The Blessings of Nature were confirmed through the 1977 Parliamentary elections which confirmed this Equal status. THAT was the confirmation that the belief of those Tamils who truly felt Independent – was from then on part of the Lord’s system. LTTE reduced its own status by picking up arms AFTER this manifestation. The reason is revealed through Mr. Solheim’s declaration  - ‘Prabhakaran is a military genius’.  Tamils’ higher contribution to Self-Governance was thus damaged for lower ends of military wins.

Mr. Rajapaksa in turn treated Northern Tamils to show how (like Sakuni in Mahabharatham) clever he was at cheating in Politics which eventually became cheating in weapons based war. Tamils did lose money and human resources but the young prisoners  who recently declined  ‘Rehabilitation’ based on their self-assessment – confirmed that the losses have strengthened our  Dignity. Truth never dies. The body of the true believer may be absent in Sri Lanka. But the Truth shared by them until the death of that body will continue to empower everyone who Believes s/he is Sri Lankan, towards self-governance. Likewise the Sri Lankan soldiers who believed as per their experience – that they were protecting the sovereignty of their Nation. No UN inquiry or punishment can touch them provided they do not ‘desire’ unearned benefits from wider world.

At the Higher Common level – this is a battle between the Self-Governing Citizen and the Dependent Ruler. The Ruler who desires money and quick status – makes her/himself dependent on ‘invaders’.  Sinhalese Rulers became dependent on voters and Prabhakaran became dependent on Indian Politicians who would pay him for his cleverness. India’s  Spirituality punished its own to return the karma quickly to kill its own Political leader. Once Nature has punished, we lesser mortals have no authority to punish.

Sri Lanka being less spiritual is taking longer but is getting closer and closer to its Truth through  the few Sri Lankans who are connected to their own Truth – however money or status poor they may be and however far away from Sri Lanka they may physically reside. All those who expect handouts and handovers are blocking that path and they would reduce their own negative karma by stepping aside to facilitate these few self-governors who would lead Sri Lanka to redeem itself.