Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 24 January   2016

Thaipusam festival celebration in Malaysia

Right to Self Determination is Everyone’s

Today is Thai Poosam:

‘Thaipusam, Thaipoosam (Tamil: தைப்பூசம்) is a Hindu festival celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai (January/February). It is mainly observed in countries where there is a significant presence of Tamil community such as India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, South Africa, Guadalupe, Reunion, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar.

The word Thaipusam is a combination of the name of the month, Thai, and the name of a star, Pusam. This particular star is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates the occasion when Parvati  gave Murugan a Vel "spear" so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.’ Wikipedia

 On this day I read again, the response to my article ‘Who Will Save Sri Lanka?’,  from a leading member of the Tamil Diaspora who effectively states that the Ravanas of Sri Lanka need to be eliminated, for Sri Lanka to be saved/redeemed to its sovereign status. Murugan is recognized as the foremost Deity particular to Tamils. By celebrating Thai Poosam due to faith /belief – we bring the Hindu Tamil minds together. Non-Hindu Tamils who are bound through other common pathways would also feel the power of this connection. Tamil Self-Determination in Sri Lanka  is the most important issue for Tamils of Sri Lanka.

I received also from a Tamil Diaspora leader the Indian Express article ‘TNA Refutes Wigneswaran’s Charge of Giving Up Right to Self Determination’. I therefore tried to workout what I had to do at this point in time to empower Sri Lanka in terms Self-Determination – through Tamils. If Sri Lankan Tamils are self-governing – such power is naturally shared with all Sri Lankans seeking self-governance.

How does one work out whether one is self-governing? The response that came to my mind was that every true owner is self-governing. We usually claim ownership  – be it home, province or nation at three levels:

1.      The apparent – through physical association

2.      The known – through knowledge using common measures / laws/principles

3.      The felt.

In terms of Government – it is Politics, Administration and Governance

Claiming rights largely  through physical occupation, knowing that one did not pay the costs - leads to mental disorder. Not only the Sri Lankan Government which was funded by outsiders – but also the LTTE which ‘took’ money from Indians and the diaspora earning money without feeling ownership in their new nations carry these genes. Unless these are eliminated by true owners – the new constitution by these leaders would carry high level of these genes once the new constitution is written. These are the Ravana/Asura genes we Sri Lankans carry.

Asuras are those driven by brawn power – including hearsay knowledge. Hence the philosophy underpinning Thai Poosam – that it is the day when Mother with Intuitive Power empowered son towards eliminating the ego in those driven by brawn power. Ego is pleasure of the brain and it happens when our benefits are greater than the costs. The law of Nature says that at the physical level benefits must equal costs to maintain stability. Hence death is Equal Opposite to birth. The balance of the mind happens when Costs are Equal to Benefits. When more benefits are enjoyed at the physical level than the costs paid by the person/group – the person/group goes up and down with the physical manifestations for or against the person/group.

An Asura / Ravana / Physically driven person / Politician – staying within his/its natural habitat is harmless to others. But when he/it infiltrates into the world of the intellectually driven – by using brawn power – there is injustice / imbalance. It is to prevent such infiltration that one needs Separation. This happens through position hierarchy in a vertical structure and through Separation at Equal level – when the cultural differences are greater than the commonness. Where there has been position abuse in a hierarchical structure – Natural Separation happens through all those who suffered but did not retaliate. Those who retaliate confirm reliance on brawn power – as happened through LTTE. Lord Muruga Himself separated by expressly claiming injustice but NOT retaliating. In Sri Lanka a section of the Tamil Community did retaliate against abuse of  majority power . This would have diluted the ownership powers of Tamils relative to the past when we did not retaliate and therefore carried ‘intuitive powers’ of a mother. Such intuitive powers are natural to most mothers because their costs/investments in their children and family are greater than the benefits derived. Hence mothers are known as Shankthi / Energy in Hinduism. It is this power that Muruga’s mother shares with Her son on Thai Poosam day.  

As per the above news report:

‘Wigneswaran had told TNA members in the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) earlier this week, that the TNA had pledged itself to securing for the Tamils self determination in its manifesto for the 2013 NPC elections, but it had not mentioned it in its manifesto for the August 2015 Lankan parliamentary elections. He was insinuating that the TNA’s leadership had struck a cozy relationship with the Sinhalese leaders in Colombo to the detriment of the Tamils.’

If indeed, Mr. Wigneswaran is concluding that the path to Self-Governance by Tamils as a Community is blocked by Sinhalese with majority power then as a senior within the Tamil Community, Mr. Wigneswaran has the right to share his Shakthi/Spear with Politicians who have the position of Opposition Leadership in National Parliament. But as Chief Minister of Northern Province, the primary duty of Mr. Wigneswaran is to eliminate the blocks to self-governance within his area – especially from majority groups against minority groups – the line of separation being on the basis of culture.  In places like Vaddukoddai where the first political declaration of Self-Governance was made by Tamils – there is high risk of reverse discrimination due to easy status through armed power and money from the Diaspora donated without firm structures that would ensure that the recipients are in need and any  money above that level of  need is earned on merit basis. Words of Rights to Self-Determination likewise, need to be as per need and/or merit. Election promises are words and not actions. Administrative pathway using Intellectual Discrimination develops knowledge of self-determination. The more Tamils depend on personal contacts rather than Common Principles and Laws – the less self-governing we would be through Democracy.

To my mind, the issue of Buddhism being included in the Constitution as the foremost religion is an issue that needs to be addressed. Lord Muruga is personified with two wives –Theivayanai & Valli. As per the underpinning philosophy – they are the Motivating Energy (Itchcha Shakthi) and the Kinetic / Work Energy (Kiriya Shakthi) of the man. During the time of manifestation of this philosophy – one man with two wives would have been lawful. The parallel of that in Sri Lankan Constitution is Secular Law and Buddhist Law. This would have been appropriate during Foreign rule but not now. The above Hindu philosophy needs to be practiced by finding Equal woman as wife or by keeping one confidentially in one’s mind. Likewise in the case of religion in governance.

Sinhalese politicians may keep knocking us back on the proposal to eliminate Article 9 which allows two laws system. This means that the ruler of Sri Lanka is recognized as being weaker in Common Law and hence is recognized as needing two wives / sets of laws. One who uses only one set successfully – is the stronger governor in democracy. Such a governor would intuitively empower all Sri Lankans – irrespective of whether they are Buddhists, Hindus, Christians or Muslims. Those who invest in such leadership would realize self-governance without needing politicians. It’s time politicians learnt from such citizens who work more and talk less.

Tamils are a major pathway through whom Hindus world-over share their self-governance powers with Sri Lanka. Malaysian and Singaporean Tamils are such a strong force during Thai Poosam festival due to them practicing this festival away from its birthplace - India. Appreciating that generates stronger power than political  talk about self-determination.