Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 01 February   2016

Jaffna  on the Left                                                                         &                        Vaddukoddai on the Right

using Private Property for their Public Music

Which Law do I need?

It’s my Mum’s birthday today and I decided to Experience my mother at Selva Sannithi Murugan Temple in Northern Sri Lanka. It was at this temple that my father was informed by the priest on a Friday that a new being was joining our family.  Even though my Mum did not know it at the time of announcement – she was pregnant after 13 years. Our  brother’s arrival was announced by the priest who did not know us as individuals. To my mind, it was confirmation of my father’s faith in Lord Muruga and my father’s commitment to due religious processes as he knew them through practice. That day my father stood outside the temple because he had not had a bath. The priest who performed the ceremonies with his mouth covered – blessed my father with holy ash and made the announcement.

Relative to many in our family – our father was not a high achiever. But my father had deep faith in his ancestors as well as in God. My father did not know the law through formal learning but he knew logic. To my mind, my father had confirmation that day that the Lord had heard his prayers for a son.

My mother shared this wonderful experience with us and in turn I shared with those of common faith. Out of the devotees present at the temple today, one guy kept lamenting and I felt that he had lost a loved one in the war. The Temple is not too far from the birth place of LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran.  It was therefore possible that the lamenting guy had become a victim of war due to being a local.

Living in Thunaivi – a high risk zone – I realize more and more that these guys do not know most of the laws but are driven by habits. Left to themselves they usually do not bother others. The educated upper class therefore became ‘outsiders’ to these groups. Separation of powers between the educated and those seeking to win through armed power did not exist. Had it existed – the two would have run parallel and the leaders answerable to their respective members. We then would not have had the war. The two were mixed indiscriminately in breach of the fundamentals of the Doctrine of Separation of Powers. Where the armed group is not ready to submit to the educated group and the latter’s conduct  is visible to the former – the root of the hierarchical structure is damaged and the two become outsiders to each other. Politicians ‘buying’ votes one way or the other – contribute strongly to such Natural Separations. Where the two are separated – each managing its own members independent of the other – the risk of conflict is seriously reduced. The LTTE thus had the right to declare that they were representatives of those who relied on brawn power above brain power, provided they believed they were natural members. They did not have the right to represent the educated section on the Tamil community. Likewise, Politicians who turned a blind eye to the law but used outcomes – over which they had physical control did not have the right to claim that they were representatives of the educated sections of their community. To that extent the CITIZEN who practiced the law above them was ‘free’ of the politician. The Administrative position occupied by the Politician is in Trust and the Free Citizen who actually practiced the law covering that position is the higher owner of that position. Others may not recognize this right – but the Truth in all investors in that position would render inner satisfaction to that practitioner through Natural Justice. This is why Truth is important.

IN their article ‘Responsibility, Autonomy and the Geneva Resolution 2015’  at http://www.dailymirror.lk/104729/responsibility-autonomy-and-the-geneva-resolution-2015#sthash.lQHJWjqn.dpuf, the Friday Forum states:

 ‘The joint resolution is a reminder that truth-seeking and justice, however complex, ensure social integration, and that their absence is detrimental to civic order and the Rule of Law.’

Truth is available to all due to the laws of creation. Once discovered – the discoverer becomes natural member of the group that uses the particular pathway. The above article for example – is reported to have been written by Bishop Duleep de Chikera and Professor Savithri Gunasekara. As per their titles – they represent two different groups/electorates. The Friday Forum on whose behalf they have written is described as follows:

[The ‘Friday Forum’ is an informal and self-financed group dedicated to democracy, good governance, human rights and the Rule of Law. It has for over five years sought to alert the public on issues concerning the rights of the citizen. We work on a non-partisan basis and have been critical of both the Government and Opposition.]

As per the LAWS of Democracy – only an elected member of Parliament has the right to lead citizens in Political Governance. One who is a leader of certain section of society - through a formal pathway does not have the right to directly access the citizen about Political Governance while carrying the titles of officially representing  a particular part of society – Catholics in the case of Bishop and Academics in the case of Professor. Doing so is in breach of the Fundamentals of Separation of Powers and amounts to INTERFERENCE. The mind of the voter thus is torn between two faiths for the same issue. The highest example is the Chief Minister of Northern Province – Mr. Wigneswaran who carries the title of Justice. Such persons confirm living off the PAST – and therefore do not have the current Experience through their current positions. Attachment to outcomes through the past while being currently active in a different pathway – leads to INTERFERENCE – the very wrong that politicians in Administration are often guilty of. INTERFERENCE  is damaging – irrespective of whether it is by the Politician or by the Religious Leader or the Academic. They damage the Sovereignty of the respective units that together naturally group themselves as the Sovereignty of the Nation.

The test of effectiveness is known through the question -  whether the laws as known to this group – would lead the general Public  to Truth and Justice? This group may find their own Truth but would that be in the same form as the Truth discovered by those who have had the Experience ? The pathway through which we travel shapes the form given to our discovery. How can a person of Thunaivi connect to the Truth discovered by say Professor Savithri Gunasekara – an expert in using the law intellectually to get the ‘right’ grades. As per my understanding  a University’s core activities are Research and Teaching. What kind of Research went into the above article to identify with the Truth of those who have had the Experience? If it is largely academic – then – it would certainly not contribute to those who do not have high level of formal education.

In Thunaivi where the folks do not know about my past – except that I am Australian Tamil – I have drawn the line of separation between private and public – so we could move into Business-mode to ‘show’ outcomes independent of each other  - instead of enforcing our ways on each other. The People of Thunaivi understand the language of money and therefore Business. Hence this move which goes towards the Government’s own pathway of moving towards Business Unit approach in Public Administration. But I had to sacrifice deeply towards knowing where to draw the line – so the less educated would not take the law into their hands as per the example of the LTTE which has been accepted by Tamil Political Leadership. When I said the water well was our private property – they said they knew that but they did not have wells of their own! I said if they were using our well they needed to follow the rules that I have set down – and that is not to use it for lesser purposes – to tease the girls and to show that they were the leaders in that area. They are not overly concerned about the Police who seem distant to them. It is also not fair in my books to go to the Police over whom I would have greater influence than these folks, except where I am physically attacked. Instead I used the Australian Immigration name tag issued during the conference about Illegal Maritime Arrivals.  I pointed to that name tag and said that if they acted in breach of my rules – they would be reported to Australian authorities – who would maintain files and use them against such youth if they were to come to Australia. Given that most of them like to go overseas for better living – and quite a few go to the Middle East – they started dropping off from this habit of ‘unofficial’ political grouping. Instead they went to the next property which did not have direct supervision by the owner. This does not have a well but the property was used to stage their music loud and clear. On 14 January 2016 when I came back ‘home’ after training young ones at Vaddukoddai – it was this loud music that welcomed me. I was neutral to this who of ‘local authority’ but went about completing my night duties and went to sleep. The following morning I woke up early as usual and meditated. I thanked my parents and ancestors for maintaining the tradition of Pongal at the temple – so I could continue to develop the heritage for my own children – biological and social. I especially thanked my mother to whom this environment would have been very different to the one in which my mother was groomed in Burma. The success of my parents’ marriage was confirmed through such continuity. I then started getting ready for the Pongal celebrations to be held later that morning.  But the music started again and it was not Pongal music. It was mostly cinema songs which would have been disapproved by my parents. This was new ‘interference’ and I just could not take it. I rang our coordinator around 5 o’clock and announced that the Pongal celebrations were cancelled. I went over to the temple where one youth who was part of the music team was sleeping – as if the temple was his bedroom. When I shouted at him he got up and said that their group  would do the Pongal for which I had declined permission on the grounds that only families were allowed as per our rules. When he tried to ‘explain’ I just left the temple and went to our cottage. I got dressed in black – like the guard dog representing Lord Vairavar - rang my husband up who was in Sydney and then went out to the temple – ready to physically prevent any Pongal by the youth group. I paced up and down for hours. The youth carried on playing their music – as if nothing was amiss. Folks around the temple came to their gates and looked on – without one of them joining me. THAT confirmed the separation. After a long time one guy who gets employed by us from time to time came over and ‘waited’ close by. He slowly asked me what was wrong!  When I explained that the music was loud and not religious – and that the young ones had sworn to do the Pongal despite permission being denied. I pointed out to the guy that two of the group were his sons. The guy quietly left the place. Later I learnt that his sons did not hesitate to hit their parents – confirming the cultural gap within Tamils.

One side of the border of the property used by the youth group is that of the TNA (Tamil National Alliance)’s legal representative Mr. Kangeswaran’s.  It was like a totally different world on the other side of that wall. The laws used by Mr. Kanageswaran did not apply to these folks. The TNA participates in high level negotiations regarding Land occupied by the Government – while their own backyard in Vaddukoddai is abandoned to cultural ways to be used as laws.

We did not have the Pongal but the priest – Radha Aiyar came voluntarily to perform the poojah. Pongal festival is to thank the Sun for a good harvest. As I explained to some who did ask me later – the Pongal ceremony at the temple was confirmation of our family’s investment in Common work and structures. Damaging that heritage was a sin. The mother of one of youths said I could have still had the Pongal (Boiling of Rice in Open fire) – but I declined – as if would have amounted to hypocrisy. Instead I upheld the Truth I got to know as part of that community.

Within me I cried.  On my way to the Railway station I went to the Church that my mother prayed at when she heard that her baby was in breach position. When the Baby was finally born – it was through ‘normal’ process and my mother said ‘thank you’ to Our Lady at that church – at 4^th Cross St - for a long time. I went to that church and there waiting for me was Pongal – Sweet Rice by workers at the Church! I melted – knowing Mother was blessing me. Later  I took some photos of the home near by at Martyn Road – in memory of that miracle and the sacrifices my mother went through to deliver and groom not only our brother – but all three of us – independent of family support.

No Law officer was there to support me but my Truth – particular to our family and its independence – was there for me to invoke. Wonders such as the above are our own endorsements of membership with the system of Truth. Each one will receive that confirmation as per their own pathway. The secular Law – be it local or imported – is often not accessible by the ordinary folks. But the Truth is always there to show us the way that suits US – so we do not interfere in others’ pathways. Where we have to share for certain purposes – we need to publish our Truth independent of the other and REMEMBER that the other areas is NOT ours. Where for purposes of work – we have laws to follow – both sides must be facilitated to produce their Truth to a Common source that would merge the two and form the Common Law through which we regulate our conduct while in common areas of Administration. The role of the UN is to develop that  Common area. It should not produce any discoveries of its own about Sri Lankans. It must convert all its investments in Sri Lanka to take up Observer status – instead of being a participant. All those who have benefited including through Business and Development opportunities – do not have the right to approve or disapprove at policy level. This includes India as well as America. If UN also confirms benefits – then it is left to Sri Lankans to find their own Common leader driven by Truth – as India found its Gandhi. 

The pathway to the Truth is the highest law to each one of us. All just laws would naturally merge with them or run parallel to them.