Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

17  September   2016

Tamil Equality

In one of the recent episodes of  the Tamil TV serial Vani Rani – Vani the lawyer says that it was simple science that one who is claimed to have had his throat damaged to the extent of causing death – could not have asked for water and drunk it. But to look at it with a clear mind – Vani herself needed her twin-sister Rani’s  belief in her. To my mind – Vani is our intellectual force and Rani is our belief based motivational force. When the intellectual force is stronger than the   belief based motivational force – the mind runs fast to show cleverness. This could lead to weakening of heritage.

As per the Hindu article ‘After 28 years, Vaiko releases Prabhakaran’s letter to DMK chief’:

[In his letter, the LTTE leader accuses the IPKF of committing atrocities against Tamils

MDMK general secretary Vaiko has released a letter written by LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran to DMK leader M. Karunanidhi in 1989 in which he had asked the latter to bring to the attention of opposition parties the “atrocities” committed by the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF).

“Prabhakaran gave the letter when I met him in the jungles of Sri Lanka. A few months after I handed over the letter, Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) said he had destroyed it. But I kept a copy of the letter for 28 years and have released it now because the world should know its contents,” Mr Vaiko told The Hindu on Friday.

The hand-written letter calls Mr. Karunanidhi as “Anna (elder brother)” and tells him that while the Tamil leaders in Sri Lankan Parliament had “left the Tamils in lurch for their own benefits, Mr. Vaiko, risking his life, had met us and our comrades.”

Prabhakaran adds that “His (Vaiko’s) love for Tamils and his courage make us feel that we can die a thousand times for the cause of our people and language. We have respect for your party of selfless cadres.” “It is his love for our people, that has made him to undertake the adventure,” he says in the letter dated February 22, 1989.]

LTTE is known to have strongly punished those who were considered ‘traitors’. Their measure of loyalty started with their generation leadership – the first of whom was Velupillai Prabhakaran. But the Stated Cause of the LTTE was ‘Tamil Independence’. That was of heritage value to the Tamil Community. Those who took only the status of the ‘Cause’ but without those who developed that status – through work and sacrifice – are traitors to the Cause.

As per Hindu philosophy – desire and fear are twins. Through the time based system of autocracy – they manifest one after the other. In democracy they manifest at the same time as Equal Opposites. Hence the Equal Opposition in Parliament at Political level.  In Democracy – until we have takers of the other side – we need to not actively manifest outcomes. Where there are no such takers and we enjoy benefits in the name of practice of democracy – and manifest one-side only – the other side also happens to us in the course of time. That was how the leaders in Government of Sri Lanka – who desired the benefits of Democracy while practicing autocracy – generated fear in the minds of their own voters and eventually reduced their own status with wider world.

MGR (Actor M G Ramachandran who became Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu) was Anna/Big Brother  to Prabhakaran due to the ‘cash’ that MGR handed out. Now we are learning that Karunanithi was also Prabhakaran’s Big Brother.  Tamil Eelam therefore as per this hierarchy – would have  become a small part of Tamil Nadu. This was my problem with my sister in law – of Vaddukoddai - who assumed leadership in Administration when it came to money matters. As per the law of Thesawalamai – particular to Northern Sri Lankans – a daughter who gets dowry completes her relationship with her parents and siblings and gets ready for new life in the position of wife and mother in another family. Hence my husband who inherited his father’s status cannot be ‘told’ by his elder sister who received dowry from the father. If my husband accepted lower position than his sister – he himself was denouncing/writing off his investment in Thesawalamai and denouncing his heritage also. As an individual his sister may have been so good as to have earned that higher respect. But in terms of Institutional structures – this should not be ‘seen’ by others. One who is respectful of Institutional structures – would refrain from manifesting any extra status one is entitled to. That person would assemble peacefully to demonstrate her/his entitlement  but not activate it. Such a person would be able to work the system from within. Hence the woman is called ‘Shakthi/Energy’ in Hinduism. Gandhi’s power was this.  Likewise minorities who forego the entitlement of democracy to manifest at the lower level. They become the real inner power of the Institution. That was how Tamil Politicians became Equal Opposition in National Parliament. The LTTE, like my sister-in-law mentioned above – enforced its power over heirs of the Political system – and thus lost power once they started enjoying beyond their own earnings.

A Sri Lankan Tamil calling an Indian Tamil – unrelated to him by birth or by secular law – ‘Anna’/’Big Brother’ – automatically loses leadership with Tamils of Sri Lanka whose heritage is different to the heritage of Indian Tamils. Such a person becomes a traitor to the very Cause of Independence that Tamils of Sri Lanka have been contributing to over long period of time. Recently I had the opportunity to clear this for one of our trainees to whom I wrote as follows:

[The problem that led to your special request was your staff not delivering support service to you – especially in terms of processes which ought to be standard by now. Those processes are the pathways through which we carry the work of those before us in those positions. They are of heritage value. For example your Mum’s ways that you continue to follow in one form or the other – means that you include your mum in holding that position. When you do that – your Mum takes care of that part – as if she were still alive. This is the fundamental value of Spiritual  healing.

My question is how much of the value of my work are you carrying in that position? Where there are blocks in the current system – and you are still valuing my leadership – you would carry that value as motivational force. This would have been manifested outside that ‘blocked’ passage but close to the nucleus of  our common position. But the way you handled the problem with our common customer  was different to the way I did. You accepted their explanation for not including you. You did not go further to find out why I found it to be the wrong process. That confirmed to me that you had disconnected with me in terms of that position. In terms of structure – the original that was developed through me included others who were senior to me in that position.  Those powers give me the independence to identify with problems that would weaken my investment. When I address those weaknesses your heritage through that position is also strengthened. When you neglect it – it could lead to you leaving behind a weaker heritage or even a negative one for your successor. To the extent you receive my sharing – you will get someone who will fulfill you in that regard. That is the way of Natural system common to all of us. This particular staff may not be that heir. But if your expectations are within your own sharing as an heir of the higher position/previous occupiers of the position – you would become the medium for the real powers to clear the blocks for you.]

Prabhakaran showed cleverness in return for immediate benefits of money and popular status. By killing political elders – he killed Tamil Political Heritage particular to Sri Lanka. This has resulted in premature displays of power by the young and the restless. Uduvil Girls’ College has become the latest medium through which this premature freedom has manifested. This is because of the current management failing to pay their dues to the original investors described as follows:

[UGC  (Uduvil Girls’ College ) was established in 1824 by the AMC (American Ceylon Mission), and became the first boarding school for girls in Asia. Institutions set up by the AMC later became affiliated with the Church of South India. Currently, both Jaffna College and UGC are managed by separate Boards of Directors that include members of the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India (JD CSI), although funding for the school is provided by the parent body of the AMC in Boston.

The split within the church which occurred due to conflicts over the appointment of the present Bishop and the formation of another church (Church of the American Ceylon Mission), further complicates the structure and management of the school. Indeed, the history of missionary schools has had its share of strife and controversies. This is the context for the current crisis at UGC.]  - Colombo Telegraph article ‘Uduvil Girls’ College, Politics Of Education & The Challenges Facing Private Schools’

They say in Tamil culture – that money must not lead relationships. When it does – the relationship deteriorates and separates. We are now learning that the immediate past President of Sri Lanka was driven by money – as was the LTTE leader. They both worked for Separation while claiming in words that they were seeking Unity and Independence respectively. Both were traitors to their status causes.

The Uduvil Girls’ College students have demonstrated that they are not able to connect to their ancestors. This has influenced them to be infected by the desire for popularity  amongst the younger generation. Parents who did not discipline LTTE – at least in their minds infect their children with this desire for premature exercise of power in an area that is far from being the Democratic Capital of Northern Sri Lanka. Even Vaddukoddai needs the likes of us to strengthen its heritage presented through Vaddukoddai Resolution of 1976. Uduvil Girls’ College which in the minds of my generation is the sister College of Jaffna College of Vaddukoddai,   needs to draw on its heritage by paying its respects to the Americans who founded it.  If it loses this heritage – it limits itself to the current generation’s cleverness only.

Money paying students often deteriorate the standards of educational institutions due to losing their connection with the original founders. If this is needed in Democracy – then those presenting their cases must first earn their Equal status to the Management to become their other side. How many students who protested – have earned best student grades in one or more of the subjects taught at the College? They mess up and then go crying to the President to attach themselves to his status. That is the heritage that the LTTE have led us to.

Our former Australian Prime Minister Ms Julia Gillard fell on the grass of Gandhi Memorial, when the lady went to India. Various people would have attributed that to be due to various reasons. I attributed that to Ms Gillard who inherited the karma of the position of Australian Prime Minister, failing to uphold the contribution made to Independence by an heir of Gandhi following in his path of Peaceful Assembly, to protest in Australia, to protect her Independence at the workplace. They punished me in Australia for leading myself through Truth – which is the pathway of Democracy. The other side came in India by the King of Democracy. The Land is a primary carrier of karma. My homeland is the consolidated value of Sri Lanka, India and Australia. Hence my reasoning about the karmic connection.

As per the report of Uduvil Grils’ College – the authors – ‘Niyanthini Kadirgamar and Esther Surenthiraraj are researchers with an interest in education’. The question is whether their research went deep enough to find the scientific reason for the problem. If yes, they hold also the solution through their work. If no – then their work lacks strength to qualify as research and amounts to premature declaration of independence. Perhaps they need to activate the Tamil American Diaspora to connect to the American heritage in Jaffna.