Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

4 October   2016

Even if you are a minority of One - the Truth is the Truth – Mahatma Gandhi

The Scorpion in Sri Lankan Journalists

It was heartening to read the Island report  ‘Hindu Congress stand by Wigneswaran’.

As per this report the Hindu Congress sends the following message:

[His Excellency the President has been repeatedly recalling in his speeches, the considerable support given by Thamil speaking people to enable a government of good governance (Yahapalanaya). Having chosen to forget or ignore that, a few extreme communal minded politicians and religious leaders are taking forward communal hatred propaganda through the media. This must be halted forthwith.]

As a Sri Lankan Hindu by belief - I protested against the declaration at the UN – that Sri Lanka was a Buddhist country. To me, if I realized my ownership in Sri Lanka – as a Sri Lankan – through the secular pathway – then that is the Higher Common Pathway that I am committed to. I would naturally be upset by moves to recognize the lower pathway particular to majority – to describe Sri Lanka. As per my discovery – the system of Truth has the duty to manifest the other side when even  one of  Its members manifests her/his feelings. Hence Gandhi’s message that even if you are a minority of One - the Truth is the Truth.  Through my own experiences I have learnt that the system of Truth never fails in its duty.  Hence when I learnt about Mr. Wigneswaran’s ‘Arise Tamil’ rally – I identified with my contribution as a Hindu contributing to Peace and Harmony in Sri Lanka. With that gratitude in my mind to the system of Truth – I have been observing the mindset of those looking for quick benefits – especially the so called Common media.

They say in Tamil that the scorpion’s nature is to sting. One cannot change that and it would be foolish to expect the scorpion to behave like the spider.  The Journalists who had official space in Common Sri Lankan media have demonstrated that they are anything but common in this issue. Majority were against the above demonstration led by Mr. Wigneswaran. The rest merely reported what happened. There was no participation at Governance level through intellectual analysis or declaration of belief. The Hindu Congress has been the first group with status to condemn the Buddhists who protested. If the media was using the Common pathway – it would have reported the opposition to the President’s declaration as per the Higher Common Pathway. Given that they did not – I conclude that they are also relatives of the majority race that has the power to form Government.

Journalist Lasantha Wickrematunga is now being honored with an investigation into his death. Anyone who is genuine about the high value of Lasantha’s work would support those who have the courage to oppose the Government as per their belief.  Such opposition strengthens Democracy. Those who are already democratic would identify with such strength. I do because I followed the Democratic Pathway to self-governance including through my work in Public Administration in Australian Institutions. I could not identify with even one Sri Lankan Journalist as being democratic in the above issue. To my mind, their expressions of respect for the slain Journalist – are lacking in - Belief based Commonness. Had these other journalists joined Mr. Wickrematunga – they would have earned the right to mourn – as per their Truth.

Now Mr. Wigneswaran is declaring that there is a conspiracy to kill him also and to blame it on the LTTE. If it does happen – then the media is also to blame – for failing to take the Common Pathway while taking status on the pretext that they were Common.

The Journalists may fail and the Government might fail. But Truth never fails. Mr. Wigneswaran is getting support from Upcountry Tamils even though neither side may recognize the connection. As per Ceylon Today editorial:

[Upcountry plantation workers are up in arms for the past one week demanding a thousand rupee increase to their basic salary.
……………………………

The majority of the Upcountry plantation workers being Hindus, for the past several years have been agitating for a pay hike when 'Deepavali' the foremost festival of Hindus, is around the corner in October.

People from South India were taken to various countries in South Asia and South East Asia in their thousands as a promising workforce to be used in the plantation sector when the Union Jack was flying high in South Asia and South East Asia. However, in several countries the living condition of the majority of the South Indian workforce brought by the British has improved significantly with their present generation excelling in various fields.
However, in Sri Lanka the living condition of the majority of plantation workers in the Upcountry remain in a pathetic state with various political forces and trade unions in the Upcountry hardly paying any attention to their poverty-stricken state.]

As per another Ceylon Today report - the Hon Mano Ganesan who represents plantation area – failed to demonstrate solidarity and flippantly stated as follows:

["The demonstration was organized to transmit a message to the country and to the people in South. They have strived to emphasize the fact that the aspirations of the Tamil community when electing this Government have not been fulfilled to date. Aspirations for instance as, the devolution of power, releasing political prisoners, re-vesting the lands which were occupied for military purposes and establishing Buddhist places of worship in a planned manner within the Northern Province. That is the message they wanted to convey in this demonstration," he said.

However, these issues not be the concern of one ethnicity and steps should have been taken to convince all Sri Lankans thus, Ganesan said.
"As the Minister of National Co-existence Dialogue and Official Languages I would like to go by the theme 'Arise Sri Lankans' and not 'Arise Tamils'. When we say 'Sri Lankans' that includes all nationalities in the country including Sinhalese, Tamils and the Muslims". That indeed is a much better approach," he said.]

As the person following the Higher Common Pathway – he ought to have made the ‘Arise Sri Lankans’ call when the president declared that Sri Lanka was a Buddhist country. Tamil Politicians did that in the past and resigned from their Parliamentary positions to uphold their Truth. Mr. Wigneswaran is their heir. Mr. Ganesan’s electorate would have been worst hit by the President’s declaration – because they are Hindus largely by belief. They would have identified with Mr. Wigneswaran’s declaration as per his belief which would connect naturally to the belief of any true Hindu.

We make decisions through a combination of our belief and our conscious intellectual calculations. Where belief is stronger than our knowledge through external forces – including knowledge of law, our expressions and actions invoke other believers in support – one way or the other. This gets manifested even if the believers are passive.

In this instance the Plantation workers would not have known the logic of the rally in Northern Sri Lanka where majority are Hindus. They may not have had knowledge of the rally in North either. But to the extent they believed that they were owed higher pay – they would invoke other believers in common including through the religious pathway. Unless it is managed at this level – this is likely to spread naturally to Tamil Nadu – their place of origin and with whom Northern Tamils including Mr. Wigneswaran, have strengthened their ties.

Until Tamils think that they are Tamils more than they are Hindus they do not have the authority of Truth to  make such a call. Such ‘thought’ may happen through belief and/or intellectual following combined with practice of common law.  Likewise until Sri Lankans think that they are Sri Lankans more than they are Tamils – they do not have the authority of Truth to make the call ‘Awake Sri Lankans’ – after the President declared unopposed at the UN that Sri Lanka was a Buddhist country. Such declarations are now Natural to Sinhalese leaders and those who are related to them. Mr. Mano Ganesan has become a relative of the current Government by failing to oppose the President. His belief in the people he represents – majority of whom are Hindus is thus weakened through external thoughts which are largely hearsay. Likewise Mr. Sumanthiran who was elected by the People of Jaffna to represent them – seems to have forgotten them during this hour of need. Mr. Sumanthiran may have grievances against Mr. Wigneswaran. But if he were true to  Jaffna – he would hurt when Jaffna hurt. When the President declared that Sri Lanka was a Buddhist country – Jaffna would naturally have been hurt. As a Christian in Parliament he had the duty to oppose such a declaration. As one who was educated in Australia also – Mr. Sumanthiran let Australia also down. These individuals in leadership positions have revealed that they leave behind their position commitments once they get their benefits. The structure of a position does not belong to any particular person – for better or for worse. True belief helps us carry the true structure naturally with us. We are protected and supported by such structures. Where this belief is weak – we need to consciously use the Common Law to make leadership declarations. Mr. Wigneswaran used ‘Tamil’ as the description – and did so not in Colombo but in Northern Province. He is likely to have been influenced by his own investment in Judicial Administration. But the President said ‘Buddhism’ and yet was not criticized by the media. This could only mean that the media have become relatives and are not independent of the Executive. Buddhist monks protesting against Tamil Declaration confirms that to them and those influenced by them – Tamil means Hindu and Sinhalese means Buddhist.

When we respect someone as our elder – we get their mind structure as ours. The Sri Lankan media also has confirmed that it has become Buddhist media.  So it stings the side it fears. Fear is the other side of Desire. Those who do not earn their pleasures – automatically carry fears of loss. So, like the scorpion that stings to protect itself – the Sri Lankan media stings to keep its unearned pleasures – including National status which it is yet to earn.