Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

6 October   2016

Good Little Governor or Lesser Relative?

A member of mainstream Australian Community asked me whether there was any domestic violence in the Tamil Community of Sri Lankan origin. I had to pause and think before I responded. When I did respond I highlighted that whatever domestic violence problems we may have – they are better addressed by the Community itself than by the Australian Government through Common Laws. This is also the case with  Provincial Government of Northern Sri Lanka. I was asked also about whether  the Australian Tamil Community   thought that there was injustice through unfair discrimination? My response was that to majority who became Australians through the support of Tamil leaders – no there was no unjust discrimination from mainstream group – for the simple reason they did not play a role in the daily living of migrants. But to professionals like myself – yes there was. I have however, learnt to accept that as a natural belief based connection and hence distance myself from such persons – so our Australian investment in Equal Opportunity is not diluted. I said that was also the difference between the interpretation of the Sri Lankan ethnic problem by  Jaffna Tamils and Colombo Tamils respectively. Many members of the Tamil Diaspora who have assimilated with mainstream in the countries they have migrated to – are like the Tamil Politicians who operate at ‘taken and given’ level rather than Make-It-Yourself level.

Neither Mr. Sathiya Moorthy who has used Sunday Leader nor Mr. Rajasingham Jayadevan who has used Sri Lanka Guardian to criticize Mr. Wigneswaran seem to have contributed to the making of an independent Tamil Community in Sri Lanka through Northern Province. To both of them – Mr. Wigneswaran is a higher relative or Equal in Opposition. Neither has the authority to take higher position than Mr. Wigneswaran in the area where the latter is the Chief Minister. The position we take gives policy structure to expressions and actions and v.v. The above Australian of mainstream community, for example demonstrated respect for my work and time – much more than most Tamil community leaders did/do.  I consider those who respect me as my relatives and those who use me to ‘show’ their authority and/or work outcomes – as my equals. If we do not use policy to define our position – we tend to carry the risk of ‘takeovers’. Between relatives – the higher mind can read the junior mind. Hence confidential disciplinary action in a hierarchical system – starting with the family.

There is a verse in Tamil Thirukkural which translates as follows:

‘A  wife who may not worship god but who worships the husband as god has the power to invoke rain’

The above applies to all those who consider the higher relative in their relationships as being equal to god/governor. The person occupying the position, may not be fit enough to receive such respect but the real one who fits will. This real one may be from a past occupier of that position or one who occupies parallel position in another unit. The position is needed by the average person to structure and regulate their mind-order. Hence even if one is queen/ king of another country, one must not exceed the limits of the highest position in an Administrative structure which is not expressly covered by Common law.

In Hinduism we have Mother, Father, Guru and God – hierarchy. One who is attached to the outcomes shown by mother would have difficulty going beyond those local borders. One who completes the relationship with mother – would naturally take the Mother’s mind with hers/his – into the next wider level – where Father has more experience than mother. Likewise with the Guru and then merging with God. In terms of Nations – we have Motherland, Fatherland, Guru-land and the Globe. Those who are yet to complete their relationship with Motherland would tend to stagnate at that level – to the benefits from the Motherland. To me, Sri Lanka is Motherland, Australia is Fatherland, India is Guru-land and I have become global. Those who are still learning through Sri Lanka but are living in more money-affluent countries – are yet to complete their Motherland relationship. This is fine – but they cannot use the status of their new countries vis a vis Sri Lanka, to ‘judge’ a Sri Lankan position holder. Only  Truth has the Power to delegate that authority to a junior and/or a foreigner and that also as an Equal and no more. Hence the use of Objectively measurable outcomes in Democracy.

Interestingly, the Hon  Wimal Weerawansa – of rebellious JVP origin, hit the nail on the head – at the lower level of interpretation:

[Wigneswaran’s actions indirectly benefit govt - Wimal

October 5, 2016  05:35 pm

           

UPFA MP Wimal Weerawansa today accused the Chief Minister of the Northern Province C.V. Wigneswaran of engaging in a “racist political movement” and failing to accomplish anything for the Tamil people in the North. 

Wigneswaran has not been able to do a single thing for the people in the North after he became the Chief Minister and he has not received whatever was promised by the international community, the former minister told reporters in Colombo.

What has happened to Wigneswaran is the same thing that happened to Ranil Wickremesinghe after coming to power, he alleged, adding that in order to save himself from that crisis the Chief Minister is pushing the people in the North towards “extreme racism”. 

That is the political core of Wigneswaran’s current operations, he said. “That indirectly benefits the government.”]

The above completes the picture at the real level of Administration in Northern Sri Lanka – that it is driven by money and not respect for the higher mind. Mr. Jayadevan effectively said likewise – but from the position of a Tamil relative – using flippant langauge. Through his Sri Lanka Guardian article ‘Justice Wigi: Time up for the Judgement Day !’ Mr. Jayadevan says to the Chief Minister:

[I humbly request you to forget for some moment that you are the Chief Minister of the NCP and  think that you are a Supreme Court Judge wearing the judicial attire of robe and hat to preside over a hearing and adjudge on a hypothetical Provincial Council that was formed under the 13th Amendment to the constitution of Sri Lanka. 

The Claimant’s case is that the said Council: 

………………….. The government allocates funds for the effective functioning of the Council. 

6.   The Chief Minister and the Councillors are the paid servants of the government to discharge their contractual responsibilities under 13th Amendment to the Constitution. 

7.   Any international engagement with the Council on its defined mandate must have the approval of the government. ]

To Mr. Wigneswaran – Judiciary is his Mother-Profession and Politics is his father-Profession. They are different positions and they are defined by their respective criteria. Mr. Wigneswaran needs to have independent mind-structures in the two positions. It is to prevent indiscriminate mixing of authorities – that we have the Doctrine of Separation of Powers. In a Democracy – where outcomes are produced at lower level – this separation needs to be seen at physical level.

Not only Mr. Wigneswaran but Mr. Jayadevan is also guilty of acting in breach of the above Doctrine. Mr. Wigneswaran wore it because his strength came from that position and to his mind it was that position that earned him his current position. Mr. Jayadevan by asking Mr. Wigneswaran to go back to his mother–position was confirming his own return to Sri Lanka due to his ‘attachments’ rather than to share as an equal.

Once powers are allocated to Provincial Councils – it is the duty of the Central Government to allocate funds proportionate to itself – to the delegated authority – to function through those allocated powers. Again, in a democracy – people usually need to see financial representation to feel the enthusiasm to participate. The Chief Minister and the Councilors are NOT paid servants of the Government. The Central Government is the Bank Facility - through whom they receive their monies from the People.

This was a topic I discussed with the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission in the early days of my battle against the Executive. The Commission received its funds from the Federal Government. But their mandate was global and hence they cannot be Administratively a junior relation of the Federal Government. Unless one is independent in terms of money resources – one is likely to remain a junior of the Central power. The higher resource is Human Resource and the highest is Policy. Anyone who uses policy genuinely is a self-governing person. No Administrator has power over them – except through the law.  A good governor will accept any punishment through law as being needed by the Administrator who is not yet a governor.

Using the Australian system as example – Governors are representatives of  the Monarch. They are not active Administrators in Democracy. The elected Prime Minister and the Premiers are the active Administrators.. Likewise in Sri Lanka Governors of the Provinces are the President’s  representatives. Mr. Wigneswaran – as Chief Minister is the parallel of Premier of a State. He cannot be dictated to by the Central Government. The Chief Minister has the Responsibility and the Right to apply the laws governing the position – to operate independent of the Central Government. He is not a relative of the Prime Minister – the CEO of Sri Lanka. He is the Equal Parallel of the Prime Minister. Action could be taken against the Chief Minister only through the law and not as a junior relative. Unless there is a Law that specifically requires a delegated authority to go through the Central Power – for specific reasons – any CEO is free to act as per her/his own will and face the consequences if s/he is questioned through the judiciary.

Governors represent our Truth. When we are active in Administration we disqualify ourselves as Governors and v.v.

Mr. Wigneswaran by his Natural qualities – is more of a Governor than an Administrator. Since the time Mr. Wigneswaran became Chief Minister – there were many opportunities for Tamils with wisdom in Devolved Public Administration to assist Mr. Wigneswaran. Thus far – despite my contributions to democracy at grassroots level – especially in Vaddukoddai – Mr. Wigneswaran has not shown any recognition to include me at least as an advisor. But the higher relative includes the lower relative – so that the minds become One. Hence I share my wisdom as a good little governor and where administration is needed I take the lower position as per demonstrated by the other person occupying the higher position at that time. When I do that – Truth takes over and delivers the real outcomes. That was how my book ‘Naan Australian’ came back to Australian National Library who present themselves as follows:

['We cannot understand the present or plan for the future without the knowledge of the past.'
Prime Minister Harold Holt, Stone Ceremony March 1966]

My book describes my life as an Australian migrant – so we Australians can plan for the future. Unless I thought at the level of Prime Minister – my book would not have been carried there through Natural Forces. I do not usually know how it happens but I know it happens. Hence I share my Sri Lankan experience at global standards so all of us can plan for global Sri Lanka – not through our cleverness but through our Truth.

Mr. Sathiya Moorthy states through his article ‘If Tamils ‘Rise’, Would Sinhalas Be Far Behind?’:

 ‘For the (n+1)th time in post-Independence ethnic history of the nation, Tamil moderates are giving away political space to extremists, for no real immediate fault of the majority Sinhala community or the Sri Lankan State. The last time it happened in a much bigger way than the recent ‘Ezhuga Tamil’, or ‘Rise, Tamil’, or better still, ‘Tamil Spring’, the moderates had possibly hoped to arrest the emergence of youth militancy in the Seventies through the ‘Vaddukottai resolution’. It ended in the LTTE and the Tamil miseries that have since accompanied it.’

The reality of all minorities is that if we are not actively conscious of our Sovereignty as an independent Community group – we are likely to become the lesser relatives of majority with the power to form Government. That is the way of Assimilation – which many Sri Lankan Tamil leaders are guilty of. This consciousness is high at policy level and that is exactly what Mr. Wigneswaran has demonstrated. I identify with it because of my own experience of tiredness of being the lesser relative despite contributing directly as if I were the CEO in that issue. The election of Mr. Wigneswaran to leadership of Tamils in Northern Sri Lanka happened due to his achievements in the Judiciary coupled with his contribution to Hindu affairs. In effect he is a Governor and it would be wrong to expect him to be an Active Administrator using global systems.

Those who seek to add their services to the People of North within Administrative areas – have to submit their work through the Chief Minister or the local representative particular to that area. I do this all the time. I do not ‘tell them’ what should be done as per my mind order. I highlight why they were wrong as per their rules.  I offer my services and if they don’t take them  – I continue through my own individual powers. The latter tires me out but I care and therefore I continue.  I believe that I am developing a heritage that my children and grandchildren would be able to work for their own purposes. I am happy with that.

Members of the Diaspora may have grand ideas of how Public Administration needs to be carried out in areas where they think they have power due to their money-wealth. The reality of post-war Sri Lanka is that the officers concerned have given up on themselves. They use their past and not the law. Let us not forget that that past includes Tamil Tiger minds the result of which opened global opportunities to those who left Sri Lanka due to the war. Those who left Sri Lanka due to being challenged at value level – are genuine refugees. Others are economic migrants. The former would share at policy level but only after they have completed their independence experience in their new nations. Others have to use the business pathway as Equals. Unless Diaspora leaders address the parallel issues within the Tamil Community and/or at Government level - in their new nations – they would lack the moral authority to even advise – let alone ‘tell’, Sri Lankan leaders.

Let Mr. Rajasingham Jayadevan and Mr. Sathya Moorthy place their hands on their hearts and state that the local Tamil Communities that they think they are leaders of have eliminated the dowry system in any form. Until then – they do not have the moral authority to question someone else’s system. If another ethnic war flares up – these leaders also carry the responsibility due to their failure to act in time to prevent by sharing their higher status unconditionally through common belief as Sri Lankans.