Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

28 November    2016

Nainatheevu Amman Temple

Indian Tamil Taking-Over Jaffna Tamil?

I was in the 786 bus to come back to Vaddukoddai. A guy with amputated hands got in and because he said they were genuine disabilities in the war and if we felt like it to pay him,  I paid him. But soon he started talking about Prabhakaran and Great Heroes’ Day and I wanted him out of the bus. Others were indifferent. He said words to the effect ‘looks as if no one cares’. This was on 26^th. Yesterday I went to Nainatheevu Nagapooshani Amman temple to say ‘Thank You’ and to seek continued blessings for my family. On the way back the lady next to me on the bus shared with me her daily routine and said about others including her daughter who went to work – that they got paid for their work but not her. I said – that she got the uniting Energy /  Shakthi to keep the family together. We shared -  free of anxieties. At Nainatheevu – which continues to be monitored by the Sri Lankan Navy – the officers were unusually harsh. I got annoyed at first. Later I remembered that it was Heroes’ day and that they needed to be more alert than usual. Hence I accepted their harshness. After all,  the LTTE were more harsh in their monitoring of those within their area of control and we Tamils did not have enough strength to oppose it. Like in the case of those under magic spells – some of us went along with them to cure them.

The problem with memorials is that if even one person honors the dead genuinely – as per her / his true experience – the false memorials in that area would be returned to the claimants. I received expressions of appreciation, including from Australia and from Tamil Medical experts,  to my sharing that yesterday was a day of healing. I was however disappointed to read the following heading by Indian medium – New Indian Express:

[North Sri Lankan Tamils observe Great Heroes’ Day in memory of dead LTTE fighters]

Between my account as a Jaffna Tamil living currently in Jaffna as part of its current People – and the account  by Mr. Balachandran – an Indian Tamil – mine is the one that confirms self-governance, whereas Mr. Balachandran’s is largely intellectual. Majority Northern Sri Lankan Tamils did not observe Great heroes day – but went about their own daily chores – thanks to those of us who have redeemed ourselves from becoming another Cuba. On 26^th November, a young mother  who was part of the LTTE hierarchy and  lost her eye and had her nose flattened in battle came to buy clothes from our Opportunity Shop at Vaddukoddai junction. Unlike the above guy in the bus – this lady confirmed that she was growing vegetables for a living and that she refused to depend on anyone for her living. To me she was the real hero whose life needed to be celebrated. I gave her nothing ‘free’ but without it being obvious – I discounted her items drastically. Being an Opportunity shop our pricing is individual. The more the mind is shared – the less the money price. She was genuine in her fighting and even if she did it as a job – her return became self-governance to the extent she did not try to intimidate another in the name of Independence struggle.

When reading the role played by Fidel Castro – in Cuba – I felt that we Sri Lankans have saved ourselves from such suppression both in North as well as in South. In North it was Prabhakaran and in South it was Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa. There is nothing right or wrong but the pattern of leadership through family members first in an era of democracy.

Sri Lankans who allowed their minds to be taken-over by the stronger minded – are equally responsible as official leaders for the wars in Sri Lanka. Each one of us has the power to complete our governance by submitting to our Divinity / Truth / Love within. Once we do this – no armed leader could take-over our mind which through such submission is of Absolute/Common value. The youth here confirm that they wanted easy benefits and hence are easily lured by modern electronic tools and intoxicants. The fact that it is happening so soon after the LTTE confirms that theirs was the wrong type of takeover. If they are celebrated those who celebrate them are likely to be dictated to by their children/juniors. The way I see it – Northern Province of Sri Lanka would continue to be self-governing so long as it practices genuinely the religious pathways – which are diverse to Southern Sri Lanka which follows  largely the Buddhist pathway. That’s a natural separation we already have and unlike the armed pathway – we cannot be told by Sinhalese-Buddhist that we are right or wrong through a religion that is largely ‘foreign’ to them.

Within Nainatheevu temple for example – there was a board asking ladies to tie up / plait their hair and it said words to the effect ‘please’. Even though mine was covered by a shawl I quickly plaited it in addition,  to respect the order of the temple which showed ‘logic’ also. But if the Navy had asked me – I would have flatly refused – because they are not the developers of that temple nor are they owners through belief.  If they were they would have also said ‘please’ when asking me to move from one side to another in the queue to the ferry.

Fear is the other side of Desire. The armed forces in North are showing fear due to lack of feeling of ownership. Ultimately – they need to ask themselves whether they want their jobs at that cost. Give them someone with fighting skills – they would feel excited. But the believing owner without any weapons would defeat them by returning their desires as fears. An officer trying to administer a self-regulated devotee is effectively driven by desire. My experience in Jaffna confirms that we are returning to true self-governance at our respective levels. Would not have happened if we as a community were wrong for Sri Lanka. 

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

27 November    2016

 Maaveerar Day – Day of Healing

Today is commonly known as Maaveerar Day – Great Heroes Day by Tamils of Sri Lanka. When we remember that some in our community died as fighters – we have the duty to remember and honor them and thereby honor ourselves. Wikipedia report on this includes the following summary:

[On 27 November 2012 an attempt by some University of Jaffna students to commemorate Maaveerar Naal by lighting oil lamps was broken by the Sri Lankan security forces who broke the lamps, threatened the students and pointing weapons at them.  The following day students staged a peaceful protest against the actions of the security forces but they were met by riot police who attacked and beat the protesters, resulting in at least 20 students being injured and four arrested.

In 2016 the Government Minister Mano Ganesan claimed that Maaveerar Naal can be celebrated as it is a human right for people to celebrate their late loved ones but it was wrong to do it with a political motive. He cited that the marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) also celebrate il Maha Viru Samaruwa in the South to commemorate their dead. However due to the fact that the LTTE is still proscribed but JVP is no longer considered a terrorist organization the LTTE cannot be mentioned.]  

Often we add our own good to the dead to ‘free’ them from any wrongs – in the belief that they would merge with the Holy Spirit. When we pay our respects genuinely – as if the dead are a part of us – we carry with us their minds of  positive value as if we are those persons. Thus, their  mind lives longer than the body. If we do so for lesser purposes of money and/or status – we get their weaknesses – especially if we are seen to be successful  on the outside. To the extent we are strongly  positive in the values they carried which values were considered strongly negative by our community – including parts of the Tamil Community that were victims of the fighters, we do not inherit the negatives by honoring them through their goodness. Hence when we genuinely mourn all those who died due to the struggle for Independence – the day becomes a day of healing and preventing.

If on the other hand, we do it for political reasons – we disintegrate the common and take on their weaknesses and therefore their failures.  Hence to us mortals, it is all about what it does to us – the living.

The LTTE itself needs to be remembered as such a courageous group but not for the purposes of benefiting in the current environment. Once invoked at the cost-benefit level – we invoke also their negatives.

To me it is more valuable that Minister of Health – Dr. Rajitha Senaratne paid tribute to a Politician who was killed near my homeland in Narahenpita:

[Minister of Health and Co-Cabinet Spokesman
Dr. Rajitha Senaratne has announced at the Cabinet Media briefing last Wednesday (23) that there was nothing wrong in commemorating the dead.

Minister Rajitha Senaratne was in Jaffna on Sunday (20) to participate at the event to commemorate the tenth year death anniversary of slain Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian N. Raviraj.
The statue of N. Raviraj has been erected in his hometown Chavakachcheri, and it was unveiled by the Leader of the Opposition and the Tamil National Alliance Leader

R. Sampanthan, in the presence of Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and the Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP)Leader Dr. Wickramabahu Karunaratne. Illankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK) Leader and TNA Parliamentarian Mavai S. Senathirajah garlanded the statue and the cost of erecting the statue was met by another Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran.

The event was a moving one and the family members of the slain Parliamentarian were in tears when they lit the lamps in memory of late Raviraj who was a young lawyer and remained a promising Tamil politician. He had also served as the Mayor of Jaffna in 2001.

Raviraj was among Tamil politicians such as Sam Thambimuttu, A. Amirthalingam, V. Yogeswaran, Neelan Thiruchelvam,
T. Maheswarn, Nadaraja Atputharaja and Lakshman Kadirgamar were assassinated in Colombo and except for Kadirgamar all others were assassinated in broad daylight.

Raviraj was gunned down at Narahenpita while he was driving his vehicle to his office in the early hours on 10 November 2006. The assassin who arrived on a motorbike had emptied his T.56 assault rifle gunning down Raviraj and his body guard, a police constable who was sitting next to him in the vehicle.

Raviraj's tenth year death anniversary was commemorated with the unveiling of his statue last Sunday (10) in the backdrop of month of November being considered as the month of Marty's Day commemorations in the North and the East.
Coincidently tributes were also paid in memory of Raviraj for the supreme sacrifice he made towards fulfilling the political aspirations of Tamils.

Raviraj being fluent in all three languages expressed his views highlighting clearly the political and the humanitarian issues of the people in the North and the East to the people in the South.]

The fact that we are able to celebrate both – the LTTE and their internal Opposition – the Tamil Parliamentarians at the same time within the Northern Province, confirms that we have reconciled internally as a Community. Those of us who feel common to both ceremonies,  would naturally share such healing powers with others in their environment. Dr. Senaratne is appreciated by widowed and abandoned Health workers in Northern Province whose jobs were confirmed as a priority above others.

I am feeling positive that my investments in healing the minds of war victims are delivering positive returns. Maaveerar Day flower is Karthigai Flower with six petals and is known as Murugan’s flower. I found it for the first time in Sydney, Australia – confirming my global level experience of Independence through Multicultural pathway.

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

26 November    2016

Et Tu ICA – Sri Lanka!

‘Firstly, it is important that you understand that the University is unable to create a position for you. You are of course able to apply for any advertised position and there is no impediment to you expressing an interest in any such vacancy.’ – Professor Mark Wainwright – Vice Chancellor (VC) of the University of NSW – through letter dated 21 October 2004 to Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

The fact that I had already developed my position as per the mandate I was recruited for is confirmed through the expressions of assessments from within – listed in Appendix 1:

These were all available within the University of NSW. Yet the Vice Chancellor ignored all that because I was insignificant to him – as the Tamil Politicians become in Parliament of Sri Lanka except when they take the side of Tamil Tigers – directly or indirectly.

The mind of the VC is now my Opposition and the minds of the others listed in the Appendix  are part of my side of governance from diverse angles.

In my response to the VC,  I wrote as follows:

[I will soon leave toward your office. I am wearing sari because I have been asked to speak at the Saraswathee Poojah celebration tonight by the Hindu community.  If I do not turn up, they will learn the reason why. Many of those families have students and staff at the University. Saraswathee is the Goddess of Education. This is hands-on education for them, in how to override ignorance through non violent communications.

I thought that Neil said you might go to Singapore? Did you change your mind? I feel Neil is trying to pick my brains. You failed to facilitate this for him and other younger generation managers. But I am generous. I work out what Neil needs and educate him in advance. Had he informed me that he was going to call the Police on 15 September I would have studied the necessary laws and educated him and saved him and the UNSW bad karma and Public embarrassment 

I strongly suggest that you apply for an arrest warrant if you do not want to be a witness in my next Trespass case. Gandhi went to prison many times – saying if it was good for India he could not refuse His Majesty’s invitation. I identify with Gandhi who explained to the masses what the laws introduced by the British meant. He said that according to the marriage laws that were passed after he arrived in South Africa, that according to that law,  their children were bastards and their wives were whores. The feelings of the Indian workers surfaced then. Until then they chose to remain ignorant – as the UNSW staff are choosing to.

It suits you doesn’t it ? – to keep them ignorant? ……..

Through the Malaysian experience of the University of New Castle,  which resulted in the termination of the services of their Vice Chancellor and the Chancellor, we have learnt that Australians are not able to Manage effectively and efficiently in foreign environments. It will be worse in Singapore where UNSW has established its foreign branch. The death penalty for drug trafficking  for the young Australian is an extreme example. Singaporeans are money-driven but they practice the Business laws in a disciplined manner. They are rewarded dynamically for their higher level of work. Their problem is lack of ownership at the higher level. Most Singaporeans feel dependent on money  for their social status. But like Macdonalds their services are reliable and their rules are understood by the average citizen.]

The immediate outcome at the University was the usual – Police arrest which was unlawful but who cared? I wrote about this:

[......I recalled also how Dr. David Garlick the founding Director of UNSW Sports Medicine had told me that Professor Bruce Dowton, the Dean of Medicine had told him 'Gaja will keep the whole University honest' ....I said that I had lawful excuse and that I was an owner and that I had not been asked by the person apparently in charge of the UNSW to leave.....They continued to drag me out....My inner voice said to me that it was a Divine message for me to take my complaints to the Federal Parliament where I understand is a plaque symbolizing Sri Sathya Sai Baba's message about Unity of Religions.....]

Giving form to that honesty ended up with Professor Wainwright doing the liquidation cleanup of UNSW Asia in Singapore. That is how Truth can return the karma to owner. But how many are ready to be honest even to themselves?

As per Economy Next report -  ‘Sri Lanka accountants adopt new code to expose corporate crime’:

[Sri Lanka’s rule-setting accountants’ body has adopted new international guidelines under which finance professionals, including auditors, are obliged to report wrongdoing in companies they audit or work for, setting aside confidentiality requirements in the public interest.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) said it has decided to adopt the “Responding to Non Compliance with Laws and Regulations” standard, known as NOCLAR, when it becomes effective internationally from 15th July 2017.
This will ensure that Sri Lanka is in line with the latest international ethics standards, it said in a statement.
The announcement was made on Thursday by CA Sri Lanka President Lasantha Wickremasinghe while addressing audit committee members and board directors at an awareness session on changes to the reporting on audited financial statements, held at the institute.]

The above reminds me of  my friend Rani – an engineer who said  she was told in Sri Lanka, about her reply to a question ‘You have revealed that not only do you not know what a horse is but also what a donkey is!’

Likewise, the current President of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka – letting down my Alma Mater – whose daughter had the  courage to pull up the NSW Auditor General who declared that Auditors were getting ready to use Key Performance Indicators. He also copied the Canadian system. My discussion with him is listed in Appendix 2

When we qualify as Chartered Accountants – it is naturally taken as a promotion from individual to common thinking professional. But once we become professionals and carry a portfolio on that basis – we do not have the moral authority to go back to being individuals reporting to the Public outside our mandate and the fundamentals of our profession.  Our rules must as part of themselves include that preventive measure – to prevent collusion with the public – as usually happens to Politicians who end up becoming practitioners of cronyism once they ignore Parliamentary rules. Separation of Powers need to be confirmed more firmly where there is serious breakdown in law and order at government level. Increasing the volume of laws and rules – makes it even more chaotic under such circumstances. Unless the Accounting Body itself is specifically affected – the business of Politics is beyond the jurisdiction of the Accounting Body.

Good Politics is belief based. Bad Politics is hallucination based. Both are untouchables to intellectual Professionals.

As an Accountant knows – the Ordinary Shares in a Limited Liability company is different in makeup to Preference Shares. Professionals are Preference Shareholders and the Public are Ordinary Shareholders. An Auditor wanting to make it right – needs to renounce her/his position of Auditor to complain as ordinary  member of the Public. The way we view the same outcome would be different as per our positions. Hence the separation of powers between management and auditors and also between management and auditors. When reporting to the Public directly  or through  the Government – such reporter needs to be free of her/his auditing responsibilities. It’s not different to Medical Practitioners’ responsibility to keep their clients’ insider details confidential.

In the case of Sri Lankan Airlines, Auditors did not identify with many of the breaches highlighted  in the Weliamuna Report. Mr. Weliamuna being a lawyer – interfered with the Business of Sri Lankan Airlines by reporting without wearing the clothes of an auditor/investigator. That is the lesson Chartered Accountants need to learn from. If they play the role played by Mr. Weliamuna – then they kill the goose that lays their golden eggs. The right way is to renounce the desire for golden eggs all at the same time and be satisfied with one egg a year or become ordinary member of the Public and be satisfied with the natural egg that would sustain their existence as natural citizens.

The mind that colludes with the opposition and / or the client  becomes weak. Hence the need for conscious separation of powers and duties as per our own positions. They are specific to us and should not be generalized as if we were individual members of the Public. Those of us who are capable of developing new and progressive positions in an environment need to first resign from those positions and the benefits to become ordinary members of the Public – as Gandhi did through Truth. Unless Mr. Lasantha Wickremasinghe is ready to do that – such Public work is out of his reach and he has no mandate to bring about such a standard. The seer of Truth on behalf of the whole needs to step into the shoes of the lowest member of society. Can’t keep the cake and eat it too.

Appendix 1

1.      Thursday, 15 October 98 re my departure. Professor Dowton – then Dean of Medicine wrote ‘ Finance Management in Faculty – Dear Colleagues,  I write to advise you of a change in the personnel responsible for managing the Faculty’s finances. Gaja Paramasivam who had been devolved from Financial Services Division in the Chancellery has resigned from the University – Gaja’s last day was yesterday.  Gaja has made an extraordinary and lasting contribution to our Faculty and I am very grateful for her work with us. She will be missed by many of us. With agreement from the FSD (Financial Services Division) that this model of devolution has not been optimum for their purposes or ours, I have taken the decision to hire a Business Manager for the Faculty and that recruitment process will begin. FSD will continue to provide devolved staff to our Faculty for supporting the interface between management of our affairs and the necessary consolidation for reporting purposes in the Chancellery. In the interim, Tim Harnett has joined the faculty office to assist us in developing budget for 1999 and managing the systems which Gaja had designed. Tim comes to us from Morgan and Banks, a leading financial placement firm serving the corporate and public sector. Again, we will miss Gaja very much as she has made a tremendous contribution to our work. I know you would wish to join me in thanking her for  her many  contributions.’

2.      Professor Bruce Dowton, then Dean of Medicine – University of New South Wales (UNSW); later  Senior Executive Vice President Harvard Medical International& now Vice Chancellor Macquarie University:

‘..In her role Ms Paramasivam was charged with responsibility from the Financial Services Department for managing the interfaces between the Faculty Office and the centralized systems of accounting, financial reporting and purchasing. In addition, she was asked by me to manage the communications and activities related to finances between this office and the multiple schools and research institutions affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine. …..Ms Paramasivam has an excellent repertoire of management accounting skills. She came to UNSW with considerable experience in the hospital / health sector in Sydney as well as a number of private sector enterprises. In the space of several months she developed a new approach to budgeting for the Faculty of Medicine. She developed all the spreadsheet support for this purpose and spent a considerable amount of time working with administrative officers and senior academic staff in the Schools in developing the procedures for supporting the detailed content within the budgets. She has an excellent orientation towards client service. Her focus was on development of an activity based budgeting system which began to move us away from an inappropriate emphasis on cash management to a modified accrual system.

Ms Paramasivam quickly engendered the confidence and support of many of the administrative officers and academic leadership in this Faculty. She was always sensitive to their situations in matters related to administration and management of finances. She always indicated a preference to deliver strong client service by regularly visiting the Schools and affiliated organizations. She demonstrated patience in working with them to help them understand the rationale behind new systems and approaches to managing finances. In her dealings with centralized agencies in the organization she was always forthright and determined in her quest to improve service and improve systems used to support resource management in the faculty. She achieved remarkable success in a short period of time with the University.

3.      Dr David Garlick – Founding Director of UNSW Sports Medicine to Gaja Paramasivam

We wish to record our gratitude for your consultancy for us in our UNSW Sports Medicine Programs during the past 5 months.

Your financial expertise has been invaluable to us in providing us with accounting services of the highest order for our unit in regard to such functions as *Enabling us to understand the concepts involved in operating as an ‘off budget’ unit; * Producing a Business Plan; * Producing financial statements based on accrual accounting; * Producing Cost-Benefit analyses; * Producing financial assessments at 2-monthly intervals.

These contributions will lay the basis for our Programs to advance, based on sound business principles. It will also enable us to interact more effectively with the financial structures within the University.

Your financial services have also been invaluable in regard to the detailed development of proposals for the new undergraduate Bachelor’s course in Health & Exercise Science so that a Business Plan could be developed on the basis of student fees and the staffing positions based on these. This will lay a sound basis for effective planning for this new and exciting course. We look forward to being able to engage your consultancy in the future.

(As part of my consulting work for UNSW Sports Medicine, I prepared funding reports and successfully resourced millions of dollars in funding new projects. This is one of my specialties – from which  I believe SriLankans who are my ‘home group in terms of my qualifications would benefit enormously.)

Dr. Garlick  stated during the investigations into my complaints: ‘He considers her to be an extremely ethical and moral person . He said that she had almost a touch of genius and that this, together with her other characteristics made her so unusual that it could be possible to misinterpret her comments and suggestions.’

4.      Dr John Yu – UNSW Chancellor – confirming my skills in connecting to and influencing board of governors.

Dear Gaja, Thank you for your note about the Dean of Science.  You would appreciate that it would not be proper for me to discuss any details of this with you but I hope you might have some reassurance in the fact that the Vice Chancellor discussed the matter with me at every stage….You and I are always concerned about people and I know that these factors were also given every consideration.

The UNSW Chancellor wrote to me when I was working in Vanni on a UNDP project:

From:

j.yu@unsw.edu.au 

Date:

Tue, 18 Feb 200309:43:38 +1100

Dear Gaja,

Thank you for your greeting from Sri Lanka. I am pleased that fighting 

Has stopped but as you note, there is now an equally challenging task of helping those who suffered the consequences of many years of hatred. I am afraid those emotions will continue for a long while yet unless your people are significantly different to the peoples of so many different lands which have been literally torn apart by conflict and death.

I think that Australia and more specifically Australian can and should 

Try and help. My bias in these circumstances is to help the children and this can probably be best done by helping child health workers with basic resources but better still with training expertise. I should be a 

"Train the Trainer" approach.

Do you know what the situation is with child health nurses, midwifery

And others such as physiotherapists etc? These people and public health 

         Doctors are needed to help put preventive measures in place as quickly as possible.

I am afraid that I am pretty ignorant about what  and who is available 

On the ground.

Best wishes,

john Yu

5.      Mr. Neil Morris  - UNSW Director of Human Resources who said that I ought to be the Senior advisor to the Vice Chancellor.

Gaja, rest assured your emails are read by me……..Attached is a word document that is our guidelines for recruitment and selection. I would be happy to have your comments. It’s a large document and I suspect it will take some time to read decipher and comment on,

6.      Ms Colleen Moore – Director NSW Government Advertising Agency & Information Service:

Mrs. Gaja Paramasivam was employed as Financial Controller to the Director Government Information and Advertising from July 1990 until September 1995. The position she held was responsible for coordinating the financial operations of the Government Information Service and the Government Advertising Agency. She provided analysis of financial accounting reports on a monthly basis and carried out numerous special tasks as directed by myself. She also provided management accounting and technical support to operational  financial coordinators. Her input in ensuring the viability of these two business units  of government which operate as commercial businesses within a government framework was a great asset. Gaja’s knowledge and experience has proved fundamental in ensuring the efficient operation of these units. Her ability to analyse and explain complicated issues in a simple manner was only one of her many qualities. She demonstrated an aptitude for training staff and was patient, diligent and highly respected by all staff. Her advice to both senior management and subordinate staff was always highly regarded and she was commended by the General Manager Commercial Services. Her commitment and motivation was outstanding and I found Gaja to be a keen and industrious worker always willing to assist others in the accounting areas. Her advice to me over the 5 years has been invaluable. It would be fair to say I have relied heavily on Gaja for support in all accounting matters, and she will be hard to replace

Mr. Sendt wrote on 20 November 2003 in response to my Public demand for him to pay his Dues as an Accountant::
Ms Param, I fully understand that auditors are not to participate in the management of the entities they audit. That is basic. What I said in my report is that external financial reports only give a partial view of the performance of many public entities. Such entities are not established to earn a profit or a return on assets, but to provide services to the public. So to give a true and fair view of how well they are providing services, they also produce non-financial performance indicators. If financial reports are required to be audited – to give the public confidence in their accuracy – then so too should the performance indicators. I fail to see how you can state that this is participating in the management of the entity.

Appendix 2

Bob Sendt
NSW Auditor General

My response to the above indicates the deep wisdom I have in Audit and Compliance, largely based on my Sri Lankan training:
Thank you Mr. Sendt for  the prompt response. Most progressive organizations produce both – Financial and Non-Financial Performance Indicators. They  are both for MANAGEMENT purposes and reflect the THINKING and WORK_IN_PROGRESS. If you use Performance Indicators – then you are thinking with them. This is like the Executive Government participating in the Judicial process. Your Non-Financial Reports are the Legal records that these organizations are required to maintain – such as the Recruitment and Employee Assessment records. Where there is a big gap between Law and Practice – it requires YOUR staff to do the additional work. Taking the Performance Indicators distracts you away from this work. It is in breach of the Doctrine of Separation of  Powers. These organizations must be allowed to confidentially do the cooking and it’s up to your staff to do the spy work from the finished product to the LAW and not to their dreams and goals. You are seeking the short path because your staff are not trained to find out from the client staff what is going on. Staff often ‘hide’ information from you because you are third party. So they should. That way your staff would improve their skills. Using client-staff’s work-in-progress deters your staff from thinking through their own specialty = AUDIT on the basis of existing LAW. Then we would become a uniform society instead of a diverse society challenging each other – you within the existing law and the operational staff towards tomorrow’s laws. Challenging leads to creativity – as you can see from me. Gandhi also said that the night he was thrown out of the first class compartment of the South African RAILWAYS was his most creative experience.
You need to get the client organization to publish their non-financial reports that are mandatorily maintained. Public service organizations primarily make goodwill. This can also be positive or negative – profits or losses. They are collected together and are balanced with the total costs through Common Funds. It will be useful for you to develop a standard dollar value for these legal requirements so the People can SEE and know the Truth. Your role is not to help them make a profit but to report whether they are and how much. How about doing one on UNSW? Or State Rail?
Thank you again for responding. It has helped deeply.
Regards, Gaja – effectively in custody

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

25 November    2016

Contempt of Court or Defamation of the Individual?

[A lawyer today filed fourteen Contempt of Court actions in the Supreme Court against the editor of Lankaenews website Sandaruwan Senadheera.

The lawyer - Deputy Mayor of Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Municipal Council Madura Vithanage - is seeking the Court’s jurisdiction to punish Senadheera for allegedly publishing defamatory articles on Lankaenews.

Vithanage complaining that there had been a series of articles published a on the website 'Lankaenews' and on its social media, defaming judges and castigating their character.

The complainant stated that the contents of the said articles on the website and on social media had insulted, defamed, and ridiculed judges whose names are referred to therein, and were a direct and indirect intimidation on judges as well as the judiciary as a whole.

“These articles have attacked on both the judicial conduct as well as the private lives of the judges and caused embarrassment not only to the judges but also to the entire judiciary”, the complainant said] – Daily News article - Contempt of Court charges against Lankaenews

I was also insulted, defamed and ridiculed in Sri Lankan Courts as well as Australian Courts. My recourse was to write about it through media space developed by myself and by others and if I still felt unsettled – I submitted the matter to the Lord. When I identified with the return from the Lord – I shared my completed experience with wider Public – recognizing that there would be many in need of such sharing. Often the sharing is indirect through the investment in that particular medium by wider public. When even one needy member of the Public feels comforted or relieved due to such sharing  I represent the Public. Any insult to me is also insult of the Public.

The contempt charges, to cover the ‘entire’ judiciary – need to be made by a member of the Judiciary and not by someone who is on the other side – the side of the Public.

This week there was a discussion in Jaffna Civil Appeal  Court – about a judge in the primary courts not allowing lawyer of one side to ask a vital question of a witness. The judge prevented such questioning – it was discussed. Hence the Appeal Court judge directed that the lawyers settle the issues on which they agreed and present that – so there is no room for Judicial interference in those areas. But then what about the litigants themselves? There are many instances where the litigants’ interpretation of facts are lost consciousness of. Worse – the litigant is insulted for doing the right thing by law. My second marriage was lawful marriage which is also healthy for Australia as well as Sri Lanka, but the lawyer representing the other side kept saying in Mallakam Court that I was NOT part of  the family. To its credit – the High Court of Jaffna put that lawyer in his place by the Judge asking the question ‘that is lawful marriage isn’t it’ - at the first mention itself.  Like the Sri Lankan armed forces that lawyer seems to have completely forgotten that there was no lawful basis for his claim.

Lawyers and Judges who include the Truth of the Public – become Governors through their judicial services. The retirement life would be Service rich due to such true sharing.

Lankaenews may have acted in breach of defamatory laws of Sri Lanka. But in terms of e-news – is one to use Sri Lankan law or global common laws – to publish as well as to find fault with? Under certain circumstances two wrongs at local level can make a right at the global level. In this instance – the complaining  lawyer who is also the Deputy Mayor of Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte Municipal Council, is part of the Executive and by representing the Judiciary – the complainant is acting in breach of the Doctrine of Separation of Powers. The media, to the extent it publishes the work of the Public is part of the Public. If the above mentioned publishing happened through such facility, but was in breach of a particular law, then taken as a whole the two breaches have made a right by balancing each other out.

After the above discussion in the High Court of Jaffna – I said to our lawyer outside the courtroom that I had a similar experience in Australian Federal Court – with Justice Tamberlin – who was answering my questions posed to the lawyer for the University of NSW. I sued Justice Tamberlin through Racial Discrimination Act 1975 – but Judge Moore who was listed to hear the matter said to me that it would be a difficult hearing for me. As per my previous experience Judge Moore was more fair and balanced than any other judge who heard my matters. Hence I did not go further with that complaint. But Justice did take place through the UN:

[Mr Kirby finished 10th with 64 votes and Justice Tamberlin was last with only 18 votes. Even if the vote for the two Australian was not split, Mr Kirby would still have fallen five short of the tally of the seventh judge elected.]- The Australian Business Review  article dated 12 March 2009 – under the heading ‘Michael Kirby, Brian Tamberlin miss UN posts’

If the UN also fails the true believer – the Lord hears us. One who is true to her/himself has the power to return through the system of Natural Justice, the verdict on the Judge in areas where one is more free than the Judge.  Ultimately through such reversals we include Natural Justice in our mind structure and that becomes our heritage – shared with future generations and wider world. I use that system often here in Thunaivi-Vaddukoddai where not many have knowledge of the law. Once I note that they have earned their punishment/discipline – I lose consciousness of the official system in the case of such person. This is something that the Judiciary needs to look at in terms of LTTE combatants who were punished in war zone. To punish them through the legal system beyond others in the system – for example the armed forces – would create another problem for the official system.

In the above mentioned Jaffna matter – the other side was represented by a retired Judge. As I said to a young entrepreneur here in Thunaivi- Vaddukoddai – at her level of seeking money without proper proposals - it was a question of whether she would take over  my mind or whether I would take over her mind. The young lady stopped arguing further and I did not see her any more. That to me was the confirmation that I won by defeating her ego.

Ultimately it is about who we see ourselves through. Where judges are condemned unjustly – the Public defeats its own judicial system. Where the media is condemned unjustly – the group in whose name it is done loses freedom to make public expressions and there to social sharing. When we share in one’s difficulties – we gain instantaneously their positive strengths. It is to make such sharing more comfortable that we have family, institutional and community structures. Those who indiscriminately cross borders are like illegal migrants who need to cure their illegality before the free flow of common ownership  would benefit and support them. 

Thank you Mr. Jayaweera. I have responded in red in the body of your email

Warm Regards

Gajalakshmi

Dear Ms Param

Having read your below article, I decided to make the following two comments.

Thank you and I appreciate it very much.  To me that is part of the Reconciliation process. The same object is viewed differently by your mind – a mind of Sinhalese origin and mine a mind of Tamil origin.  I believe that if you are able to accept why I wrote as I did and I am able to accept why you have responded as you have done, and the two essentially lead to removing differences due to lack of knowing the other’s ‘system’ – we have reconciled and hence have contributed to greater harmony in Sri Lanka and as Sri Lankans.  I bow my head to Air Lanka  / Sri Lankan Airlines for the opportunity to reconcile.

Firstly, Air Lanka’s logo as found above, was not a Peacock as stated by you. According to the artist who designed it, the logo represented the ‘Dandu Monera Yanthraya’. The three fins on the head represented the Triple Gem and the five tail fins, the five percepts of Buddhism. I came across this information during my 4 year stint in the Marketing Communications Dept. of Air Lanka, two of which was in the capacity as Marketing Communications Manager for Advertising & Promotions, in the early 1990s. Uniforms of Flight Stewardesses and Ground Hostesses contained a peacock feather as a part of a design and not as a reflection of the logo.

Mr. Jayaweera, our son Pradeepkumar Paramasivam paints beautifully  and he said to me once when I asked him about his painting – that we get the value we read from it.  In other words – a work of art should not be technically limited to a particular definition of the maker. If it were – it would be grounded and would not rise high to spread itself. In this instance you  reveal that your interpretation is NOT the interpretation of the original artist but the information received as Marketing Communications Manager for Advertising & Promotions. During my time – Mr. Dissanayake held that position and when he left to join Hotel Intercontinental  - Mr. Shanmuganathan  won that position. Later it was held by Mr. Susantha Peiris.    The duty -   of Sinhalese origin once shared an interesting experience with us. He said that when he was in Maldives a Sikh had approached him and asked him ‘Are you from Motherland?’ . This smart young mate said he responded by asking ‘Whose motherland – yours or mine?’ 

Likewise – the interpretation of the logo of our common workplace would and should bring  different  messages to us – each as per their role. Mine was Agency & Interline Manager.  Even there – I did not have the  ‘freedom’ to interpret an Agent applying for General Sales Agency (GSA) – as per my own assessment. I had to make my own recommendations and the final appointment was by those above me in position. In this instance my work is the parallel of the Artist who drew the Air Lanka logo. I highlighted this pathway when responding to Mr. Weliamuna’s  criticism of some GSA appointments. I was protecting my own heritage shared with my successors in that position. My successors are  likely to make different looking decisions in relation to that job. But to the extent they  carried the heritage developed by those  before them in that position – they would be rooted to the fundamentals and we would not have  much to reconcile.

It is my understanding that Monara in Sinhalese means peacock. As per my understanding of Singapore Airlines Managers who trained us – the logo of Airlanka was Peacock. 

Emirates Management replaced the logo of straight lines with curved lines (and colors) in the process of rebranding from Air Lanka to SriLankan Airlines commencing 1998 as did many companies who rebranded during the run up to the new millennia i.e. Cathey Pacific to Cathey.        

According to regional mythology, the Dandu Monera Yantraya was the flying machine used by King Ravana to abduct Princess Sita, spouse of Prince Rama. Peacock feathers are kept only in Temples and Kovils and not in homes as the Peacock is considered an unlucky bird. I cannot vouch for that theory but it is the reason we took great pains to distance ourselves from the logo being identified with the Peacock despite public perception of the logo being a Peacock.

As per the  following website, the meaning of Monara is peacock.:

http://www.sasrutha.com/search/sinhala-parts-body/page/21

This place is known as Gurulupotha. In Valmiki’s depiction King Ravana’s Vimana resembled a huge peacock. The Vimana in Sinhala language means Dhandu Monara which is known as ‘flying peacock’

By distancing yourselves from the Peacock interpretation, you distanced yourself from the founders of  Air Lanka which included the rich Corporate Wisdom of Singapore Airlines minds, shared with us Sri Lankans. I note that you do not dispute that King Ravana abducted Princess Sita.  Taking that as the Common interpretation – I ask you whether you make a connection between that abduction and those to whom King Ravana is leader – taking what is not theirs? – even by their own cultural rules?  Those are inherited mind-orders that would get carried forward through blind following. Such following would be better in some environments and worse in others.

As for peacock being an unlucky bird – and your confession that my interpretation is the ‘common’ interpretation of the Sri Lankan Public – who are the first owners of Air Lanka – I conclude that at some point there was conscious effort  to move away from the Public. Given that I lack ‘insider knowledge of Air Lanka at that time – I am using the following by Wikipedia as the base:

[On 28 March 1980, Air Lanka signed a purchase agreement for two brand new Lockheed L1011-500 Tristars, the most advanced wide-body aircraft in the world at that time. The first Lockheed L1011-500 (4R-ULA) was accepted on 26 August 1982, at Palmdale, California. It was flown to Amsterdam as UL flight 566P. On 28 August 4R-ULA "City Of Colombo" left for its inaugural flight from Amsterdam to Colombo as UL566. It reached Colombo on 29 August. This was followed by second Lockheed L1011-500, 4R-ULB, "City Of Jayawardanapura". On 8 June 1984 the airline received its first Boeing 747-200B "King Vijaya" and the second joined later. The aircraft were used on flights to Europe and a few flights to southeast Asia.]

I left Airlanka in May 1982 to work in Papua New Guinea.  I have often thought as to why I left Sri Lanka before the 1983 pogrom in Colombo which also is  my home city.  Usually the response was that I had had enough difficulties to not deserve being there to directly experience fear and anxiety of attack purely  because I was a Tamil. But your above response has led to another connection – that Air Lanka was being ‘grounded’ by using Sinhalese names and was fast becoming a ‘government department’ using highly subjective influence.

As revealed repeatedly, to me Airlanka job came through Divine intervention – of Lord Muruga. A sage from Thiruketheeswaram said to me before I was recruited – that like Murugan, I was going to  ‘fly’ on the peacock. I therefore connected the logo to Peacock to keep thanking Lord Muruga and that Thiruketheeswaram  Sage – for the blessing that Airlanka has been to me. My Airlanka experience deepened my global experience. To my mind Lord Muruga is the Lord of Democracy.  Lord Muruga – even though a second child – won the race to go around the world physically – but the prize was already awarded to his elder brother Ganesh who went around His parents who were His whole world.  That was the intellectual pathway of Academics.  Lord Muruga renounced his inheritance and started from zero base – with Palani as His first Capital.  My interpretation of this is that one has to renounce inherited wealth to become truly democratic. Hence Zero Base Budgeting.

Without being conscious of this reasoning I did just that in Australia – at the University of NSW which was highly subjective.  I renounced my earned benefits and opportunities to ‘free’ myself from the subjective powers that were grounding Australia through  institutions such as the University of NSW. I was specifically recruited towards democratizing the Financial Management system – but operationally Academic Administrators – even the best of them – were like Ganesh – going around their heritage as their world.  It was painful alright – but the ‘freedom’ is fresh and beautiful.  The rewards are topped by the ‘right to separation’ by remaining Equal Opposition. That is my recommendation to any minority feeling Sri Lankan. They need to ‘show’ physically that they have become global. They must complete the multicultural journey of becoming the whole and being seen as the ‘whole’.

I feel that this is the greatest challenge not only for President Sirisena but also for Tamils like Mr. Wigneswaran who as per my assessment is  also attached to the past. This morning a leading member of the Sri Lankan Diaspora forwarded to me the following link regarding a meeting of ‘intellectuals’: http://epaper.dailynews.lk//art.asp?id=2016/11/19/pg07_0&pt=p&h=

As per this report:

‘The meeting held at the BMICH to mark 30th Anniversary of the Ravaya Newspaper with the participations of President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Opposition Leader R Sambanthan, SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem and JVP leadr Anura Kumara Dissanayake became a people’s intellectual assembly, a new addition to the democratic revolution, still spreading in the country. Both leaders, answering the opposition criticism explained that changes are taking place steadily and continuously against the reactionary opposition. May be the process is slow compared to the aspirations of the people. It is necessary to defeat racist chauvinist conspiracies and appealed all to join the struggle. This public mass assembly is accepted by all, as a new feature where activist faced the leaders of the country. After the meeting both leaders were available during the refreshments to continue the discussions in small groups. ]

To my mind,  Tamils, Muslims and Burghers, even those within the Government need to take Equal Opposition whenever the subjective pathway is used by a Sinhalese with leadership status. There can be no true democracy until that subjective element is eliminated. If they join their minds to the leaders’ they become traitors to those who died for Independence from racism. Active Opposition needs to be shown to subjective decisions by those who are ‘seen’ as Sinhala-Buddhists. The need is for us to move towards business basis – which means the producer produces and leaves it to the customer to purchase it as per her/his own assessment of whether the product is valuable to her/him as per the stated price. At the moment they are doing what you have done in terms of the peacock logo – saying there is only One interpretation – yours.  When it is belief based – like in the case of Lord Ganesh – we would travel in different pathways to the same destination.

Swami Ramakrishna – is known to have actually practiced many religions at the physical level – and it is reported that he claimed that they all led to the same Destination.  Those performing at  the physical level – need those other religious leaders – to complete that picture – of the whole during the current time. To a large degree Mr. Ranil Wicremesinghe is doing that – except in the Constitution restructure. Not so – Mr. Sirisena. Hence he would produce the likes of Mr. Wigneswaran as his opposition where at least one Sri Lankan has earned the system of Democratic Government.

I myself am faced with such challenges here in Vaddukoddai – not only from older folks strongly driven by the caste system but also young ones who try to please me at individual level and then expect ‘concessions’ in return. I have stated to them firmly that I am committed to ‘Business basis’ which means they have to take their place like any other customer and make their own assessments as to the value of the products/services. Taken merely at money level – I make losses. But the return for me is the open practice of Democracy in those who are sending their children to study in prestigious schools such as Jaffna College.  On the other hand at the village of Thunaivi – where the folks are largely illiterate – I limit my interactions to the temple where our ownership has now been clearly established.  Those who show respect in their conduct are given preference over those who are disrespectful of my interpretation of the rules pertaining to the temple. One priest for example used Vibhoothi / Holy ash – to cure those who seek faith-healing.  In that process the Holy Ash is thrown on the patient.  To me, the spilling of holy ash on the ground is disrespectful as Vibhoothi represents wisdom – by burning ignorance.  Our temple during my regime is a place for  meditation and realization of Divinity within. The Vibhoothi confirms such realization. Hence both practices cannot belong to that temple during the same period.

Likewise mythology and legend. Ramayana is a legend to me with Rama in my heart. When it comes to Democracy that heart-force fills my mind with Murugan form.

Secondly, you refer to the 50:50 representation by the ‘brilliant minded GG’ (Ponnambalam). He first made this demand during a speech in the State Council on 15 March 1939 demanding 50% of seats in the State Council for minorities who totaled 35% of the population, based on Equal Opportunity. The demand was rejected by the Soulbury Commission. It need be borne in mind GG’s concept of Equal Opportunity (besides other principles such as Human Rights, Fundamental Rights etc.) was not a universally accepted theory, as is the case today. Hence, from the 1939 – 1948 prism of the world, GG’s demand for 50 50 representation was a non-starter. It did not exist even in the biggest democracies such as USA in relation to minority Negros, in UK in relation to minority coloreds in UK and majority colored all over the empire etc. Your adopted homeland Australia did not permit any migrants unless they were of Caucasian descent. Had you applied to migrate to Australia any time prior to late 1960s, I believe your application would have been rejected (assuming you have no Caucasian blood). The Sinhala mindset at the time was no different.

GG Ponnambalam is the only Sri Lankan of his generation, known to me who was able to produce an intellectual representation of Democracy – the essential of which is in Equality at the base/start. GG Ponnambalam was in effect presenting Lord Muruga with 6 Equal faces – rendering global view. It’s like 6 religious leaders practicing their diverse religions at the same time – without time based advantage. The essential requirements are (1) Equal status at the apparent level and (2) Diversity.

A Sinhalese who relies on Mahavamsa to claim first ownership would be disadvantaged in terms of democracy.

One cannot exist physically with the other at the same time, except by as the unseen ‘other side’ of the whole. Even in the case of electorates,  Diversity is needed to have Equal status with lesser numbers.  The more diverse we become – the more complex the winning formula becomes – as we observed through the recent American Presidential elections also. Without cultural diversity – electorates must have equal numbers to enjoy Equal status in Parliament.  Our respective interpretations of Airlanka logo for example show diversity. Hence – we must be listed as Equals in relation to that issue and one who tries to ‘influence’ the other loses status in the system of Democracy. In terms of apparent status – the opposition cannot entitle itself to higher status than the official Executive – who represents the perfect half of the whole. Be it JVP or LTTE – they failed by elevating themselves above such leaders in their respective electorates. The gap between the real and their own assumed status is confirmation of their mental disorder/hallucination. Administratively – even the President has no power over a minister. When they do exercise such powers  they deviate from the system of Democracy and the position goes into Natural system and shrinks in the world of Truth / Dharma. Those driven by Dharma need to recognize only the shrunken role and not the apparent role.

The system of Democracy is the child of the system of Autocracy. My understanding of the Hindu version of this that Lord Shiva is the Lord of the Mind and His son Lord Muruga  who completed the physical journey without any inherited advantage is the Equal alternate leader to such a parent and His heir – the intellectual child.  The lay translation is that an Academic is equal to a practitioner as per her/his stated position. In Hinduism they say that Lord Shiva listened to Lord Muruga – and the place where this happened is called Swami Malai/Hill.  In the context of the current government – it is like the President taking advice from the Prime Minister.

I wonder if you are aware, GG led Ceylon’s delegations to the annual UN General Assembly during period 1967-69, indeed an extraordinary fete for a member of a marginalized community.

No – I had no knowledge of this but am not surprised. This then confirms that the Soulbury Commission did not have the insight into Democracy that GG Ponnambalam had. As confirmed by your own above account – the speech happened on 15 March – the Ides of March – the end of the Subjective era. Had the Soulbury Commission headed by the Hon D.S.Senanayake accepted the democratic base of that proposal – Sri Lanka would have been saved the JVP and LTTE uprisings.

That said, GG, was a high class Tamil Hindu and did little to improve the lot of the low caste Tamil Hindus in the North, especially in the context of Equal Opportunities. I recollect my uncle who was Government Agent in Jaffna from 1963 narrating to me a conversation with prominent Tamil leader Chellappah Suntheralingam (first class Mathematics tripos from Oxford, Ceylon Civil Service, MP, Minister, Principle of Ananda College and hailed from a distinguished family. He had four eminent brothers: C. Nagalingam, a Supreme Court judge, was acting Governor-General of Ceylon in 1954; C. Panchalingam was a medical doctor; C. Amirthalingam was Director of Fisheries; and C. Thiagalingam, a leading lawyer) in relation to my uncle’s attempts to have Kovils exclusively designated for high class Vellalar tamils opened to low caste Tamils. Suntharalingam had advised my uncle, he could try and implement Sinhala language in Jaffna if he wished to which may be acceptable but to refrain from trying to change centuries old traditions of the Vellalar caste and their Kovils which will never be accepted.

GG Ponnambalam was very clever. He did not himself eliminate caste-based hierarchy which was very much part of the Hindu environment he operated in. But that was right until we had the alternate Equal Opportunity system – starting at the National level. Even today, if case based discrimination is indiscriminately eliminated – without the system of Democracy in place – reverse discrimination would happen in multi-caste regions like Vaddukoddai for example. Job based caste discrimination is our heritage. We should not activate to the physical level but to lose it is to lose our inheritance. One day the system of Democracy also would be abused to deprive specialists of their earned status. That does not mean that we throw away Democracy with the bath. 

As explained above – the practice of Hindu religion varied between classes of Hindu Community.   At our temple here in Thunaivi – a toddy tapper village – when I asked a local / native to wash the temple altar he started doing some of the work allocated to the Priest. At technical level – these may seem like simple tasks. But the Priest learnt the mantras with discipline  and brings with him the faith in his ancestry. To match that this toddy tapper cum gardener would need to renounce toddy tapping and gardening and  do the priest’s work full time and be seen to be doing just that. That is the maximum one can do to show ownership at the physical level. Hence the equal status to the traditional priest. But none of the lower caste are ready to do that.

The older generation carry mentally that hierarchy and complete their jobs to the satisfaction of their employers. But the younger generation which did not have such connections due to early ‘freedom’ – often fail to complete their jobs and also fail to demonstrate good order. They switch allegiance as per their estimates of quid pro quos. It is because of the caste based system that I am able to identify with the reason why.  My father objected to toddy tapper caste using the temple well. I argued with my father. Now that I am managing it – I realize that there are health hazards associated with low standards of hygiene relative to the higher castes. This eventually led us to installing a tube well for the purpose of the temple and for our own use. The toddy tapper community has inherited values in terms of hygiene. They are immune to the aspects that the higher caste would consider to be health risks. It is also relative to the level of intellectual height that influences our minds. Some young ones pee in the well when they are excited as well as when they want to annoy the higher castes. Hence the tube well alternative.

There is a distinct mismatch between the demand by Tamil leaders for Equal Opportunities for minorities and silence by the same leaders for Equal Opportunities for low caste Tamil Hindus – their own brethren. The Sinhala caste system was little better.

The LTTE is credited with eliminating the caste system. They just changed the form of hierarchy eligibility to the Common criterion – weapons of physical power. This also resulted in our positive values through caste based hierarchy – except in those of lower caste who continue to show higher respect for the higher caste – to preserve their own investment in that subjective system.. In turn I call them Aiyah / Sir and Ammah / Madam when they complete the jobs undertaken by them. Otherwise I use their  names.

I am able to implement the system of democracy in areas where children interact in common – i.e. – schools.

My personal opinion is that Sinhala Only for the whole island was a grave mistake which marginalized the Sri Lankan Tamils. Parity for Tamils and Muslims would have saved the nation much grief. A more pragmatic solution would have been to permit Tamil as the state language in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and Sinhala language elsewhere with English as a mandatory language. The Indian model based on administrative units divided on linguistic basis would have been preferable (all this in the context of the world during period 1931 – 1958).   

To my mind, English represents our Colonial heritage and to the extent we continue to use the English Law – English is an Equal Common Language to Tamil and Sinhalese. Had we continued to use English – we would have been saved the Disgrace through the UN Resolution.

Best regards

Rajeewa Jayaweera

Thank you Mr. Jayaweera. I have responded in red in the body of your email

Warm Regards

Gajalakshmi