Gajalakshmi
Paramasivam
13 May 2017
Big Brother Modi for Indian Tamils ?
[Air India will operate direct flights
between the Sri Lankan capital Colombo and the Buddhist pilgrim site of
Varanasi in India from August this year, visiting Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi said. ] Economy Next article ‘Air India to fly direct from Varanasi to Sri Lanka's Colombo from
August: Modi
Until now to my mind, Varanasi was the parallel
of Thiruketheeswaram in Northern Sri Lanka. As Mr. Maravanpulavu K.
Sachithananthan highlights in his letter to the Indian Prime Minister, on
behalf of Siva Senai group, it is part of Tamil Hindu culture to have some holy
water from Kasi / Varanasi at the time of the soul departing the mortal coil. The way I appreciate the
value of such belief is through my own experience at Thiruketheeswaram. In
2006, when access to the temple was heavily guarded, I went due an inner urge
which I could not logically identify with back then. I was in Vavuniya for the
funeral of our nephew Lingam who demonstrated in many ways his belief in God
and spent much of his spare time at the Thedi Vantha Pillayar / Ganesh Who Came
On His Own temple in Vavuniya. I was informed that the temple was founded by
Indian soldiers who according to locals could not remove Ganesh when they tried
to, at the time of their departure. With Lingam in my mind, I went to Paalaavi
tank of Thiruketheeswaram, sprinkled water on my head and prayed at the Ganesh
temple adjoining the water-tank for Lingam’s soul to merge with the Lord.
Return to Vavuniya became a challenge due to lack of bus service which I had not
prepared for. But I ended up coming home
late in the night without any harm on the way. I realized later that in
addition to some anxious moments when I was questioned at gunpoint in the town
of Mannar, I was also examined quietly by secret service officer – to ensure
that I was not a security threat. That
officer advised me not to travel alone in that part of Sri Lanka and put me on
the bus to Vavuniya and I traveled as the sole passenger. To me he was a true
Sri Lankan. This was yet another example of how true Belief takes us ‘home’.
Even today, I thank Lord Shiva of Thiruketheeswaram for taking care of this
true believer that night at that risky place.
Reading above that Varanasi was referred to
by Mr. Modi, as Buddhist pilgrim site, confirmed to me that the Indian Prime
Minister’s real reason was Political at regional level. The ‘hidden Truth’ that
India saw Tamils as the gateway into Sri Lanka is known through the following:
[Recalling
the contributions of Tamil leader MGR and cricketer Muralitharan, he said, “a
national icon of India... Puratchi Thalaivar MGR was born on this very soil,
establishing a life-long connection.]
As per my knowledge, LTTE leader Velupillai
Prabhakaran expressed words of gratitude for MGR who as per the LTTE leader
generously funded the LTTE. That is how Truth comes out during unguarded
moments. A true citizen of Sri Lanka would identify with the Truth. A true
citizen makes a true politician – with or without the position status. It’s
this kind of misguided emotional attachment that led to MGR funding Sri Lankan
Tamils which had the effect of buying them over. Yet Indian Political leadership
failed the LTTE during the 2009 crisis.
In that consciousness, I appreciate the expressions
by Buddhist Leader as follows:
[Indian premier Narendra Modi addressing just
one ethnicity during his visit was a slight to the majority Buddhist population
in the country, the National Joint Committee (NJC) said today.
Member
of the committee Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera said they had no issues with the
Indian government or its Prime Minister. “We do have an issue with the Sri
Lankan government,” the Thera said.
The government sometimes moves towards India,
sometimes towards China or America. “We would like to remind the government that this is
a country and not something that can be auctioned to other countries or
parties,” the Thera said.
The
citizens have a responsibility to protect the country and its assets, the Thera
explained. “People can come here as they want but they cannot sell or break any
part of the country as they please,” the Thera said.]
That is what Indian Queen Throupathi of
Indian Epic Mahabharatham also said about a wife – that she was not a ‘thing’ /
matter but a ‘being’ carrying her own Sovereign power. One who identifies with
this Sovereign Power has the support of Divinity. Minorities who are denied
their Sovereignty will have priority access to the Universal Power through
their own Divinity. As per that Divinity
was it right that a Buddhist Monk would discriminate in favor of the Armed
Forces in the battlefield where Sri Lankan was killing Sri Lankan?:
[Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero was instrumental
in collecting large stocks of drinking water bottles and other essentials for
War Heroes whilst the Wanni battles were on.
The Commander of the Army who was then the Commander SFHQ (Wanni)
distributed those donations sent by Ven. Thero among the soldiers at that point
of time.
Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thero thanking the Commander for
his visit presented him with a Buddha
statue as a token of memory of his visit to the Dharmayathanaya temple.]
The call at that time was to help ALL
victims and the Affirmative Action needed was to not directly help either side carrying
weapons. Lord Buddha as I identify with, would have done just that. A citizen
who did support either side carrying weapons has to have the mandate of the
People to act on behalf of the whole Nation on the basis of Belief. A Buddhist
monk without the Political mandate exceeds her/his jurisdiction when s/he acts
to support an official through a religious leadership position and gifting
religious statue.
In Sri Lanka, where as per the
Constitution, Buddhism is the foremost religion, Mr. Modi was acting as if he
were a relative of Buddhists. Members of other religions in Sri Lanka have the authority
of Articles 10 and 14(1)(e) of the Sri Lankan Constitution to take Equal
position as the Government and Oppose the Government in religious issues –
through their belief without needing common law. A relative is higher or lower
in position and does not have the authority to show Opposition. An Equal member
has the right to Oppose and when that happens, the Government has the duty to
include that in the manifested outcome. Such an Equal member who does not
oppose, has the right to make an Independent declaration – as happened through
Vaddukoddai Resolution 1976 which was confirmed by Natural Forces through the
1977 and 2015 Parliamentary Elections when Tamils became the leading Opposition
despite being in the minority. One would expect true religious leaders to know
the reasoning as per Dharma / Righteousness – beyond the seen, the heard and
the calculated. Those leaders who take advantage of majority rule would not
have the drive to go deeper and find the Root Cause.
Mr. Modi’s lack of respect for the Sovereignty
of Sri Lanka has been confirmed through
this visit. When we are not conscious of our position responsibilities, we tend
to act ‘free’ as individuals – as if there is no one above us to question us. In
that ‘free’ state their Truth is known by true owners of the land with the
Divine Power of Belief. As per that insight – for which I am often appreciated
by the needy, Mr. Modi came to benefit India and not to promote Vesak. Using
Vesak’s name is an insult to Lord Buddha. Those who believe in Lord Buddha’s
Divinity would know that Mr. Modi identified naturally with Indian Tamils and
not Sri Lankan Tamils who have their own diverse identity as Sri Lankan Buddhists have for better or for worse. Lord
Rama respected the King of Lanka as an Equal and not a junior relation who
could be ‘taken over’. Every Indian Hindu has the duty to carry forward this
heritage from Lord Rama.
Hill country Tamils Naturally remember that
their origins are from India. Not so the Tamils in rest of Sri Lanka, including
Veddas/Indigenous Sri Lankans. During unguarded moments, when we are in ‘free’
mode – we express on behalf of our ‘home-group’. Here in Vaddukoddai, I am
often taken to be part of the group that is caste-conscious but without taking the
higher responsibility to lead. I hear such people but never act because I have
transcended caste consciousness by establishing higher Common Secular pathway
in this part of Sri Lanka which is suffering due to the leftovers of war. The
LTTE ruled against caste and the effect was reverse discrimination by the young
and the restless. To a lady who is conscious of her higher caste and who was
accusing majority in this village of stealing – I said that as per MY experience that is not
the case. By including the villagers, I have earned their respect and hence my declaration.
Mr. Modi also ‘included’ Indian Tamils and hence came as their relative / big
brother. Mr. Modi did not come to support Sri Lankan Tamils nor the Sri Lankan
Government. Mr. Modi came as the Big Brother of Indian Tamils. That is how it
became very much a ‘private visit’ of Mr. Modi’s natural community. If ignored –
especially by Sri Lankan Tamils – this will lead to Assimilation by Indian
Tamils and loss of Opportunity to Integrate at the Destination of Nationalism. It’s
sad to see this kind of distraction which has the effect of USING this land
while the real allegiance to another
origin. The return karma could come through Muslims in India.
Today, I was referred by a Diaspora leader to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HdPr3iGFqQ&feature=youtu.be
About Sir Ponnambalam Ramanathan’s intellectual
brilliance. It’s sad that Sri Lanka failed to treasure such brilliance.
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