Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

15 April 2018                                         

Belief in Sacred  Land

[In line with the government’s policy of releasing civilians’ land, hitherto used by Jaffna Security Forces, the Sri Lanka Army without compromising national security interests released a record 683 acres of land in Thelippalei Divisional Secretariat area to 964 legal owners during a ceremony, held this morning (13) in the same location, Thelippalei under the auspices of the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Mahesh Senanayake and the District Secretary for Jaffna, Mr Nagalingam Vedanayaham.] - army.lk/news

Land is a tangible form of Ownership and therefore of Belief. When the Army occupied lands during active  war, to the extent such occupation was ‘belief’ based, the occupation was an expression of  shared ownership. Where such occupation was lacking in ‘belief’ it was an enforcement and such occupation becomes a source of separation.

How does one then measure whether it was ‘ownership’ based sharing or enforced occupation? Given that the legal title confirmed ownership during ‘normal’ times, the measure is the adherence to law by the legal owners. If for example, the legal owners’ family members acted in breach of the law of the system that confirmed their ownership through legal title – then the ownership value and therefore the ‘belief’ value of that legal title is diluted. One is not entitled to pick and choose only some aspects of the Justice system to claim ownership.

The UN has found fault with both sides to the war on the basis of breaches of the laws of war. To the extent either side acted as per ‘belief’ and there are no agreements to use the UN measures, the universal measure of Belief / Truth must be accepted. That is the basis of self-determination.

The UN, the Global citizen and the Sri Lankan – believing in the higher common measures, have come down to help Tamil Nationalists and Sinhala Nationalists who are coming beyond their borders, ‘see’ the other side of their emotional expressions. To the extent those expressions were genuine – the picture of the ‘other side’ would have been completed. The rest was false.

Recently I wrote my discovery about this as follows:

[I now feel that through the Court processes which were ‘foreign’ to me, I learnt how other Australians of varying levels of authority related to themselves through me. When we allow others to relate to themselves through us, we also identify with their Truth as if it were our own. That is the ‘insight’ – where one part of us sees the other. They saw and I saw at the level where we were Equal. If in Truth, I was above them in position, and I took that position, I would not be able to ‘see’ them as my ‘other’ side but they would be part of me in the hierarchical order. But then, I would not be able to give ‘form’ to that higher structure – just as Jesus or Gandhi also could not. Instead, if they are capable of developing themselves in ‘their’ system, then I needed to not be conscious of my work that earned me on merit basis, the higher position in their system. Towards this I needed to take no more than the position that would help them ‘see’ their other side. The additional merit that I forewent, becomes Energy that helps work the common system and is shared by all. That is the role of Governor.]

In the case of  the Army and the People of Thellippallai, both hold true. There were enforcers on both sides and there were believers on both sides.  Wider, inclusive cultures, have helped protect wrong types of occupation which would pollute the sanctity of that Land. Whether that land of Thellippallai is sacred or cursed could be worked out through our own feelings while on that land and/or knowing and thinking about that land and those to whom that land is home. Mine is rooted largely on my belief in Mother Shakthi/Energy personified by Mother Durgha at Sri Durgadevi Temple and Lord Shiva at Keerimalai Naguleswaram temple where we honor our ancestors in July on Aadi Amaavaasai day.

Those who come to occupy such areas – need to first respect the already existing systems at that place. Unless their belief in the purpose of their occupation is stronger than the belief of the legal owners the occupation would have negative karma and would be left behind or taken away by the lesser believer.