Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

15 July 2018

Thai Sugar & Jaffna Graduates

True Legend of Northern Sri Lanka

 

Thailand is one of the leading Nations exporting sugar. The Daily Mirror report headed ‘TNA seeks more Thai investments’, includes the following:

 

[Highlighting the longstanding bilateral relationship between the two countries Sampanthan commended the progress made by Thailand in the past. Further Sampanthan stated that Sri Lanka was unable to advance in development due to the longstanding conflict, which has not been resolved for the past 70 years. Briefing on the steps taken by this government to address the national question, Sampanthan said that we want a peaceful resolution through a new Constitution on the basis of equality and self-respect, and we will extend our support to the government to achieve such power-sharing arrangements. Moreover, as per Lord Buddha’s teachings, the right thing must be done to resolve this issue permanently said Sampanthan Speaking on the need for Investments in the North and East Sampanthan emphasized and requested the Prime Minister to encourage the Thai private sector investors to invest in the North and East. Further, the people in the North and East are in need of employment opportunities and their economic status must be uplifted said Mr Sampanthan.]

As highlighted through my yesterday’s article – the Political solution is already there – in the form of TNA being the leading Opposition in National Parliament and the Provincial Council structure for those who seek to be governed locally. But those who seek to be kings themselves are not likely to recognize those solutions.

In Hinduism we have Sooran Pohr – the battle of Soorpathman – driven by cleverness and attachment to the visible outcomes of that cleverness. In  Sooran Pohr he takes different forms to ‘show’ power. They were all various forms of his ego. The last of such forms was the ‘tree’ – depicting strong attachment to the local – for example Tamil Eelam only. At that stage Lord Murugan divides Soorpathman into two and adorned one part as Rooster and the other as Peacock. The Tamil community of Sri Lanka, attached to Tamil Eelam only have also become stagnant like the Tree that Soorapathman became. The part that represents the Rooster are the global Tamils who take the message of their diversity to the rest of the world. Many of them are not outside Sri Lanka but within. Mr Sampanthan is one of them. That is why he got to be the leader of the Opposition in National Parliament of Sri Lanka – the foundation for all global Tamils who are minorities in their current geographic environments.

The other part is the good-looking proud Peacock. That is the distinct identity of Tamils through the 13^th  Amendment to the Constitution. To be part of Divinity the peacock needs to be the vehicle through which the local position  becomes Global Energy. Otherwise the peacock remains just a proud peacock showing off his attractive ‘train’. The greater the pride the more difficult it becomes to carry the heavy tail to spread as attractive plumage. That is what  a good proportion of  militants(kings)  and their supporters (king-makers) have become. I see this pressure as the reason why Mr Wigneswaran rejected the offer to be part of the Presidential task-force. That is like TULF members resigning their parliamentary positions due to LTTE pressure. LTTE reacted at its level to the 6^th Amendment to the constitution brought about in 1983, as follows:

[No political party or other association or organization shall have one of its objectives or aims in the establishment of a separate state within the territories of Sri Lanka]

It was the fear of the Tamil Politicians that led them to the resignation. Relatively speaking, Sinhalese were less fearful of armed militancy because they had by then waged their own armed revolution against the Government and also majority in parliament and therefore the army were Sinhalese. Now Tamils know that they can invoke India’s armed support when they are in real need. Hence they are less fearful of armed militants who seek to be kings.

Within the Tamil community of Sri Lanka, Politicians suffered more than any other group after the 1977 Electoral victory through which their sacrifices earned them in structural form - the position of Equal Opposition in National Parliament. That was the ‘right’ thing as per Buddha’s teachings also. Politicians fought and they achieved that Equality and Self respect at National level due to true Buddhists also.  By keeping all the credit Tamils are becoming more and more the peacock that is too heavy to fly – like Airlanka became after it was localized. Now it is grounded. Likewise militants who take excessive credit for what happened – so they could ‘show-off’ in their respective current local environments. One local became another due to ego.

Jaffna’s true heritage is Education. We do not always live as per our education. But we are good at exporting graduates to Colombo and beyond. They are the Roosters. When the peacock takes pride just enough to reproduce itself – it would become the vehicle on which these Roosters would sing the praises of  Sri Lankan Tamils. It’s more difficult to take away / convert a graduate who is conscious of  her / his heritage – especially Northern heritage in education.  No one, can take away wisdom. It travels from body to body of its own intrinsic nature. It is its own Constitution. Only peacocks need to ‘show’ their physical beauty through a specific constitution carrying the risk of stagnation.

Appendix

My conversation with a Tamil Diaspora Leader (TDL)

TDL: Dear Gaja,

In SL development means colonisation  If you look at the composition of the Presidential Task Force, 90% of them are military men and Sinhalese politicians and organisations. Tamils will be just stamping their decisions. Please don't think Wigneswaran is not politically alert and don't be fooled by these so-called developments and sell off Tamil rights.

Gaja:

Thank you Mr TDL. Having such majority bodies IS the challenge. The fact that we hold Equal and Opposite position in National Parliament confirms our success in taking on that challenge. When we recognize the contribution by our ancestors   as if they were living with us now -  we would work that structure. In terms of Northern Provincial Council, it happened due to International involvement. India gave shape to it. But many others were the quiet forces that made it possible. That is the structure that armed militants contributed to. But as Mr Wigneswaran chants – To get to ‘Guru Devo Maheswara’ one has to lose consciousness of Brahma’s form. The contribution is there as formless Energy. In Kanthar Anupoothi Swami Arunagirinathar shows us the possibility of using the soul through different forms / bodies  going from the form to formless. Swami Manickavasagar gave us the same message by the verse ‘Avan Arulaale Avan Thaal Vanangi’. By carry the title of Justice, Mr Wigneswaran is confirming his True position – invested in over the years. If Mr Wigneswaran sees value in the Doctrine of Separation of Powers -  he would know that the two – Judiciary and Politics - must travel separately and merge only at the destination – where they become Energy. Mr Wigneswaran is very uncomfortable in Executive Government. He does not have a public service background – especially as an employee. Minorities need to have this experience for a revolution to be successful.  Otherwise as Gandhi said about Indian political leaders – they are seeking to takeover the power that is held by the existing kings. When a leader loses consciousness of her/his leadership position by escalating the experience s/he naturally merges with the Common citizen/People.

Sinhalese leaders may try to ‘invade’ as if they were kings. To the extent militants seek to be recognized as leaders – they are also invaders. But do you ever find fault with them at least internally.  If not – you become an invader yourself. Hence all you see is invasion. Did the militants not ‘sell off Tamil rights?’ If we  forget such fundamental weaknesses and think that they are not there  - they become sins. Those who support the militants only by the outcomes they showed would tend to be autocrats. Like Mrs Maheswaran who confirmed that she was under pressure to state as she did – I recognize that Mr Wigneswaran also is under pressure due to not being part of the revolution when he was part of the Judiciary. If he were – he would have promoted lay litigants representing themselves in Court. He could have at least promoted this in Northern Province. He did not. I did – bottom up. Others around me are now more and more keen to represent themselves rather than leave it to lawyers who are popular with the judges.

Mr Wigneswaran filled the gap in governance created by armed militancy. He needs to share his judicial wisdom to realize the higher purpose of his true role and not the apparent role. In turn he needs to seek and find Tamils who have wisdom in democratic  resource management to participate in the Development activities of international standards. Mr Wigneswaran did not have the right to reject that offer. He rejected  because he did not have the skills.

Warm Regards

Gaja