Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

26 October 2018

Development of Healthy Opposition

The ‘one and only’ Chief Minister of Northern Province of Sri Lanka is being seen differently by different persons and groups. Each one would ‘see’ Mr Wickneswaran as per the glasses s/he wears and v.v. – illustrated as follow by Swami Sathya Sai Baba:

[One day Krishna summoned Duriyodhana and Dharmaraja and asked them to make a study of the People in the kingdom. He asked Duriyodhana  how many good people existed in the country. He asked Dharmaja to find out how many bad people were there in the kingdom. Duriyodhana went round and reported that he could find no good man anywhere. If there was any good man that was himself he said. Dharmaraja reported to Krishna that he could find no bad man anywhere in their Dharmic kingdom. He could find some badness only in himself.] A Compendium of the Teachings of Sri Sathya Sai Baba – compiled by Ms Charlene Leslie-Chaden

Each person’s ‘kingdom’ is the group that the person thinks he leads.

As per yesterday’s Daily News report headed ‘Wiggie to form party, contest PC poll’:

[Former TNA Northern Provincial Councillor M. K. Sivajilingam yesterday said that the Tamil people do not want to have another party or new Chief Minister but they want to have a permanent solution to the ethnic issue.

“There is no point of forming political parties. All parties should get together to achieve a permanent solution to the Tamils’ issue,” he said.]

Obviously, ‘seeing’ togetherness at physical level is important to Mr Sivajilingam – leader of a group with its origin in militancy.

Mr Wigneswaran has shown that he sees TNA as follows:

[The TNA has accepted the unitary system of government and that it is a Buddhist country. They should explain their state on this matter] he said.

To my mind, it looks as if  Mr Wigneswaran sees the absence of passionate opposition to carrying ‘Buddhism Foremost’ article in the Constitution as acceptance. TNA may or may not have accepted Buddhism Foremost Article in the Constitution. But as a Hindu – thinking at Policy level  I have continuously opposed this through many avenues – including for the sake of Buddhists whose belief-based Energies would be blocked from flowing through to the Government which is dependent on the ‘shown’. In Truth the two would not merge.  This therefore is a continuous disturbance to the minds of those who rely on the Constitution to think logically.

Obviously the two groups are projecting along two different pathways. The question is – which is the pathway that the current  population of Northern Sri Lanka would identify with and therefore naturally follow? Unlike Mr Wigneswaran, TNA has the responsibility for all Tamils of Sri Lanka. Unless we have strong independent mind, physical togetherness would often influence us to see the picture that is ‘shown’ to us especially by majority in a group.

Majority in the current population of Northern Sri Lanka are driven by ‘outcomes’. To a degree, Mr Wigneswaran has  responded to this through his identity with militant groups and the victims of war – without disciplining the militants for their excesses. He also therefore could not ‘deliver’ as per the expectations of this group. It is Truth alone that empowers at root level. This group has an inner need to overcome their ‘Terrorism’ label. This needs to be satisfied by leaders within those communities and not by externals like Mr Wigneswaran who does not live as part of those communities. Feeling sorry for them can provide at best – external repairs – including that militants were freedom fighters. But the real cure will happen only when we live ‘freely’ in one environment – as their internal leader. Living in the disenfranchised communities as part of them – is not an option that Mr Wigneswaran outlined as one of the options he considered. Bringing large communities into his structure is a massive operation – considering that majority do not want to become structured. That is the reality in today’s Northern Province. We are not alone. Australians have been fighting against this Indigenous folks who are the first owners of this land. But that alone is not enough to merge with wider world. Mr Wigneswaran in Northern Province  is the parallel of migrant Australians – especially from Britain and not Indigenous. This Separation needs to be maintained in our minds if we are to honor our total civilization. They are internal separations needed for each section to produce their own outcomes through majority in that part of that structure.

I said to my husband recently when I got upset that he had messed up my kitchen – that it was MY kitchen. He said he also had the ‘right’ to cook in that kitchen. I asked him what percentage of ‘cooking’ he had done over the period of our marriage?  He said 10%. I said he was entitled to only 10% of the total benefits of the kitchen activities if he were not ready to follow my form of the Common structure. One has to surrender to the common pool one’s contribution to a particular group. When we divide and use a different pathway – we are no longer common. The pathway is naturally developed by one who makes the deeper/deepest sacrifice. In the above domestic example that is me with 90% input for more or less equal enjoyment. This formula is needed by our Women headed families living in an environment that has long been dominated by males. I counselled one such group this morning using Skype.

Mr. Wigneswaran’s best contribution would be as Opposition to TNA until he matches intellectually the majority power that TNA has due to ITAK – which in the minds of indigenous Tamils is the main party representing Self-Determination of Tamils in Sri Lanka. Most of them do not want to change and would be easily bought over by outsiders – including those who have gone overseas and desire quick status through folks in war affected areas. One such person asked me whether he would be able to find from within war-widows ‘domestic’ aid for his relative in Sri Lanka. But Mr Wigneswaran has demonstrated respect for them. We need to value that.