Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

01 January 2019

Going up and down with Seniors / Presidents

A few Sinhalese in my media email group have revealed that they are hallucinating about  self-governance. They are the samples through whom we learn the real position of their community in a global environment. De facto status helps us eliminate imaginary status. In marriage, young ones who have difficulty with laws and protocols tend to choose the de facto pathway especially when there is very little monetary value to their inheritance or they already have custody of the family wealth. Living in relativity is the middle ground between imaginary marriage  and feeling marriage/being one through marriage. Likewise laws.

The latest revelation about the actual status of the Sri Lankan Parliament in terms of law was revealed through the position of Opposition Leadership being awarded to Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa. I wrote about this on 22 December under the heading ‘Tamil Community – Doormat of  Sri Lankan Parliament?’

Sunday Observer has expressed similar sentiments on 30 December, under the heading ‘The vexed question of choosing the Opposition Leader’. The timing difference is confirmation of ownership at different depths. During my experience of the University system here in Australia, there was a media report on the University of New Castle’s irregularity in terms of  overseas students. I highlighted that my discovery at the University of NSW on  parallel irregularities was already published through my efforts. Then the reporter concerned wrote to me and said that it was his report and that he had not plagiarized. No he did not plagiarize but he ranked after me in terms of the common issue. I had the copy rights of the Common Australian University.

Truth is perfect. I had priority rights to publicly share my experience and hence the first manifestation of the common university problem.

Likewise, now about Sri Lankan Parliament.  One who stays within her/his Truth already has the solution to the problem identified by the community concerned.  The current one is the position of Opposition Leader in National Parliament. Everyone involved would know as per their Truth that Tamils were sidelined to placate Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa who lost his Prime Ministerial position which was imaginary position anyway. The Observer article presents the TNA position as follows:

[The TNA does have several arguments that merit consideration, at the very least. First, they contend that President Sirisena, who heads the Government and is head of the Cabinet is also the head of the UPFA. So, how could the UPFA also claim the post of the Leader of Opposition, they ask.

There has however been precedent. When Chandrika Kumaratunga was President, she too was head of the Government and yet, her party held the post of Leader of Opposition. So, the TNA might be clutching at straws there.]

Those relying on majority rule tend to become complacent and their brains become dull due to lack of challenge. Likewise users of history as precedence.  Decisions made in a different time and/or place environment is currently valid only to the extent of its Truth. Truth plus what happened – gives form to previous judgments in case law. The body of the decision / judgment does not set the precedence. It’s that Truth that lends authority for  past decisions / judgments to be used in current environment. Identifying with the previous judge as a senior / elder confirms our belief based authority to inherit that decision. Where there is no such confirmation – such precedence is invalid.

Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa was Leader of the Opposition for two years ending February 2004, when Madam Kumaratunga was President. They were both of the same SLFP party.

The provisions in the constitution of 1978 in this regard has not changed. It’s wording is as follows:

42 (3) The President shall be a member of the Cabinet of Ministers and shall be the Head of the Cabinet of Ministers.

In 2004 Madam Kumaratunga of SLFP prematurely dissolved parliament when Mr Wickremesinghe was Prime Minister.  In 2018, Madam’s sishya (mentee) prematurely dissolved Parliament – also when Mr Wickremesinghe was Prime Minister. The difference between the two outcomes was the diversity of Opposition. In 2004 – the Opposition was SLFP and hence it was junior and not Opposition. In 2018 – the Opposition is TNA carrying the mandate of Tamils that we are an independent and therefore diverse group. Hence the challenge.

TNA has successfully challenged the decision made by Mr Karu Jayasuriya who is junior to Mr Wickremesinghe who lacked the diversity to oppose Madam Kumaratunga in 2004.  

In terms of Sinhala only policy Tamil elders claimed– ‘Two languages one Nation or One language two Nations’. The two nations are represented at Parliamentary level as Government and Opposition. When more and more Parliamentarians ignore the law – and more and more citizens follow the law, Truth manifests Itself in the most appropriate form to suit the environment.

TNA challenging  the decision is also effectively challenging the intellectual validity of that Constitution. That 1978 Constitution would not have been possible without TULF (Tamil United Liberation Front) truly opposing the SLFP and    thereby empowering others opposed to the SLFP being in government. When a citizen practices the law more than the ruler – the citizen becomes independent of the ruler.

Sinhalese and Tamil militant groups represented rural folks who used their own truth to become self-governing. Such folks will naturally share their powers with the opposition of the side that is unlawful in government. Those who are globally democratic – would also naturally share their powers with the side that is more democratic in Sri Lanka. Demonstrating Diversity in culture is essential to confirm democracy. Without diversity we remain seniors and juniors.

Without Tamils and Muslims opposing Sinhala Buddhists – there is no place for democracy in Sri Lanka. By handing over the position of Leader of the Opposition position to a junior who was former senior, the Speaker has weakened  the investment made by the Parliament in Democracy.

The problem of attachment to autocracy was strongly manifested by Sinhalese leaders using democracy to takeover leadership and enjoy benefits. This eventually became dictatorship. 

Leadership by Majority vote only is the parallel of first past the post voting system. The parallel of the National list members  are the intellectuals who contribute to intellectual growth but are less known to the electorate. At global level – they include those who believe in both – any part of Sri Lanka and any part outside Sri Lanka. Once they believe – Belief paves the way for manifestation of their power. That is how Tamil Political Parties get empowered – even though they may be losers on the first past the post system. Even if one person believes – Truth delivers. It did for Tamils yet again.

By taking up de facto opposition position in the name of Joint Opposition, Mr Rajapaksa demonstrated ignorance of democracy. By fulfilling his wishes the Speaker confirmed junior position.

Hearsay is imaginary. When we desire power we get its other side – fear. Then there are feelings. Feelings are of absolute value and are absolute in value. Both –imagination and feelings are invisible but when we present imagination as feelings – we acquire bi polar disorder – as was demonstrated by the current President of Sri Lanka who was dependent of his former senior and is bound to be intimidated by the reality of seeing him in a junior position.  In the vertical system – we go up and down with the senior.