Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

18 April  2019

Tamil Presidential Candidate – CV Wigneswaran

A regular reader of my articles, to whom Sri Lanka is currently ‘home’  raised the question ‘What would be the effect in the Presidential Election IF the TNA puts forward a candidate to contest the election?.’

The Common citizen Mr Sithamparapzillai Kathieravelu analysed as follows:

[Let us analyse the pros and cons of such a situation with the problems or in the context of the problems faced by the minorities in Sri Lanka. In all probability, the Muslims may not support the candidate standing in the name of the minorities, to test the political strength of the minorities, though they are part and parcel of the minorities., but the Tamil can and may be 'must' to test  and display to the International Community their political strength in the country.

This can turn out to be a great political risk but may eventually turn in favour of Tamils.]

The question was raised on the basis of my article headed ‘Natural Governance in Sri Lankan Post-War Governance’ in which I have highlighted the difference in rate of participation in elections by Tamils and the variation it had in the election outcomes:

[But where there is no structure – the Tamil only voter’s vote goes to the Sinhala only candidate as opposition. That was how Tamils who failed to participate  in the Presidential elections in 2005 and later in 2010 empowered the Rajapaksa side but in 2015 they made that Rajapaksa side the Opposition within Sinhala Nation. The percentage of Tamil voters went up in 2015 relative to 2010 when many were under the influence of Tamil only syndrome and therefore did not have the mandate to vote in Sri Lankan elections. Belief based mandate is universal and works through any structure. Not so external knowledge based vote. The block was removed by 2015. In Jaffna for example the participation went up from 26% in 2010 to 66% in 2015. In Vanni it went up from 40%  to 72%.  Relatively speaking in Eastern  electorates of Batticaloa and Trincomalee the increase was not as dramatic. The Jaffna voter voting through the educated leader who thinks Sri Lankan,  contributes directly to Sri Lankan governance power. The Tamil only voter needs to find a true believer in self governance, participating in Sri Lankan elections. True belief merges naturally with any reliable structure. Sinhalese leaders who develop common structures in Tamil areas and/or merge minds with Tamil leaders who believe more in commonness than in local power only – are assured of being leaders of common Sri Lanka. By electing such leaders, Sri Lankans pass the test of self-governance at National level. ]

Neither Mahatma Gandhi nor Martin Luther King who believed in Gandhi sought to occupy the top Administrative position in their respective communities. But they were true governors of their respective communities and therefore had insight into the needs of the community. Nehru and Obama became their respective media confirming this absolute governance power. The powerful Indian community in America happened due to this commonness in the leaders.

If we take Tamil and Sinhala leaders – we need their source of belief to be absolute governance power so that a common citizen is formed. Tamils who follow such leaders on their side would be able to merge with Sinhalese at that level. In multicultural areas they give form to common governance. The higher our governance level  the greater the commonness factor. They deal at policy level and not at outcome level. Hence policy makers do not need dual citizenship. This applies at family level also.

Yesterday for example – my husband wrote to his Vaddukoddai nephew who respects him that we were bringing about closure at policy level and if others in the family who did not demonstrate respect for him as an educated person cheated him of his legitimate share of his elder brother’s estate – that was up to them. (Appendix). But at policy level our work has contributed to identifying with the needs of the Jaffna and Mallakam court systems and that that is  of a higher value return to us in our higher professional pathway. In essence, my husband highlighted that he cannot travel through two pathways/systems at the same time.

This is the dilemma faced by the Tamil community as well as the Sinhala community.

Within the Tamil Community – if the Hon SJV Chelvanayagam is taken as the parallel of Gandhi and the politicians closest to that pathway are the Hon R Sampanthan and Mr Wigneswaran. If Mr Sampanthan moved to Presidential level – it is doubtful that Mr Sumanthiran would have  the power to hold TNA together for the purpose of Parliamentary elections. We carry the power of common belief which would work systems beyond our consciousness. If  Mr Wigneswaran on the other hand drops the ‘separatism’ angle and elevates himself to his natural investment as a common minded educated Tamil – that would be a healthy representation that would set the pathway for higher common minded Sri Lankans of Tamil origin. Through his investment in the Sri Lankan judiciary Mr Wigneswaran has developed that natural power. He would need to pick a Gandhi from the Tamil community to empower him from within. If nothing else – Mr Wigneswaran would share his judicial wisdom with those who vote for him – irrespective of whether he would win or lose.

In the above mentioned family example I am the parallel of Gandhi and my husband the parallel of Nehru.

We as a minority by numbers need to consolidate our resources from all angles through higher common believers. President Sirisena has openly demonstrated belief in Thirupathi Venkateswarar, by visiting the temple during the common ethnic New Year period. If Mr Sirisena’s governance power is Hindu – he would respect as Equal a Hindu Presidential candidate. If the contest is then between Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Mr CV Wigneswaran and the latter wins – Sri Lanka would have the right to the higher intellectual pathway to merge with the global communities travelling at that height.  

If the Sinhalese field as Presidential candidate,  Mr Ranil Wickremesighe who seems to follow in the pathway of Hon Dudley Senanayake, then Tamils would be happy whoever wins. A time would come when Sinhalese also would be happy for a Tamil to win – because of common belief which could be through Hinduism also. That would naturally pardon them of  crimes committed in their name – the name of  Sinhala Buddhist community. We would then not need to win at UN level. Ultimately – it is about our inner dignity. When we vote in a free environment we vote for ourselves. Then when our values are upheld by the elected person we would be happy and when they are eroded we would oppose. At the common level it is about the values/issues and not the individuals. Let us therefore participate through any avenue available to us and choose the highest level even if it requires some sacrifice – especially if it requires some sacrifice. Natural forces would do the rest.

APPENDIX