Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

13 June 2019

ST ANTHONY OF KOCHCHIKADE

 Today is the feast of St Anthony. My belief in the Divine powers of St Anthony has its origin in my parents. If as Hindus we are able to believe in other forms - it is due to global mindedness. As a student I often found comfort in that belief by going to St Anthony’s Church in Kochchikade. Today I would be going to the St Anthony’s church at Pashaiyoor - Jaffna. My belief in St Anthony strengthened in Australia where Sir Anthony Mason who was then chancellor of the University of NSW responded to my complaint to the Governing Council of the University and required Deputy  Vice Chancellor Professor Alan Pettigrew to conduct  an inquiry. I learnt about this on 19 May 1999 - the feast of Our Lady of Schoenstatt at the Sydney suburb of Malgoa. That connection confirmed to me that my prayer had been heard by Our Lady.

The investigation manifested the true characteristics of many academics and Professor Pettigrew himself. Professor Pettigrew influenced the legal officer to send me threatening letters if I did not stop writing to University staff. I challenged them to go ahead. They did not and I continued to follow Due Processes as a mark of respect for those who established those Due Processes. I now believe that Due Processes of a person true to her/himself have the natural ability to bind us as a common group and to the core purpose of the group. This to me is a great value of law.

This morning when checking through Google to confirm that I got Professor Pettigrew’s name right - I discovered that the karma had yet again delivered its verdict - through the demotion of Professor Pettigrew who stepped down from the position of Vice Chancellor of the University of New England - reported under the heading ‘Academic quits amid blistering dispute’ - https://www.smh.com.au/national/academic-quits-amid-blistering-dispute-20090420-acq6.html

[THE financial reputation of Australia's oldest regional university is under siege after its vice-chancellor stood down early amid claims the institution was "technically insolvent" last year.After almost four years in the position, Professor Alan Pettigrew will retire early from the University of New England with a reported 18 months left to run on his contract.]

The reasons did not surprise me. They confirmed that my work at the University of NSW towards more democratic financial management systems had dismissed the Professor who threatened me with legal action for doing my duty. The reasons could be known through the following ‘intelligence report’:

[On Friday the university's chancellor, Richard Torbay, announced the departure of the vice-chancellor. Professor Pettigrew had approached him the week before seeking an early release from his contract, to take effect later this year.

Dr Torbay said the timing of the departure with a withering attack on the financial management of the Armidale institution was an unfortunate co-incidence. On April 3 the former chancellor John Cassidy told a NSW parliamentary inquiry the university was "doomed to decline" unless urgent action was taken.]

The fate of the American-return Vice Chancellor of the University of NSW - Professor Rory Hume  who also neglected his duty and avoided me and allowed me to be arrested for Trespass for doing my duty - was similar.

Such confirmations of completion of my faith based actions communicate to me the message that Truth never fails.

The Easter bombings are such confirmations that Sri Lankan Government has seriously neglected its duty to develop  the Democratic structure needed in multi-religious Sri Lanka - often openly promoting Buddhists. This resulted in Buddha’s voice not being heard through these leaders. In other words - there is no room for Buddhists and Buddha Sasana to deal with this crisis.

Tamil National Alliance becoming the leading opposition in Sri Lankan parliament is an Act of Truth. Those wanting to show  others would be blind to this. But those who invested in True Democracy would identify with this as the warning to the government that if Truth is not respected - and even one true Sri Lankan is in pain due to government’s actions and / or negligence - the other side karma is invoked through the position occupied by the person carrying the karma. In the above example - it was that of the Vice Chancellor position. In Sri Lanka it is that of the President.

Those who are duty-bound invest in the other side of a relationship until the relationship is completed and at that level two become one. In a nation that has claimed Buddhism to be superior - the voices of other religious members would not be heard. This includes the voices of members of secular system and its laws. The Easter bombings confirmed the Truth that Sri Lanka is two nations - one Buddhist and the other non-Buddhists. The President by pardoning the Buddhist monk has confirmed his inability to be common with Non-Buddhists. This is likely to be the case with those who fail to invest in the common law at the deeper level. Those politicians who ‘show’ reverence to Buddhist monks in public - have dismissed themselves from the system of Democracy. As we sow, so shall we reap. Can’t expect democracy to deliver to those who have given preference to their own religion in public life. Only Truth would take different forms - be it Asuran or Thevan.