Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

07 July  2019

Australian Sinhalese or Global Sinhalese?

When politicians speak, we need to take only that which we identify with. That is when we actually vote for self-governance in a free environment.  Likewise, politicians also need to listen to our true experiences as our Equals. Then we would not cheat each other and thereby cheat ourselves.

Last night we celebrated the family life of our friends Gowri & Paramaguru here in Sydney. I was so very happy to be with the Engineering group that has become like family. As Ramachandran said when I mentioned that we were related through the marriage of his daughter to a relative of mine – ‘we were already family’ through the Engineering group. This meant that one’s achievements and challenges felt like ours. That is commonness that I felt deeply in that environment.

This morning I received expression of deep appreciation from a Sri Lankan of Sinhalese origin, for my article headed ‘Did we actually vote for or against Death Penalty?’ In  contrast  I noted the use of separatism terminology - ‘Sinhalese’ by Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka in the report headed ‘Sri Lanka could have a dearth of intellectuals in another 10 years – Patali’:

[Stating that the second largest urban Sinhalese population is reported from Melbourne in Australia, the minister said the local youth is keen on leaving the country.]

This means that the minister is seeking the votes for Separatism. As per Wikipedia report:

[In 2008 Ranawaka called the Muslim community in Sri Lanka 'outsiders' sparking widespread protests]

The Minister himself is reported to be an Engineer. Wikipedia reports as follows as to how this Minister as a student used the education facility for political purposes:

[Ranawaka was active in politics while in university in the late 1980s as a member of the pro-JVP student union having spent over eight years as an undergrad in the university engaged in politics. He was arrested as part of the crackdown student activists during the JVP Insurrection in 1988 and again in 1991He formed the Non-political organization called, 'Janatha Mithuro' with some of his colleagues like Ven.Athuraliye Rathana Thero, Nishantha Warnasinghe and Malinda Seneviratne. 'Janatha Mithuro' was criticized for its right-wing anti-Tamil ideology and actions.]

The above in extreme degree translates as militancy and terrorism.

The following comments explain the Minister’s own thinking order:

[The country must move forward in practicality regardless of the philosophies it follows, says Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

Addressing a public meeting held in Avissawella last evening (04), he said education can change the direction of a country.

What is important to move a country forward is not its philosophies but the practical aspects, the minister commented.]

In other words – the Minister is placing a ceiling on the height of our thinking as professionals. His separatism root was in University which was demoted by him to ‘practical’ level in an environment where he was more ‘free’ than his parallel in a more multicultural university in Melbourne.

Our deep motives / purposes always deliver returns. The average thinkers ‘see’ largely the manifested outcomes. The more educated thinker identifies with the return in her/his mind. The more of our investment we manifest for immediate benefits – votes in this instance, the less we have for higher thinking – to be shared mind to mind.

Since Universities in Sri Lanka are funded by the government – the exodus of graduates is a loss of that the next generation Sri Lankans suffer. I see it all the time in Jaffna  where there is a gap due to this exodus. A good proportion of the ‘Sinhalese’ community in Melbourne would not develop their heirs in Sri Lanka but use Sri Lanka largely for leisure and relaxation purposes. When our Engineering family member Ramachandran said in this regard ‘We all talk but you actually do’ . To me that is the ‘practical angle that must prevail’ to keep the continuity of education and its higher values for Sri Lankans.

This morning we went over to Bronte to collect Lego pieces – paying $70. I do not recall buying such toys for our own children. But the motivation comes now from those parents who do not want their children to be second to their ‘foreign’ counterparts. Even the young mother in our opportunity shop ‘assembles’ and sends me photos. Since Lego is educational and the lady is interested – her joy becomes my motivation to which my husband also contributes.  Oneness through  feelings becomes the soul power that motivates us. It is a small way in which we replace ourselves with ongoing shared energies. One who needs to ‘see’ to believe would lack this soul connection. The practical type that the Minister mentions is of this ‘seen’ category. The more philosophical we are the higher our thoughts are confirmed to be. The higher the thoughts the wider the coverage to include others in our ‘home-group ’. It’s only Sinhalese in the case of Minister Ranawaka.

 Those who vote for Mr Ranawaka would be voting for Separation and hence would be in breach of Article 157A (1) of the Constitution which states:

[157A. (1) No person shall, directly or indirectly, in or outside Sri Lanka, support, espouse, promote, finance, encourage or advocate the establishment of a separate State within the territory of Sri Lanka]

To recognize a group as Sinhalese when there is Equal Opportunity to recognize ‘Sri Lankans’ is in breach of the above provision which was given form due to Vaddukoddai Resolution 1976.  The Tamil resolution also recognized a separate Tamil state which was the parallel of Minister Ranawaka’s Sinhalese state. When JVP fought against the government – in 1971 it was separating the Sinhalese community into alleged higher thinkers using philosophy of  governance and alleged practitioners using manifested outcomes to measure success. Often Public Service moves towards Business-Unit structure when the latter becomes more powerful than the former. Sri Lanka claiming to be a Sovereign nation – needs to manifest the Equal and Opposite of every such true independent manifestation. Vaddukoddai Resolution maintained this balance at philosophical level – even though JVP manifested the rights of Sinhalese at the ‘seen’ level. It was LTTE that balanced the JVP manifestation   to ‘show’ Equality which is an essential criterion in determining ‘sovereignty’. The LTTE however, went beyond the level need to balance the JVP manifestation and now the likes of Minister Ranawaka are trying to balance that  and are likely to go beyond the limit to generate another opportunity to young Tamils to continue with this cycle of separatism.

Sinhalese and Tamils in Australia have largely lived in separation from each other. To the extent they go beyond the need to ‘show’ Sri Lanka as a sovereign nation – such separation becomes dividing factor. In contrast – Minister for Home Affairs – the Hon Vajira Abeyawardene , who is also an engineer demonstrated commonness with us when we met him accidentally in Jaffna early this year. I believe that we manifested ‘commonness’ through that unplanned and natural communication – as equals until known otherwise.

The Sinhalese in Melbourne confirm multiculturalism in Australia and not in Sri Lanka. Once we migrate our horoscopes are written to show our Sri Lankan debits and credits as sins and virtues respectively. To be of value to Sri Lanka – we need to demonstrate global values – either manifested showing global form or through higher thinking – including philosophical thinking in common areas. We know the oneness once we feel the other’s joy as ours and other’s pain as hours. When we relate as seniors-juniors  in an unstructured environment we go backwards. But many emigrants returning to ‘Sri Lanka’ tend to do just that.

As per the philosophy of dual citizenship – a person becomes incapable of giving two forms to a home-nation at the same time. It can be regional which includes two countries – or global which extends beyond the immediate physical connections. If that globalization happens through Tamil culture – then we become Global Tamils of Sri Lankan origin. Likewise if it happens through Sinhalese culture – then we become global Sinhalese of Sri Lankan origin. Some may be limited to being Australian Sinhalese / Tamils. But they cannot be Australians and Sri Lankans at the same time.

By using Mr Ranawaka’s thought order – Australian Sinhalese cannot be merely added to Sri Lankan Sinhalese to make up a group that would add to the autonomy of Sri Lanka. It merely causes imbalance to the claim of sovereignty of Sri Lanka.