Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

17 July  2019

Religious Universities & Cultural Laws

I believe that truth is Universal power. Those who live in truth do not need external laws but usually the conduct of such folks would  be in harmony with any reliable law. Universities are institutions that have as their core purpose – the seeking  and finding of truth.

The Sharia University in Eastern Sri Lanka has attracted much attention after the Easter bombings this year. That institution does not qualify as a Sri Lankan University for the simple reason that it was funded by Saudi Arabia. To be Sri Lankan, it needs to be resourced by Sri Lankans. When ownership is recognized  largely at money level – it leads to radicalization. Likewise Administration by majority rule.

Customary laws are part of Sri Lankan governance. But they tend to also alienate the practitioner from other cultures and from wider world where common law is practised. This isolation combined with unearned authority, results in a pattern of behaviour that we often describe as  radicalisation.

The example that comes to mind is the treatment of Throupthi – the wife of five Pandava princes in the legend Mahabharatham. When she was to be stripped in the then parallel of today’s parliament, Throupathi argued that she was not a vasthu / thing. In Hinduism – mother is recognized  as Shakthi / Energy  - due to her lesser apparent status despite performing at the same level or higher than her husband. In essence this means that  earned  benefits foregone get converted as Energy. It is this Energy that becomes common power.

In Sri Lanka, minorities became Equal Opposition in National Parliament due to this Energy. Any minority who has foregone earned benefits becomes such Energy which is Universal power.

University of Jaffna happened due to such power that educated Tamils had. But when revenge was taken by militants – that true ownership power became a possessive tendency. Tamil investment in higher education was demoted from Shakthi / Energy to ownership by possession. One of the internal causes is education for money.

The Sharia University confirms money for education. Muslims are not the only ones in Sri Lanka to become radicalized. Buddhists who enforce their laws and thoughts through unearned authority – are also Radicals. One radical does not have the authority of Truth to punish another radical.

Religion and Culture help us find the truth and to that extent universities catering to particular cultures are healthy. Easter bombings do question the validity of the title ‘university’ to the Sharia institution. Likewise the armed militancy in Northern Sri Lanka – that has a Hindu University. A community that demonstrates  physical violence loses the deservedness to University education. Buddhist  Sri Lanka led the way to establishment of Universities that would promote radicalization – which is a disease caused by mixing systems at the primary level. In this instance Buddhism and Democracy were mixed at the primary level. The current president – Mr Sirisena himself was jailed for JVP activities when he was 19. Secular education and Politics mixed at primary level – confirm radicalization. This has now translated as the President claiming that drug offenders were the cause of Easter bombings.