Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

30 August  2019

When in Kandy – do as Buddhists; When in Jaffna do as Tamils ?

On 05 August ,  the day before I left Sydney for Nallur festival in Northern Sri Lanka, I wrote under the heading ‘Sri Lankan Constitution or Buddhist Constitution?’. There were many responses but due to my departure to Sri Lanka I did not read them with focus, leave alone respond to them. My mind had to become Sri Lankan and more particularly Jaffna and not Australian. As they say –‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do.’ The origin is presented as follows by Wikipedia:

[Saint Monica and her son, Saint Augustine, found out that Saturday was observed as a fast day in Rome, where they planned to visit. However, it was not a fast day where they lived in Milan. They consulted Saint Ambrose who said "When I am here (in Milan) I do not fast on Saturday, when in Rome I do fast on Saturday." That reply is said to have brought about the saying "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."]

On 15 August – the anniversary of  Indian Independence,  I revealed yet again that I was Sri Lankan through my article ‘Sri Lanka’s One God confirmed by the Elephant’  (http://austms.blogspot.com/2019/08/gajalakshmiparamasivam-lord-nallur.html) written from Jaffna’s North Gate by Jetwing hotel where I felt secure and looked after. I received from Australian Christian,  communication regarding Buddhism Foremost being part of the Sri Lankan Constitution.

Back in Sydney, my attention was drawn first to the article ‘The Constitutional Practice of Ethno-Religious Violence in Sri Lanka’ by Dr Gehan Gunatilleke of University of Oxford, United Kingdom. At the same time, I had communication regarding the Australian Government’s invitation to the Public in relation to proposed Religious Freedom Bills. Singapore also became part of the matter through communication headed ‘Singapore PM refers to Sri Lanka in speech on Religious Harmony’. I concluded that religious harmony is now a priority in all these nations and hence this sharing.

As an independent person  who has invested in democracy  - I carry the picture that Sri Lanka’s Constitution is Dual Constitution. It is fundamentally flawed due to the same principles that underpin  Dual Citizenship blockades to make laws in Sri Lanka. The eligibility of Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa to become Sri Lankan president has been questioned much more than the Duality in the  Constitution.  My response to parts of Dr Gunatilleke’s article would also be included in my submissions to the Australian Government – which usually publishes my policy contributions even though they may not include them in the policy itself. Such genuine independent contributors empower that policy from either side at People’s level.

The article by Dr Gunatilleke is largely academic – seeking an intellectual balance. Mine is bottom up through experiences in Australia and in Sri Lanka.  In essence, I find that Dr Gunatilleke’s article is intellectually balanced but does not include the influence of truth in the manifestations. One usually needs to experience true pain as a direct participant and / or part of the victims’ family / group sharing in the pain of the direct victims. My approach is through the truth that I have experienced directly and/or shared with others who had the direct experience of unjust discrimination. On this basis – I have chosen some parts of the subject matter and responded them on experience basis:

1.    “Ethno-religious violence in Sri Lanka is a chronic problem, and is sustained without the active support of a particular government.”

As per my experience – this is not a true statement at policy level. It is the democratically elected government that wrote the Constitution and therefore that government always participates in the effects it has on the people. Democracy requires People to elect government on the basis of their belief. Hence those who elected the government wrote the constitution. Common belief helps express the junior’s belief at the policy level – so wider world would read and know what majority Sri Lankans’ mind structure is/was. The Constitution therefore represents the Common mind structure of Sri Lankans.  In a Democratic Constitution – the juniors / minorities are represented automatically by the ‘other’ half – i.e. – Equal and Opposite forces. Without this balance – the structure disqualifies itself as being Democratic.

Ethno Religious violence is confirmation of serious damage to that connectivity – including within one ethnicity / religion – where the relationship is vertical. Laterally speaking - in lay language – the mind structures of various groups have little connection with each other.  Strong Belief is needed at the senior level,  to unite them at structural level. This need not be politicians – but could be academics strongly committed to order of thought as per stated priority. Any weakness in law developed by politicians would then be offset by the contribution by academics. Likewise, at People’s level – true practice of each diverse culture within its local boundaries would lead to higher levels of thought – ( as in meditation) - where Truth / God is One. The government has the duty to then become a facilitator and not administer such citizens.

As a causal force – the Government is the first participant in the ethno-religious violence in Sri Lanka.

2.    “Identity politics play a pivotal role in the persistence of violence in Sri Lanka. Sri Lankans identify themselves principally along ethnic and religious lines.”

Any relationship needs belief as its source/cause  and measurable outcome as its end/effect.  Those who believe in the makers of the Constitution – have to confirm their identity through that language. Hence to the extent we disapprove or approve of our elected representatives – we would oppose or agree respectively with internal compartments in the Constitutional structure. Hence one is entitled to conclude that the Sri Lankan Constitution does represent the mind structure of Sri Lankans.

Dr Gunatilleke confirms this as follows:

[Sri Lanka’s constitutional framework contains several ethno-religious dimensions. The most foundational constitutional provision in this regard is article 9 of the Sri Lankan Constitution of 1978. It provides:

The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it

shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to

all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e).]

As per the above – Buddhism is allocated ‘foremost’ place and the others are pooled together as juniors. In Democratic structure – those others become the Opposition of Buddhists. This was the 50:50 demand made by Tamil Political leader – the Hon G.G.Ponnambalam who was also a brilliant lawyer. Relatively speaking the immediate past Chief Minister of Northern Province reveals lack of insight into Governing structures – for example through the following:

[So the claim to merge the North and East is very reasonable and has been done at the time the 1987 Indo Sri Lanka Accord was signed. Just because over twenty countries joined together to defeat the Tamil Militants, it is no reason to go back on the merger mentioned in the Accord which in fact lasted for 18 years.

So merger is a request to bring together the traditional Tamil speaking areas under a single Province. Of course the Eastern Muslims who are also Tamil speaking need to be given a niche within the merged North and East even if it has to be asymmetrical in nature.]

The Indo Sri Lanka Accord – is for external purposes. Internally, we Sri Lankan Tamils also have our own compartments through Thesawalamai Law applicable to Northern Sri Lankan Tamils  and Mukuwa Law applicable to Eastern Sri Lankan Tamils. Fundamental to merger is the abolishment of both or one of them. By nature, the militants confirmed that the two would not merge and that East would rebel against North when it sought to show its diversity. This was in fact confirmed by the militants in relation to Health Service Administration. In 2003 – one of the more vocal militants in North said while we were in Batticaloa, that they would tell the East what to do. I was trying to help them develop a common structure – but ended up counselling this Northern guy who declared that they would lift the gun if they did not have their way. I said – he would not have a gun to lift if not for Diaspora support. That is the natural level of conflict that would happen if leaders foolishly merged the two – which would be the lateral version of Buddhism foremost article in the Constitution.

 North and East would fight together on Joint-Venture basis but no more. Having lived with Indigenous  Batticaloa Tamils as if I were one of them,  I believe that it would be unfair to bring  the two together which would be takeover and not merger. North traditionally has demonstrated strong head. East traditionally has demonstrated soft service. If we are to win in the Court of Natural Justice – we Northerners must first facilitate Easterners to merge with us. The statement ‘Of course the Eastern Muslims who are also Tamil speaking need to be given a niche within the merged North and East’ confirms that the problem of treating the land as inanimate substance is not restricted to Sinhala-Buddhists but also has been carried by some Tamils of our generation. Like Lord Muruga’s two wives – the Common Tamil also has two  wives – Jaffna Tamil  (Theivayanai ) and Batticaloa Tamil ( Valli). We also have Hill -Country Tamils who do not have their own law and are therefore not included in the above two groups.

The irony is that the only Tamil who held that position of Chief Minister of Northern Province, does not recognize that he has left out Hill -Country Tamils who are commonly known as Indian-Tamils – is using Indo-Sri Lanka agreement as his base. It’s a shame that confirms the junior-most position allocated to Indian Tamils by not only Jaffna Tamils but Indians themselves – to whom Jaffna militants became more important than their own sons and daughters.

Muslims have their own laws and hence to that extent they have earned their own space for self-governing purposes. Facilitating that is the duty of any government – be it national or regional.

The real Chief Minister of Minorities in Sri Lanka was the Hon G G Ponnambalam.

(To be continued…)

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

27  August  2019

JAFFNA’S  BLOOD MONEY

 Easwaran Rutnan has reported about meetings between Presidential candidates and the Tamil National Alliance.

[TNA Parliamentarian Dharmalingam Siddharthan told The Sunday Morning that Rajapaksa met him and discussed the sentiments of the Tamil community on his decision to contest the election.

“He told me that he will be mostly looking after development-related work while former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will handle political issues,” Siddharthan said.

Siddharthan said that his meeting with Gotabaya Rajapaksa was very cordial and friendly.

He said that the TNA leadership will need to have separate talks with the former Defence Secretary before it can formally decide on its stand with regard to his decision to contest the elections, adding that he and some other TNA members had also held unofficial talks with JVP Leader Dissanayake.]

Reading the above, brought to mind, our own family experience, according to which the very family with whom we shared our earned and saved resources, are now behaving as if we do not exist. This happens when they did not have a real need but pretended to have one because they ‘saw’ our apparent wealth and desired it but without contributing through respect – to our challenges and sacrifices in developing the capacity to support extended family. There are those who do so to get status with wider community. But their truth will tell them – that we already had that status to the extent we needed it. The nuclear power of my book – ‘Jaffna is my heritage and not dowry’ is the law of Thesawalamai – the customary law that applies to Jaffna Tamils.

When the book went into print – I identified with many divine confirmations as per my belief. They happened at Nallur, Our Lady’s Church in Jaffna town and at Shridi Baba temple. But the big surprise was the cover with the ‘My Heritage’ being in blood red. The person at the printers who designed it – became the medium of our ancestors who died for / in the ‘cause’ of liberating Jaffna from servitude – primarily to money. Those who benefited from the war took blood money. This includes those sponsored by their families that believed they had a need due to the war but the sponsored did not actually feel such a need. Once they make enough money they try to takeover management and when the true seniors try to discipline them – they separate and form their own kingdoms. Those Tamils who are true to themselves would identify with this picture. That in essence would be  Tamil community value except for the few of us who tirelessly work and sacrifice to uphold our sovereignty at all levels. The problem with juniors who have quick access to seniors’ wealth – is that they tend to claim ownership through possession. This becomes valid when seniors vacate their lawful positions and become dependent on juniors for comfortable living. That is the sad story of Diaspora Tamil community that emigrated by using the war pain of  others but without settling their dues to ensure better life to the heirs of those who died in the war. Many of those who died were cheated by their leaders who in turn empowered their heirs to cheat the families. That is how karma works.

 As per the above report about Presidential candidate Gotabhaya Rajapaksa:

[“He told me that he will be mostly looking after development-related work while former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will handle political issues,”

Until now what has Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa done,  to improve security in Northern Sri Lanka through appropriate development investment – such as for example security company providing security to civilians – especially in villages from which combatants were recruited -  at nominal rates? If he has to have the position to do so – then it is paid work and not belief based service.

None of the Sinhalese Political leaders would feel with the Tamil community – as if they were hurt when Tamils were hurt. Tamil leaders do to various degrees. The deepest feeler shares her/himself and not the money. That was the example set by Gandhi. But many of who do so sacrifice – while maintaining our appropriate official and social positions are ignored by majority including the official leaders. But the real test is through those who continue to provide such service to even one genuine person in need.

The fact that majority Jaffna Tamils feel natural links with Colombo is confirmed by the train service as well as the bus services between Jaffna and Colombo. Someone said that we needed to book that train ticket at the same time as booking our plane tickets. This is true in Nallur season.

With training the common Jaffna person who respects and inherits – not only Jaffna’s strengths but also its weaknesses – which led to blood war, finds the real and lasting solution. This is brought out as follows in the introduction to the above book:

Translation – Dowry does not include debt; Heritage includes debt and when so taken prevents a debt becoming sin. – Jaffna’s Thesawalamai.  

The development need is such a debt inherited by the current Jaffna community. It cannot be undertaken by anyone who lacks feelings for Jaffna  - even if they were Tamils, leave alone Sinhalese. Politicians who effectively take / accept money and status – beyond their sharing of the pain of  Jaffna’s wounds would become the eventual victims of the ‘debt-trap’ that China is well known for. Any real development must come from within. A true Jaffna owner would identify naturally with such a leader. Mr Rajapaksa is not one of them.

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

24  August  2019

NATURAL GOVERNANCE BY NORTHERN GOVERNOR

 I believe that Natural Governance is based on common belief. The Governor of Northern Province – Dr Suren Raghavan is reported to have declared as follows:

[I thank His Excellency President Maithripala Sirisena for selecting me and appointing me as a Governor of this province for the last seven months. You know, I am no politician and no government administrator. I’ve come from an academic background. One day, as many say by December I’ll go back to my academics. But between that time, I try my best to do what I have commanded. That is to serve people who are in the province.] FT article headed “I serve the people to uphold social justice”: Northern Governor

To me that is what natural governance is about. Where there is no Administration and we operate as a group, we are co-owners. Co-owners share through common belief. Dr Raghavan, as per my observations – is global minded and by living in Jaffna, as if it were his home – the Governor has shared his global mind with all those who genuinely respected him. Northerners need such expansion to connect to their own families living beyond the Northern borders and the shores of Sri Lanka.

As per my discovery, when we believe in common with others, we share in each other’s goodness. Likewise, when we believe in two areas – what we do in one befits the other also. If therefore Dr Raghavan does believe more in North than he did before he became governor, then he is part of the leading force that integrates North with South and more importantly with the global community, especially through educational pathways.

To my mind, when my belief expectations ‘happen’ whoever is in governance then and one who has not opposed such manifestations, has been good governor of my home-area. One knows the other. Nallur festival this year has confirmed such good governance during Dr Raghavan’s tenure. Dr Raghavan did not expressly Administer  any of the proceedings. But a believer in Nallur as well as Self Governance would identify with the natural harmony that prevails there – with devotees respecting expressly stated rules and more importantly each other’s natural space on Equal Opportunity basis.

Lord Muruga is the personification of global justice through democracy. The mango legend through which we learn how Lord Muruga established His own Kingdom confirms this. That is about Self-Governance. Mr Sajith Premadasa’s declaration that he is Presidential candidate borders along those lines. The fact that it happened during Nallur festival time would confirm to a true believer that he has the support of Northerners.

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

23  August  2019

POLITICAL SOLUTION OR INTELLECTUAL SOLUTION?

This morning, I received two communications from a Tamil Diaspora leader. One included the following, under the heading ‘Wigneswaran on President Sirisensa's Appointment of Shavendra Silva as Army Commander’:

[SL President Maithiripala Sirisena appointing Shavendra Silva as the SLA commander is the logical outcome of the Sinhala thinking that remains unchanged. “Secondly, he may also be thinking that if Gotabhaya Rajapaksa were to come in as the president next, Shavendra Silva would be an ideal lieutenant to him, because they have worked together in the past,” commented former Chief Minister of North Justice C.V. Wigneswaran. The Sinhala political leaders would not grant any political rights to the Tamils in the future because, in their position there had been no genocide, no war crimes and they maintain that those killed were all ‘terrorists’. “We may expect a very difficult time ahead. Tamils, both internationally and locally, must start thinking as to what should be our next step in the event of such people becoming very violent against our people,” the former chief minister told TamilNet.]

The other was headed ‘GREAT ACHIEVEMENT BY A TAMIL - New Vice-Chancellor named — University of Leicester’ and directed us to https://le.ac.uk/news/2019/august/20-new-vice-chancellor-named

The former is about Politics in armed environment and the latter is about achievement in intellectual field. To my mind, one dilutes the other. One is driven by Belief based entitlement while the other is based on intellectual discrimination. One of the reasons why I could not identify with the Judicial decision against Cardinal Pell is that it seems to ignore ‘Out of Time’ ruling that was applied to my complaint to the NSW Anti Discrimination Board – the first body to which I complained against Central Administrators of University of NSW. I am entitled to apply the same ruling that was used when I complained. That is the path of Dharma / Righteousness that is available to the ones who are in the ‘being governed’ group. When we make our own judgments as per the same measures used on us by the governing group – the Lord of Natural Justice hears us. That Lord’s representative is within us as our conscience. As per my discovery – that is how we maintain the real Sovereignty of our environment.

From the point of view of Sinhalese – those who are close to the LTTE would either overpower their own politicians or fight for Separation. Those to whom armed militancy was ‘right’ for Tamils – the LTTE chose the right pathway. They would not find any fault with the LTTE. But then unless they accept the same measure with the Opposition – their Opposition becomes invalid. The parallels of war-criminals were amongst armed Tamil militants who killed Tamil politicians also.  Given that these politicians were elected by the People – killing them amounts to killing that many civilians. An intellectual mind would recognize this as a true derivation. If we do not – then wrongs become sins and one becomes Frankenstein. That story was based on the influence that author Shelly had in the vicinity of Frankenstein Castle where an alchemist had experimented.

Yesterday at Nallur temple we celebrated the festival of Arunagirinathar who became a saint by truly regretting his enjoyment of excessive pleasures. Prassnna Aiyer as usual, movingly rendered Divine praise of the Lord from Kanthar Anupoothi – by Saint Arunagirinathar. Yesterday it was stanza 17 – which is thanksgiving to the Lord for education and its intellectual capability. The relevance to my mind is that when we rise above physical desires we identify with the intellectual pathway through which we realize Dharma. This is achievable when we seek the Grace of the Lord.

The vehicle carrying the Lord yesterday was the Asuran / demon driven by physical pleasures and powers. The music during the inner procession was Asura music from huge drums. To one without belief – this would seem like paganism. But it was actually becoming redeemed from paganism.

There is paganism in armed war also. To the extent it was used by both sides – without condemnation from  their respective intellectual leaders – we are all demoted to paganism. The side that is yet to own and discipline its own pagans has no claim of rights to travel the pathway of intellectual governance. As Aiyathurai of Thunaivi said about the discovery of his guru – there are realized souls in Nallur whose power is shared with true believers to the extent of their belief. Those who are present at Nallur for pleasures would acquire the demon powers that the believers have left behind. I have observed that at Sydney Murugan temple through personalities to tend to ‘show off’ and / or indicate strong distraction towards ‘attractive sights’. In fact the tuk-tuk guy whom I hired just outside the temple – demonstrated that he was tempted to ‘touch’ me when giving me the change. This was the first time during my stay in Jaffna during post-war period, that it happened. I concluded that he was infected by the demon left behind by others. He quoted also a higher price for the travel than the usual.

Jaffna Tamils who are not protected by their belief in higher Energies – are at risk of such demons getting into them – if they continue to live in their separate narrow worlds.  The ordinary citizen driven by belief and/or intellectual discrimination does not need political leadership to govern her/himself. 

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

22  August  2019

RACISM – & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY MANTRA

Justice Gyles asked me whether according to me the racial discrimination was ‘conscious or subconscious?’ I promptly said it was ‘subconscious’. Then Dr John Griffiths who is now himself a judge of the Federal Court of Australia and who back then represented my opposition in the case on the basis of Racial Discrimination Act 1975, jumped up and said words to the effect that an adverse finding would seriously damage his client – a young migrant. To my mind, Dr Griffiths read the mind of Justice Gyles and hence his pleading. My complaint as usual was dismissed – as I recall it   - as being ‘frivolous and vexatious’. But in the reasoning – Justice Gyles did indicate strongly that the opposition who was my senior  by position – was overwhelmed by wisdom. I knew that Justice Gyles had come to the conclusion that I had proven my case. But Dr Griffiths influenced him to deliver otherwise.

Back then I went to Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral and cried. This week when I heard that Cardinal Pell’s appeal had been unsuccessful I was wondering whether I also had contributed to excessive punishment of the Cardinal. The deeper we go, the more common the reasons become. I genuinely feel that the Cardinal is being punished excessively and by those with a different mind-structure to when the offenses are alleged to have happened.

Some of Cardinal Pell’s alleged offences would have been subconscious. Knowing our Australian Judiciary – through my own experiences – I feel strongly that the judgment is strongly anti-church and goes beyond Mr Pell as individual. The rule of Natural Law – is that the person on the other side has the natural authority to return the pain to sender. But in civilized societies – the issue is raised to higher level – so others in common society learn and prevent such pain from occurring in the future to any member of that society. This also preserves the sovereignty of that society.

To the extent I was hurting and Cardinal Pell (who did write to me as Bishop Pell  in response  but without addressing the issue ) – did not share in that pain – the pain I submitted to Jesus became his problem. When I watch the priest at Nallur temple - going through  the ceremonial processes with dedication  -  I felt that he was the medium through whom the prayers of majority  devotees  are heard. The pathway is the common processes which connect the minds – each as per their true dedication to the processes.  The priest himself invokes the minds of  ancestors who shared their mind through mantras and the ceremonial processes. To the extent – we focus during the ceremonies we connect to their minds. Then when we take authority as needed – they take authority. This I believe is the reason why we seek blessings. In the language of the Court – lawyers ‘plead’ and ‘submit’ for this reason.

Yesterday for example – a lady who looked a little bit older than I stepped into the spot between the till and I. I was seated on the floor – meaning to standup when the Holy procession came into the outer hall of Nallur temple. The till that is fixed to the floor - protects me from getting pushed back by the crowd that has to make way for the ceremonial procession.  But yesterday – there was a narrow gap between me in sitting position - and the till. When the lady stepped into that – I could not object but felt it was unfair that she did. When the procession entered – I stood up and the lady said – to go behind her! I promptly said ‘you stepped into the spot that I thought was mine and I kept quiet even though I was seated there a long time - because there was a gap. But now I happen to be in front of you and you cannot ask me to go behind you’. The lady smiled and said that she had noticed me waiting there every day. I said ‘all the more why you should not ask me to go behind you.’ The lady smiled and said ‘o.k.’ We then continued to pray from our respective positions.  I must say I was surprised by this acceptance. I know that I look different due to my presentation which is not traditional to Jaffna. But what is different is the acceptance of my reasoning – which would have been taken as ‘insubordination’ about a decade ago. The emigration of family members to Western Nations seems to have made multiculturalism more acceptable to the Traditional Jaffna Tamil.

When we submit with belief – we hear the real judgment in our own minds from our own conscience. To me, what happened to me was due to my race. Like the Priest in terms of the temple – it was Prime Minister (John Howard at the time) through whom my complaint was submitted to the Lord of Australia. When Mr Howard was dismissed by his electorate – I felt that I had also derived my own judgment against him. The main reason was that Mr Howard failed to pay his respects to the Equal Opportunity aspect of Australia which is multicultural. Mr Howard failed to learn and chant the Equal Opportunity mantras with faith in the UN.  Likewise many political leaders in Sri Lanka. Professor Charles Sarvan Ponnuthurai includes the following in his recent communication headed ‘  A real dilemma – with the note - THE WRITER IS SHARING A LETTER TO A FRIEND WHO WAS MEETING RAJIVA WIJESINGHE AT A CONFERENCE

[…On the one hand, though we wish to interact, to pretend there is no ‘racism’ and carry on pleasantly, interestingly, with social and mental gain by being in such a group, is to allow ‘racists’ to get away with it; to eat the cake and still have it; to pretend we don’t know that such individuals hunt with the hounds while occasionally keeping company with the prey. 

It will also convey to ‘racists’ that their ‘racism’ doesn’t, after all, matter. “We can get away with it. We don’t need them but they need us”, etc. Vae victis.   

Therefore, in some way we must signal to such ‘racists’ that their true nature is recognised and, what’s more, that it causes disappointment and pain.

This is a problem many Tamils face in social, academic and professional life, and each one of us must work out her or his own modus vivendi. It’s not easy, not easy at all. 

PS. Of course, we know many Sinhalese who are not 'racist' but even here, I wonder. 

Would it have been enough in the days of slavery to think, "I don't personally own any slaves. So the fact that others of my people do, has nothing to do with me". 

Is that sufficient? What, if anything, are they doing about the gross injustice being committed?

Or am I thinking in impossibly high standards? 

Martin Luther King said: More than the words of our enemies, what pains us is the silence of our friends]

Is the Catholic Church in Australia paying now for its silence back then? If yes, do the courts have the authority to punish an offender through intellectual means for a punishment that happened due to natural balance through belief? One Sri Lankan Tamil who complained about sexual abuse by a relative was questioned by me as to why she had not moved away from that relative or complained against the relative to her immediate family? The response was that she did not want to lose the benefits that she was enjoying in that circle. I then said for her not to complain because she expected benefits from a different circle.

The above is true of most racism complaints that are outdated and/or out-placed.

Every one of us who complains through our belief is ‘heard’ by Truth – which is the consolidated Energy of all those who are true to themselves in that sovereign environment. Most Tamils known to me in Australia – have not complained against racism for the same reason why I did not until I could not take my own demotion by myself  any more.  Most want to live and support their families to live. The ones who would be punished are those who find fault with Sinhalese government while remaining silent in Australia. Tamils of my parents’ generation likewise practiced caste based discrimination – outside workplace. The excess returns to us as Racial Discrimination.

Friends who are silent need not be guilty of doing nothing – if they actually believed that the discrimination was merit based in a society to the development of which they have contributed more than the alleged victims. That merit based testing is crucial to using intellectual measures to identify with unjust racism. In my complaints – except for the above matter – the merit based application was not used – because the other side was untouchable – way above my position. The test in such cases is whether the victim or the alleged perpetrator failed on merit basis allocable to their respective positions. Objective proof is applicable only when both sides are  at equal level. Logical proof is applicable when there is a reliable relationship between the two in an environment. Deeper than that is belief based ruling.

Habit based ruling and Belief based ruling may look the same and they would tend to be so in an environment of common belief – for example Buddhist community in Sri Lanka. But when it comes to a different community – one is limited to merit base alone – with discretionary powers being allowed on the basis of belief. If the belief in the issue is stronger in the victim – then the one who is being judged is the official in that position. That was how Mr Howard got dismissed and later Mr Rajapaksa after the 2009 excesses.

If Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa is elected president – then that would confirm that Tamils are no longer Sri Lankans, or that the Sinhalese with majority power do not feel connected to Tamils or that the Tamil claims of war crimes are not belief based and qualify within the following natural law:

[The rule of Natural Law – is that the person on the other side has the natural authority to return the pain to sender.]

As per my observations Sinhalese who felt pain under that regime – would naturally be connected to the minds of Tamil victims of that regime. This could even be the soldiers who are now accused of war crimes at international level. So long as they used pure belief – they are not likely to suffer. But if they come outside that circle – especially in global environments – in positions that require use of international laws – they would become victims of their own habit of following their leader.

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

21  August  2019

DIVERSITY v UNIFORMITY

A Sri Lankan Tamil asked me here in Jaffna a s to why I had written the book ‘Jaffna is my Heritage and not my Dowry’. My immediate response was– ‘so others would not get cheated by relatives.’  I thought about it more later. I then realized that it was to preserve Jaffna’s Diversity. The importance attributed to higher education by the Jaffna People of my generation is confirmed by that intellectual analysis in support of Thesawalamai Law which also confirms diversity of Jaffna Tamils. It is by going through painful experience that I learnt to appreciate that Thesawalamai Law upholds gender based Equal Opportunity. As per my experience, once we experience freedom from discrimination on the basis of physical differences we are free of such ignorance through all forms of unjust discrimination – including in Sri Lanka’s case – race and religion based discrimination.

Diversity also separates. At first glance Diversity and unjust discrimination may seem the same. But diversity is rooted in tradition. In his Ceylon Today article headed ‘From Kovils to Devales’ Mr P K Balachandran presents as follows:

[However, empirically,  the Kovil-Devale dichotomy is not clear-cut, whether one looks at it from a contemporary perspective or from a historical perspective argues Sujatha Arundathi Meegama in her thesis submitted to the University of Berkley in 2011 titled From Kovils to Devales; patronage and influence at Buddhist and Hindu temples in Sri Lanka’]

As per my experience – the suppressed tend to invest more deeply in tradition as their savior. They cannot afford multiculturalism. The deeper the pain of discrimination the greater the tendency to withdraw into ‘specialty’. To go deep, one has to continue within the structures and laws that one has been supported to that stage. That is when one becomes that system and identifies with its strengths as well as weaknesses. The weaknesses that resulted in our pain would give us pain but when we become the system we also identify with the strengths in that system that would cure the weaknesses.

Genuine Pain due to true weaknesses is like meditation. Other pain is temporary and is easily discarded by a genuine seeker. Genuine pain takes us to the depth where root cause is. Yesterday, at Nallur temple, they sang the songs of Saint Nanthanar who was born into Pariah caste and yearned to ‘see’ Lord . His employer of high caste ends up taking lower relative to Nanthanar – who experienced the Grace of the Lord by seeking the Lord from outside the temple as per the caste based structure of that time. I melted when I listened and had the experience of the pain of ‘outcast’ most strongly at the University of NSW. Then singer Sriram Gangatharan who visited Australia from India – sang Nanthanar songs. I was in deep pain of alienation and hence identified with Nanthanar’s feelings. Even now when someone seems to alienate me I experience a bit of that pain but with sadness and no anxiety. That sadness is positive and cures the place.

Jaffna’s diversity is its protection from assimilation which results in losing connection with the roots. The Sunday Observer article headed ‘Provincial Councils, nothing more than another unwanted layer in politics!’ presents the following:

[Apart from the North and East, Provincial Councils have functioned in the rest of the country for over thirty years. If they had a real impact, these regions should have fared spectacularly better than the North and East which were also beset by war. That hasn’t happened either. So, the evidence appears to be mounting to the effect that Provincial Councils are nothing more than another unwanted layer in politics which allows politicians to throw their weight around at a different level at a cost of billions of rupees.]

In North & East –  Councils in leading temples and Churches have strongly influenced self-governance.  The Provincial Councils that came after – confirm and symbolize this Diverse Development. In Sri Lanka most of us govern through our belief in religion. So long as we pay our respects to the dominant religion in that region including by staying out of their areas where we have disagreement – we would enjoy natural harmony.

The Kovil-Devale dichotomy is not clear cut  to Buddhist leaders who assimilate politics with religion because they do not believe in either.

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

17  August  2019

TOURISM vs SECURITY

Yesterday at the hotel, my bag was checked by a lady security officer from the Prime Minister’s   team. I was satisfied that my complaint had been heard by whoever was responsible. My complaint was that the previous night my bag was checked by a male officer. After me was a family – and the lady said words to the effect ‘there is …. and some vibhoothi’ (holy powder). The accent said that they were Malaysian Tamils. The dynamics were different. The security officer seemed more official with them whereas with me the lady officer  was friendly in her attitude.

This morning I read the article ‘Diaspora not spared in Sri Lanka’ published by Lankanewsweb.net. The following excerpt is of interest to me:

[Journalist from Norway arrested

The latest victim is a journalist from Norway, Mr Nadaraja Sethuruban. He attends the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva and reports news concerning Sri Lanka to media in Norway and other countries. He visited Sri Lanka on 17th July to have his daughters ‘age attainment’ (puberty) ceremony in Jaffna. Unfortunately he was arrested on 3rd August by the Police in Point Pedro on a fabricated accusation and produced in a Court in Killinochi. He was remanded in the Jaffna prison and released on bail on 6th August.]

All those who take part in UN proceedings without strong institutional backing and speak out against a government that is accused of extra-judicial actions against citizens – need to expect such returns. I myself was so arrested in Australia for peaceful assembly against Central Administrators of the University of NSW.  One who is deeply affected will have the courage to face any injustice and establish the way of Dharma/Righteousness. So I do from time to time expect government officers to be hostile towards me. Unlike in Australia, here in Sri Lanka I am able to quietly communicate with most of them – for most at individual level do identify with me. In Australia only a few do. But in Australia more follow the law than do Sri Lankans.

As per the above article - Mr Nadaraja Sethuruban came to Jaffna to celebrate the puberty ceremony of his daughter. One of the false avenues through which members of the  Tamil Diaspora ‘show off’ their wealth is this puberty ceremony. The origin as per my understanding was to announce to the wider world that there was a young lady eligible for marriage. If Mr Nadaraja Sethuruban felt the need to so celebrate today – then one is entitled to conclude that his daughter is being groomed to live as a homebound home-maker for which he would need to give her a dowry. The introduction below to my book ‘Jaffna is my heritage and NOT dowry’  includes the note that as per Thesavalamai Customs of Jaffna Tamils Dowry does not include any liability but heritage does.

Those who continue to indiscriminately mix the money-making and home-making roles confirm lack of blessings from our ancestors in Northern Sri Lanka. I write practically every day and I am not backed by any group power. I rely on the universal power of truth. If I am genuine in serving Jaffna and Sri Lanka – the land looks after me. The first step is to position ourselves vis-à-vis the other party – as junior, senior or equal. So long as such positioning is true as per our conscience – it is the duty of the system of truth to deliver. One who goes to UN about unlawful conduct of Sri Lankan soldiers if s/he is genuine – would be a ‘foreigner’ if s/he is celebrating at family and community levels.

It is when we share in the pain of other Sri Lankans – that we are morally entitled to question those who seem to have caused that pain – as internals. The families of Sinhala soldiers who died in combat are entitled to the same honor as families of Tamil combatants who were in a disciplined armed group such as the LTTE.

The Island editorial headed ‘Drinking tea with suspects’ states as follows:

[The yahapalana leaders, came to power promising, among other things, legal action against those who they said had bribed the LTTE to engineer the 2005 polls boycott, but nobody has been sent to jail for that. President Maithripala Sirisena has started drinking tea with the Rajapaksas!]

That debt of honor created by the LTTE – became part of my group’s inheritance of Jaffna. If we settle the debt – through contributions to good governance during the period Mr Ranil Wickremesinghe – the victim of the 2005 coup – is in power – we clean Northern Sri Lanka and save it from sins that unsettled debts become. The fact that I happened to be here at North Gate by Jetwing hotel – when the PM was here – not once but twice – confirms that Jaffna is now free of that debt. We are now equals and so long as Mr Wickremesinghe is genuine about Jaffna – Jaffna will return his investment exponentially – including through Diaspora that is free of debt to Jaffna.

Tourism is important to Jaffna where many self-employed workers – starting with tuk-tuk drivers to hotels by Jetwing group are affected through violence including in Colombo. Orderly conduct by every citizen and visitor would make this a sustainable activity. Whether the Diaspora come as tourists or contributors – they need to ensure that they conduct themselves accordingly. Yesterday I noticed a couple of young scout guys in uniform chatting when the priest was chanting. After the main procession moved on from the spot – I walked up to the boys and said that they were in uniform and it was unbecoming of them to ‘chat’ when the priest was chanting. I said we needed to respect others’ work for us to develop our own employment opportunities. The boys nodded and I felt they had understood. They would if they considered me as a ‘senior’. I was satisfied by their response. The discipline that LTTE instilled does live through genuine workers. 

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

16  August  2019

Common Security for the Prime Minister and  the Citizen

The tuk-tuk driver who brought me back to the hotel from Nallur temple asked me whether I would be checked when entering the hotel (North Gate by Jetwing) – which has been common residence for the Prime Minister and I over the past two days. I said I did not think so because they had so far not done so. Within a minute I was proven wrong. One security officer in the PM’s team said ‘bag’. The other looked at me and said ‘sorry madam we have to check your bag’. I opened the little sling bag for their inspection. The second officer took a quick look – and said it was ok. I was not in any way upset that I was put through the search process. What bothered me was the inconsistency. Whether such inconsistency is based on persons or time – it confirms lack of reliability in process. Yesterday’s with me was time based.  I was not checked before but I was checked last night and by male officer. They did not check the  body. They checked my personal bag. If I were a - terrorist – I would note this and carry any device on my body – as LTTE’s Thenmoli who killed India’s PM did. Where common belief is weak – our energies are channeled through narrow pathways of cleverness. If I were not common Sri Lankan – I would have beaten the Security Officer who initiated the search through clever game of ‘catch me if you can’. Where we know that the other is cleverer than us – we need to develop strong belief to influence the mind.

Yesterday, I wrote as follows about my previous night’s experience - in my article headed ‘Sri Lanka’s One God confirmed by the Elephant’ :

[During the festival, while I was listening to the Divine rendering by Prasanna Aiyer one of two little boys standing next to the Lion started talking. I was disturbed by these boys yesterday and hence decided to stand in front. They came after me and climbed up for vantage view. That was ok – so long as they were praying. But one of them kept talking and I turned around and said to him to be quiet during poojah. The mother said ‘he is a kulanthai/little child’ I turned back around and said to her in my mind – that if he was old enough for the authorities to ask him to remove his shirt – then he had the duty to be quiet during the ceremony.

That ‘talk’ I had with this mother was silent – mind to mind. To the extent of her own belief in Murugan she would have read my mind in her own form.]

Last night I went to the same spot where I had the above experience. A little later a lady carrying a little girl of about the same age as the above boy was standing in front of me. The little girl was asleep. I made way for the mother to sit on the Lion-platform where the boys stood the previous evening. One of my mind talks was that the mother of the boy who said her son was only a little child ought to have then carried him. I was therefore touched by the sight of this mother carrying the little girl.  The young mother declined the seat and continued to stand. Then the young mother started saying ‘I forget your exact name…..’ I then said ‘I am Gajalakshmi’. The young mother said ‘I could not make you out at first but when you smiled – I was sure it was you’. Then the penny dropped! This young lady was the one who in 2010 alerted me during Nallur festival procession  that I had not taken off the ‘sleeves’ pinned to the top I was wearing. The practice here is to pin  the sleeves to the back – so we had the option of wearing it as sleeveless or with sleeves. I was new to that practice and hence did not notice the sleeves. I asked the young lady to take it off for me and she did. I felt a surge of appreciation that this young lady cared about me to alert me. The following day I waited for her and gave her my business card. Her name is Kavitha. I did think often about Kavitha when I went around Nallur temple this time also. It’s like an anniversary to remember that I had caring extended family in Jaffna. Yesterday Kavitha came to the spot to confirm that I had been ‘right’ in disciplining the boy and his mother who was of about the same age as Kavitha. The boy came yesterday – but with an older looking lady who left him on the Lion platform and went to stay at a distance. The little boy prayed for a little while and later when he started playing – I tapped him on his back and said ‘be quiet and pray’. The boy listened and followed. I thought to myself that that was because his pampering mother was not with him.

If Jaffna mothers had been as disciplined as Kavitha who is a teacher – our investment in education would have been better preserved. Order in Due Processes confirm the heritage that we carry within us. It was the disorder in Jaffna Courts that led me to write my book ‘Jaffna is my heritage and not dowry’. This means I inherit the liabilities with any assets residual after the previous structure changed.

I read in news that the war-time President – Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa had stated that LTTE leader was highly disciplined. But both – the LTTE leader and President Rajapaksa lacked investment in intellectual discipline. Now there are reports in intellectual circles that inequality and mental illness are connected. Those of us who fought against intellectual inequality outside merit become strongly balanced mentally. But it must not be used selfishly if it is to benefit our whole environment.

It is this sharing that was lacking in the government which lacked common belief in lawful (intellectual) governance. Usually belief happens through the express pathway when we suffer together. That I believe is what really protects me in Sri Lanka and particularly in Jaffna where the education system is the worst affected common victim of war. Through this article written in Jaffna – I belief I am making strong contribution to repairing and restoring that system. It is the duty to of the Prime Minister to open the channels of listening to such folks whose belief actually protects the good governor. If he is indifferent to it – and the believer in commonness hurts – he would become the victim due to lack of belief.  To the extent the security is for him – it ought to be also for the citizen in the PM. Hence the PM ought to not have more than the citizen in him. Then Belief will naturally take care of the PM through the citizen in him.