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.