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.