Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

30 September  2019

TAMIL RIGHTS IN DEMOCRACY

As Presidential candidate Mr Sajith Premadasa has demonstrated we have to categorically state what we want – especially when we are a minority. If for example, Tamils  say that we prefer to be secular – which is what I say -  then our investment in secularism needs to be  stronger than our investment in the religious pathway.

Mr Wigneswaran has for example stated in his article headed ‘Sajith Should Realise Sri Lanka Does Not Belong To The Sinhala-Buddhists’:

[We prefer to be secular since we respect each other’s religions and Hinduism the major religion in the North from time immemorial has preached that “Truth is One; but Sages call it by different names”]

If Truth is one – would the wise (sage) call it by various names? At first glance it does not make sense to me. If one were a sage – one would see only Oneness. Let’s say Mr Wigneswaran is a sage. He has confirmed though his above mentioned statement that Secularism is the one that would help respect each other’s religion. But – Mr Wigneswaran  himself speaks the language of Hindus and also dresses like a Hindu. Mr Wigneswaran also breaches the Doctrine of Separation of Powers – to ‘tell’ Mr Sajith Premadasa:

[Further his strong conviction that this Country is Sinhala Buddhist can be a bar to the resolution of Tamils’ political problems. He should realise this Country does not belong to the Sinhala Buddhists. From pre Buddhistic times this Country was Tamil Hindu (Saivite), Buddhism was introduced among Hindu (Saivite) Tamils only and the Sinhala language came into being much later in the 6th or 7th Century AD.]

If Mr Wigneswaran’s mandate is self-determination  - the above confirms a takeover mentality. One who genuinely  upholds the diversity of her/his religion becomes wise and therefore would respect the ‘privacy’ of other religions. Dr Vickramabahu Karunaratne wrote as follows recently about the value of this principle of diversity as follows:

[There is no way that a member of a minority community upholding diversity would become President]

Not through the voting process. But the key here is one who upholds diversity. Since Buddhism is part of the equation that advantages majority – there is no way a member of secular group upholding the common law - would be elected  President until majority invest in common law above religious law. This is not likely to happen in Southern Sri Lanka nor in Northern Sri Lanka. Hence one needs to ask the question as to what authority a Hindu has to ‘tell’ a Buddhist?

Devolution of Powers is needed so we could regulate ourselves in the privacy of our belief. Those who ‘tell’ others above that common limit – are in reality throwing a ‘bait’ to catch the big fish of conflict. This often happens when the mind becomes the workshop of the devil. The minds becomes so – when it is idle. When the mind is idle – after leaving one’s responsibility to others – desire fills the mind. The mind filled with desire becomes unstable and therefore cannot ‘see’ the return after lapse of  time. This is why we have Equal Opposition in democracy who becomes our other side. But if Hindus copy the behavior of Buddhists – then we will repeat history by making juniors of that opposition. In this instance Mr Wigneswaran promises Hinduism foremost in reaction to Buddhism foremost.

A true believer would not need majority power. This is because – a true believer is supported by Absolute power – which is independent of the believer including to support the believer. A minority group has every right to seek privacy – in order to develop this diversity and attain Nirvana / Realise Absolute power.  Once realised – that power leads the believer. Such a believer becomes a true governor. Then that believer’s Energy leads her/him and her/his followers.

If Mr Sajith Premadasa seeks to become such a governor – he needs to renounce all powers that activate his mind – and let the belief of his party lead him. One who desires Executive power gets distracted from this pathway to Nirvana and hence the problem gets worse and worse. To the extent Hindus tell Buddhists – we have earned the karma of Buddhists telling us – in that Supreme Court of Oneness.