Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

11 October  2019

MADAM KUMARATUNGA – GOVERNING PRESIDENT

I was happy to read in Tamil Newspaper Virakesari that Madam Kumaratunga has written to Mr Dayasiri Jayasekara expressing her opposition to - SLFP supporting the Rajapaksa led SLPP’s Presidential candidate Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. The Virakesari’s reporter is T Yuwaraj.

During and after last year’s constitutional crisis – I kept lamenting that Madam Kumaratunga ought to have stayed close to Mr Sirisena to prevent such an ugly manifestation. That lady was the real power that demoted the Rajapaksas in 2015.  My feelings were registered by the system of Truth and hence I identified with the substance in the above mentioned communication.

Hindus have just completed the 9 day celebrations dedicated to Mother Shakthi. Shakthi means Energy. Since Energy is invisible, we often fail to recognize its power in a manifestation. But those who have the Experience – know within. Yesterday for example a valuable leader wrote in response to my article about Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s claim ‘that he, Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa and the TNA leader R. Sampanthan are still in politics as there is no retirement age for politicians, - as follows :

[I am 76. I shall not retire until death!]

I responded as follows:

[The question here is whether or not you work for money and status or for governance. When it is for money and status – the same rule applicable to the citizens should be applied to politicians. Hence if you are in government, there should be no retirement age for workers in Sri Lanka. ]

Today I came across the report that highlighted the service of such a governing leader. Yet – Mr Wicremesighe failed to include the lady who actually cleared the pathway for Mr Sirisena to become President in  2015.

Mr Sirisena for his part seems to have copied Madam Kumaratunga, confirmed as follows in the following Wikipedia report:

[In February 2002 Wickremasinghe's government and the LTTE signed a permanent ceasefire agreement, paving the way for talks to end the long-running conflict. In December, the government and the rebels agreed to share power during peace talks in Norway. President Kumaratunga believed Wickremasinghe was being too lenient towards the LTTE, and in May 2003 she indicated her willingness to sack the prime minister and government if she felt they were making too many concessions to the rebels. On 4 November 2003, while Prime Minister Wickremasinghe was on an official visit to the US, Kumaratunga prorogued Parliament and took over Defense, Interior and Media ministries herself. Her opponents criticised her, calling her behaviour dictatorial]

It was during the 2002-2003 ceasefire that I went to Sri Lanka through UNDP project – to help the LTTE structure its Public Administration. The call came through a Yoga Swami devotee. I fully believe that I was protected by my belief in Yoga Swami whose Eternal Energy protects all his devotees. Despite the failure of peace-talks, I completed my service within the area of my influence. That probably was the Energy that connected me to the folks of Batticalao in 2005 when the call came for me to serve Tsunami victims. But that was the easy part. I learnt more deeply about the pain of mothers whose children were taken-over by the LTTE and who got killed in battles. Those mothers were fearful of crying in public due to the presence of the army. They are more deserving of our attention than the mothers who are now able to demand answers from  the government. I believe that I continue to empower them due to the common pain. It contributed strongly to the approval of my proposal by the then President Madam Kumartunga.  While waiting to see the President in 2005 – I quietly admired the lady for the difficulties she would have encountered as a woman in the world of men. Now I believe that when we make our work common, despite unjust discrimination,  we become the Shakthi that works the natural part of the system.

In relation to the upcoming Presidential elections, some of us would contribute as beneficiaries and others as providers. Not many would understand the politics at national level. But to the extent we have been providers without visible returns – we empower those who truly have a need. We actually vote for that structure. To the extent we are true to ourselves – we will get that structure when we provide true service and/or are in need to earn benefit. In 2005 – when I comforted those mothers – I did so as head of Sri Lanka. Mr Mahaganapathy who was later assassinated – got up during the presentation to add his trust in my work and to endorse me to the President. He was also the President who approved the proposal.

I believe that that is how the system of Belief works. Those who truly believe in democracy – will  vote for themselves as presidents and all those who are within their circle of influence would manifest the Equal other side as juniors. If Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa wins most votes Mr Sajith Premadasa would become his junior at that level and v.v. At voting level Mr Premadasa becomes the Opposition.

In terms of communities – the voting pattern in war affected areas would confirm the true pain felt by victims.  The challenges the lady faced from within, during her leadership is presented as follows by Wikipedia:

[.. in June 2005, the JVP left Kumaratunga's government over a disagreement regarding a joint mechanism with LTTE rebels sharing foreign aid to rebuild the tsunami-devastated Northern and Eastern areas of Sri Lanka.]

But the governance work continued and the lady has seen it fit to write to discipline the current leader of her party – reported as follows:

[Ms. Kumaratunga had questioned the decision to support Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) presidential candidate Rajapaksa, citing that more than 90 percent of the party organisers are against it.

She blamed current leader President Maithripala Sirisena for the weakening of the party, stressing that the SLFP had not weakened as a result of joining the coalition government led by the United National Party.

"...our leader didn't have the strength and vision to lead the coalition, and also got fooled by the Rajapakse conspiracy and destroyed the good and messed up the party," Kumaratunga's message read.

She stressed that the party and the country could have been strengthened if President Sirisena had the "skill" to strengthen the SLFP  and took action against the former government.

"If Maitri [sic] had said he wishes to give up the Presidency of the Party, we will support you (Dayasiri) to take up the Presidency and to rebuild the party," the former SLFP leader stressed.

She requested Jayasekara not to allow the SLFP to be destroyed as a result of thinking only about his personal interest. ]- Sunday Times Report  headed ‘CBK hits out at SLFP's decision to support SLPP Presidential candidate Gota’

All those who believe in the power of mothers – would vote for Sajith Premadasa to defeat Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. The promises made by both leaders are Maya/ delusion to the extent we have not had the experience to measure. Our experience is our true power.  Our experience with UNP as the leading power should decide whether to vote for Premadasa. Our experience during Gotabhaya’s leadership should decide whether to vote for Gotabhaya. The pattern in which Tamils vote would inform us about how Tamils feel about war-crimes and Genocide allegations.