Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

17 October  2019

THE JAFFNA RIVER AND THE RAJAPAKSA MIND

Yesterday when checking with our staff in Vaddukoddai,  I felt really upset. It was about reading the Electricity meter. As per my experience, meter readers in Vaddukoddai - tended to charge cumulatively which often resulted in us paying more than we would have if the meter had been read every month. I had therefore instructed our staff to read the meter every week and then to check when the bill came. Our staff did it blindly  – so she would not get pulled up for not doing the work. Her mind was not in it and hence there was no ownership in the work – the ownership that I have invested in – including in the Ceylon Electricity Board when my uncle Sanmugarajah was General Manager.

The above confirmed to me yet again the ‘takeover’ mentality of the folks when they do not ‘see’ the owner. The result is also that the customers who come due to my standard of service do not come. That integration between various levels of Vaddukoddai folks is a key outcome that I feel we the owners are working towards. This helps us read each other’s minds and follow the common path.

Recently, at our friend Shanmugasothy’s memorial service, the daughter of Mr S. Arumugam – who was  Deputy Director of Irrigation and one of the original minds of the ‘River for Jaffna’ project mentioned to me that this was now being approved. This morning, I read the Daily News report headed 'A river for Jaffna' receives Cabinet approval’. The picture I had in mind was vastly different to the picture drawn through the Daily News Report. As per this report one receives the picture that the project originated in the Mahaweli Development and Environment Ministry:

[Cabinet approval was granted to implement a five year project aimed at resolving the water issue in Jaffna, which was presented for approval by the Mahaweli Development and Environment Minister today.
As there are no rivers in the Jaffna Peninsula, in order to resolve the shortage of water, a project termed ‘A river for Jaffna’  has been designed to be implemented within five years.
The project aims at reducing the salinity of the well water bordering the Wadamarachchi lagoon, increasing the water supply for agriculture purposes by 8 million cubic meters and increase the fresh water supply for household purposes and consumption.  The project will be implemented in two stages within a period of five years.
This will also enable farmers to cultivate 12,610 hectares of unused land for cultivation and 1,315 hectares for development benefiting over 300,000 people.
The project is estimated to cost Rs. 3,609 million. ]

In contrast – Mr Duleep Goonewardene – of the Institute of Engineers said as follows in 2009 in his article headed More Beyond the River for Jaffna:

 [The article below, first published in 1954, is essential in understanding the vision of the

man, Eng.S. Arumugam, a former Deputy Director of Irrigation, one of the very few who

have been honoured by the publication of a Commemoration Volume by the Institution of

Engineers.]

Duleep’s presentation confirms integration through his engineering mind, whereas the current ‘custodians’ confirm making it a ‘substance’ that could be taken-over.  It was Mr Thiru the son of Mr Arumugam who shared with me - the ‘Jaffna Plane’ contribution by Malaysian Tamils of Jaffna origin. To my mind, the reason was his niece Shivani who was a student of mine and who demonstrated respect for my knowledge and integrated Australian mind. When we have them in us – they become the continuous ‘links’. Likewise the Engineer in Duleep is a continuous connection with the likes of Mr  Arumugam.

Duleep who in 2009 was Research Associate at Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, used the common pathway.

If one sees Jaffna as the Land to be ‘captured’ there is little value in it. The true value is the mind of Jaffna. To the extent we discover truth in Jaffna or for Jaffna – we get connected to Universal powers – beyond time and land  borders. That is when we enjoy the higher experience – as Lord Buddha also showed us.

The above difference is clearly brought out in the case of missing persons as interpreted by a Tamil reporter on the one hand  by Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, on the other:

[Asked about Rajapaksa’s statement on the people who surrendered during the last phase of civil war, Alahapperuma assured that Gotabaya gave a clear-cut answer.

“Ms. Siriniwasan’s ( Colombo Correspondent for the Hindu) question was what happened to the people who surrendered to the army when Gotabaya was leading the army. Then Gotabaya clearly responds saying that he did not lead the army. Do not get confused. There is a difference between leading the army and giving leadership to the war. Therefore, what you see is distortion,” Alahapperuma added.] Republic Next report - ‘SLPP faults State media for ‘distorting’ Gota’s statement’

As I stated recently also,  in the case of a dispute in a family – once the problem surfaces to the public level – we are entitled to interpret as per our respective truth and support our side to raise the issue to the higher common level – to benefit all in our environment. Ms Siriniwasan was catering to Regional readers as well as the global Tamil community - who would then invest in Sri Lanka accordingly. Those who felt for the ‘disappeared’ would strengthen the protection from Army controlled actions in their own environments.

Mr Rajapaksa who has promised to withdraw from the UN commitment - on the other hand has confirmed to have acted to ‘win’ the war which effectively was a local tribal war. If he did not lead the army – it means his mind was not in the armed forces. How would he then perform as President who is also leader of the Armed Forces for which he has  Executive  Powers? I said to  our Vaddukoddai staff – I ought to be the one in her mind to attract my level customers. If Mr Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was not in the mind of the armed forces – it is a confession that he would follow and not lead. The one whom he follows is his brother Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa.  Mr Mahinda Rajapaksa would continue to invoke armed militants whose spirits are restless. This is now surfacing more and more – including in Malaysia which has benefited richly due to the higher Jaffna Tamil mind. The unsettled wrongs would become leading powers and eventually sins. Death helps balance the sins and this is represented by the Balance Sheets at birth – the horoscope. When our current thoughts are weak – the truth of our past takes over to lead manifestations. If it is positive – it is good for us to have a still mind – as Yoga Swami – our Jaffna Saint said – ‘Summa Iru’/Be still. If negative – we need to be active in current environment to keep the prior period transactions still. The problem is – if not for the LTTE – the Rajapaksas have little to show their own voters – leave alone wider world.