Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

20 January  2020

Racism changes to Ageism

As per my experience one type of unjust discrimination, which is not addressed  in its current environment, changes to another type when there is an environmental change. That is the law of nature. Usually – when there is no active opposition – such discrimination dies naturally and takes rebirth in a different form. Where the two groups are separated and become independent of each other – the group that was more unjust than the other would manifest discrimination more strongly. Nothing goes away automatically. If we balance it and diffuse the negative during the period of our leadership – we do not carry the victims’ genes. Otherwise we do.

I discovered this in Thunaivi – a toddy tapper village in Northern Sri Lanka which separated itself from Vaddukoddai majority. The separated village followed its own caste system due to the need for internal hierarchy. Those who had fairly harmonious relationship with the senior castes in the undivided Vaddukoddai community usually became leaders in the Thunaivi community. They tended to use the old system in the new environment. They do not practice democracy but a their own system of autocracy but in a different environment.

This was also the case with Sinhalese Politicians who were not proficient in the Common Language of English. Those who were but wanted the easy vote – promoted Sinhala foremost policy. The parallel of that in terms of age is seniority being allocated by age rather than on merit.  

In Sri Lanka, Karayar / Karava caste / class is ranked below that of Vellalar/Govigama / Farmer caste. LTTE leader was from Karayar caste. Karayar contributed strongly to naval warfare and generally contributed to defending the Jaffna Kingdom against foreign invasion. Hence the Sri Lankan Armed war was genes based also – after 1983 civil riots where the elite Tamils in Colombo could not protect themselves from the attacks by Sinhalese mobs. Caste based discrimination thus evolved as bigger race based discrimination. The genes came from both Sinhalese as well as Tamils.

Now that we are more or less separated/isolated  on race basis the unbalanced contributions would be taken into the next phase as genes – positive or negative.

Through the 2019 Presidential Elections, Tamils confirmed that like that this separation is more permanent than it was in 2015.

In the meantime the SLFP divided itself – due to ageism and  Madam Kumaratunga was left to be the leader of the senior group within the SLFP. That group is like the abandoned parents in families where young ones are strongly driven by visible benefits. This was further confirmed to be the dividing force when bribes were offered to Parliamentarians to crossover.

Once there is loss of structure – everyone goes everywhere without realising that they get nowhere.

Now UNP is also going through the same ageism based divisions. As per Gagani Weerakoon’s article headed ‘Will UNP Troika Be Able To Solve Leadership Crisis Amicably?’:

[UNP's National Organiser Navin Dissanayake addressed the media after the meeting decried the fact that the Parliamentarians were divided about the party leadership.

"At a time that we should be joining the struggle of the common people who are battling the high cost of living, the shortage of fertiliser and a host of other issues, we as a party should not be fighting over the leadership," he said.]

If Navin looks deeper into his own past – he would recognize that he rejected the British Government taking action against the Sri Lankan Embassy’s military staff who manifested the Sri Lankan ethnic problem on British soil. Unsettled desires manifest in an environment where one thinks one is ‘free’.  Sri Lankan politicians became fearful of their armed forces and ultimately became their victims when the LTTE were no more.

If UNP divides – Sinhalese community would become less democratic and more suppressive of their elders. Ultimately we reap as we sow – not in the same form when there is separation but in a different form of the same Energy.

All that Tamils and Muslims have to do is ‘Summa Iru’ (Yoga Swami)/Be Still. Once we discover the Truth – the Truth takes over. Hence we need to remain still and observe the way of Truth. The elephants indicated it but there was no believer to observe early and prevent the deterioration.

If the UNP had done its best to cure racism – it would have prevented Ageism.