Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

16 May  2020

Whose mind is ruling Sri Lankan Government?

The other day my sister in law Vanee said that she believed that it was important to her that her children recognize Divinity as a higher power above them. I agreed. This to my mind is the message in Maatha,  Pitha, Guru, Theivam / Mother, Father, Guru and God. Sovereignty which confirms self-governance is the God of Government. In democratic governance – the parallels of the first three milestones in the above order are Voter, Administrator, Manager and Governor. Now I believe that if we take the other side of one or more of the first three relationships we reach the final destination of god/soul/truth/love/sovereignty.

As per the report published by the Sri Lankan President’s Media Division under the title ‘We cannot allow irrational laws to impede our economy – President’ :

[President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said that irrational laws should not obstruct the policies formulated to achieve the economic objectives of the people.]

That which is rational varies in the same person – depending on which stage of evolution s/he is in. If a law was found to be irrational – the right order is to repeal it through Parliamentary process and replace with the law that seems rational to the current leader. That which is rational to a president with  Army background is not likely to be rational to a president with academic expertise in law. An academic has to balance the logic of the law from 360 degrees. That is when the  logic / theory confirms transcendence to   Absolute value.

It is true that when laws are interpreted at economic level by a person driven by ‘cash shortage or desire’ the logic of such a mind would confirm lack of transcendence.

The following contradicts the ‘ruling’ for economic purposes:

[President Rajapaksa stressed that the state and affiliated institutions should not resort to legal measures and instead resolves their issues through discussion. Long rooted legal issues between the State Timber Corporation and the Sri Lanka State Plantations Corporation were discussed in depth.]

In-depth discussions are counterproductive when one is driven by economic victory. Talking politics is counterproductive when one seeks ‘business’.

Like Mantras and Pirith verses - Interpretations, Due Processes and Rules by predecessors carry the Energy of their work. True believers do not need to understand them. Most of the time mantras are in forms that do not seem to be logical. The logic comes from the belief of the  chanter. Sri Lanka Guardian published the wisdom of Justice Weeramantry in this regard  under the heading ‘One Law and Religion’ :

[With a pickaxe and they drown everybody. So that is the situation in which humanity is placed today. Why? Because we are not taking heed of the teachings of the great religions. Why? Because we are not interlinking this with international law; so international law remains an avid discipline: just the letter of the law and does not have the spirit of the law, the wisdom, the mercy, the justice, all of which can be brought into it by religion.]

The above is based on lateral spread – until we become global. The hierarchical parallel of that is to raise the local law from seeing only that law, until we lose consciousness of the letter of the law. Then we are the law – as in Thou Art That / Tat Tvam Asi.

Mr Harsha Gunasena states in regards to the 19^th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution:

[Maithripala Sirisena would have been a puppet in relation to the power struggle if he did not have the leadership of the SLFP. However, if he did not have a power base and if he adhered to the new role assigned to him by the 19th Amendment, it would have been immensely beneficial not only to the country but also to him. ] Financial Times article headed – ‘Did we strengthen the PM’s office too much under 19A, causing instability?’

The 19^th Amendment was the in intellectual product of the UNP. The purpose of the  joint venture between Mr Sirisena and the UNP was to split the SLFP which was empowering the Rajapaksa regime. This was successfully achieved and that was the spirit of UNP’s greater commitment to law – especially International law. Had Mr Sirisena stuck to his level of interpretation of the law and used his belief in SLFP leaders such as Madam Kumaratunga he would have successfully completed his mission and THAT would have strengthened Governance power of Sri Lanka. But he set aside the law and dismissed the PM who was empowered  by the more educated Sri Lankans and arbitrarily handed over the position to Mr Rajapaksa. Such a structure has the curse of the intellectual voter and also our ancestors whose investment in democracy we have inherited.

No, it was NOT 19A that caused the instability but the lack belief by the less intellectual president.

In democracy, an elected person’s authority is limited to the  belief of the People who elected her/him. This power is to represent and not to Administer. Such a leader resolves through discussion, debate  and vote. Mere discussions reported  above as suggestion by the President – become talkfests. 

 To Administer – a leader needs the authority of the law. In the case of the President and other elected members of Parliament – the Constitution is the authority in terms of structures. Thereafter they have to follow the laws governing their Administrative positions. Elected members without Administrative / Ministerial portfolios do not have the authority to Administer and therefore ‘tell’ a citizen.

At the moment – since there is no parliamentary  structure after it was dissolved on 02 March 2020, no elected leader has Administrative power. To my mind, this includes the President. As per Nikkei Asian Review article of 15 May – headed ‘Sri Lanka piles on more Chinese loans amid virus and debt crisis’:

[President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has twice turned to China in the last two months, desperate for a bailout as Sri Lanka's foreign reserves dwindled to $7.2 billion in April. So far, Beijing has granted an "urgent" loan of $500 million to help it fight the virus. Then, last week, cabinet ministers approved a decision to borrow another 15 billion Sri Lankan rupees ($80 million) from the China Development Bank, to improve 105 km of roads.]

To my mind, even though the virus based borrowing  lacks Administrative authority – there may be provisions in the Constitution for the President to do so in an emergency. But ‘improvement of roads’

As per Nikkei Asian Review article of 10 May – headed ‘Shippers turn to Belt and Road trains to beat coronavirus shutdowns’:

[HAMBURG, Germany -- With few international flights operating and many cargo ships knocked off course by the coronavirus pandemic, businesses sending goods between Asia and Europe have turned in desperation to trains linked to China's Belt and Road project.]

Did the Virus turn the Silk Road into Roads for Sri Lanka? But then one needs belief in the British ancestors of Sri Lanka to invoke the Spirits of Road and Rail networks in Sri Lanka. No amount of current money can match that heritage.

Every contributor to Sri Lanka’s Sovereign powers would get the support of all Natural powers including through religions but not limited to religions. Those who take no benefits merge with Sri Lanka’s Sovereign powers – there to remain forever. This may not include any politician. It may be a citizen self-governing her/himself in a remote corner of  Sri Lanka – fulfilling her/his duties as per the structures of her/his environment. This person may not even be a voter. It may also be someone outside Sri Lanka sharing her/his spirit of Independence with other investors in Sri Lanka.