Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

15 June  2020

Australia’s Reverse Discrimination

I felt sad – reading the headlines ‘Police on watch as statues of historical figures defaced around Australia’ by the New Daily.

I myself resorted to legal action on the basis that I believed that I was discriminated against on the basis of my race. I was dismissed by the Courts but when my book ‘Naan Australian’ (I am Australian) found its way to the National Library of Australia, I realised and appreciated the power of truth. I do not identify with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ protests which to my mind has been copied from Americans. Once copying happens – the action fails to qualify as expression of belief. The pain here in Australia needs to be inherited from our own ancestors to be valid as belief.

Gandhi protested non-violently because he did not ‘activate’ the past. He was empowered by the genuine pain that Indians had experienced but he was non-violent due to that empowerment. He would have been violent if he had activated the past. As an heir of Gandhi – I was also non-violent when I protested. I believe that that was why I was supported by natural forces.

The copying actions by protestors are in fact the parallel of China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative which is an activation of the past. A young Australian argued that on the basis of economic value – he could not see anything wrong with Victoria’s engagement with China’s OBOR initiative. They would not have been if OBOR was not an awakening of the Silk Road heritage. To my mind the pandemic and the OBOR are due to this heritage being disturbed. Australian PM recently announced that Victoria has been economically worst hit by the epidemic. To my mind this is connected to failing to consider the heritage value of the Silk Road.   

One may dream as per surface memory or one may dream as per deep memory which is belief based. In Hindu Tamil culture for example – early morning dreams are considered to be belief based indicators. That was how my fight against Racism began on 11 August ’98 when I resigned from my position with the University of NSW, after hearing Ms Pauline Hanson on National TV.  Ms Hanson asked us to go home if we did not assimilate. Back then I did identify with the Indigenous folks. But not now for the reason it was copied from America and therefore is lacking in Sovereign power. Belief is Sovereign and it will lead us to our ultimate reality – presented as follows by Wikipedia:

[The Dreaming refers collectively to Aboriginal religious beliefs. These beliefs endeavour to explain the questions of ultimate human reality, including the origins of humans and animals. The Dreaming is an ongoing phenomenon, incorporating the past, the present and the future. Aboriginal people believe that the Spirits who initially inhabited the land were their ancestors and their identity is derived from the Spirits from whom they descended. Particular tribes have their own totem which is an animal often native to their tribe's territory. Their traditional way of life is based on their relationship with the land, which they believe to be their origin, sustenance and ultimate destiny. They believe it is their duty to look after the land and take only what is needed. The beliefs of the Dreaming are diverse and various. They depend on an individual's tribe, gender, location and totem.]

This belief has been recognized in many ways by the Australian Government. We attribute to indigenous ancestors to whom land was sacred. One to whom land is sacred will not disrespect the work of someone to whom work is sacred.

Recently a Tamil Australian said to me that many members of the Tamil Diaspora have lost interest in their land in Sri Lanka. This then weakens the claim of Genocide by the Government. I have improved on the family temple in Northern Sri Lanka, which is a heritage I value highly. I have not been blocked in doing so. Relatively speaking, Mr Wigneswaran – the former Chief Minister of Northern Territory who opened a building built on someone else’s land is claiming Genocide. To my mind, that is for political benefit and deteriorates the value of our genuine claim to self-governance. This may or may not be endorsed by the government. But it Exists because we Believe. Those who gave up on their land rights and promoted unlawful occupation are traitors to our ancestry. No amount of money can compensate loss of heritage which is exponential.