Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

http://austms.blogspot.com.au/

18 August  2020

 

Jaffna Tamil Excellence by Belief

Yesterday, we watched Nallur Ther/Chariot  festival through OHM TV. It felt so good. Devotees came with their masks and the area  was rich with orderly devotees. We were like family and I thanked the devotees for the experience. My mind was with the Priests and other regulators so that the believing devotee would not witness any negatives and feel downhearted. I thanked the Lord for the Consolidated Experience.

This morning when I learnt about the power failure in Sri Lanka, around midday, yesterday, I felt relieved at the thought that it happened after the main festival in Nallur.

Not only at Nallur but in voting also Jaffna folks have delivered returns – each one as per their commitment. This is possible when we as a group are bound by common belief. Belief keeps the natural channels of Energy-sharing open. We often do not understand certain manifestations but when we believe – we identify with them.

A fellow Australian confirmed this as follows, when responding to my yesterday’s article ‘Preferential Voting in Parliament – to Make Law’:

[Thank you for your clear Clarification of this voting system.  I’m not sure why Sumanthiran could not explain this???  Yes, I agree with you “ why we the simple-minded voters have to go through this”]

Mr Sumanthiran as an intellectual leader would have had difficulty understanding the mind structure of the voter. Leaders through ‘culture’  often know through habit but they cannot explain why. Many years ago when my husband was teaching our daughter Calculus, I asked him why Radian was used instead of Degrees. My Maths stopped with grade 10 which at that time did not include Calculus. He got a bit annoyed with me because he did not have a ready answer at that time. To him that was the way it was. The following day, I went to the library and learnt that it was convenient to use Radian which is the relationship between the arc length in a circle and the radius of that circle. Using degrees to measure is more cumbersome. That was my understanding anyway and later my husband said that it was appropriate.

In Voting, First Past the Post system is the parallel of Degrees in angular measures. Preferential Vote (PV) is the Parallel of Radian. PV  is used to measure the relationship between the Voter’s relationship with the candidates to varying degrees. It is like measuring ongoing performance through regular reviews. The single separable vote is therefore broken down into fractions and allocated to the candidates. In the case of Sri Lanka, the maximum such allocation allowed is three. In other words you are allowed to give the whole to One candidate only ; or Two candidates in which case it is ½ (half) each or Three candidates – in which case it is 1/3 (one third) each.

The most caring response came as follows:

[Before I add my comments, can you explain the Preference Voting Process? It is not clear to me.  For example, if a voter selects Sumanthiran as No.1, Mrs. Raviraj as No.2 & Sritharan as No.3,

where does he have to indicate his order of preferences? Just crossing the number assigned to a candidate will not indicate a voter's order of preference, right? 

Can you explain that to me, please? This looks like a very cumbersome process for me!  ]

 

My response was as follows, like in the case of Radian which is PV distribution in fraction:

 

[My understanding is that the three will get one each. One who gets majority is Number 1; Second highest is number 2 and third highest is No 3 for that division/sub-electorate. Sumanthiran did say that he was No. 1 in some divisions. This meant that most ticked his number.  It is not straight forward. But once you have the ‘virtual experience’ you will appreciate that it is reliable.

The top part is for parties and there also you can pick - up to three preferences. THAT is marked 1, 2, 3. The bottom is 1 flat each for three candidates. The two will be different in multi-division electorates like Jaffna. In electorates with single division both will be the same.]

The above distribution could be taken as the parallel of children reviewing their parents proportionately. Jaffna voters’ review is analysed by me as follows:

	Name	Percentage of PV	Analysis
1	Angajan  Ramanadan	17%	17%  approve of direct structure of Central  Government
2.	.ITAK	42%	In total, ITAK as an Institution continues to lead in Jaffna
2.1	S. Shritharan	17%	17% approve of the heritage of Armed Rebellion – personified by LTTE’s Brigadier Theepan who died in combat and thus become a war hero. Mr Sritharan is married to the sister of Theepan who died without biological children. Those who voted for Mr Sritharan are Theepan’s heirs also. Effectively this group offsets SLFP – in 1 above.
2.2	M. A. Sumanthiran	14%	14% approve of the Political heritage
			carried through intellectual leadership that Mr Sumanthiran personifies
2.3	Dharmalingam Siddarthan	11%	11% approve of the combined heritage of Rebellion plus Political heritage that Mr Siddarthan the Rebel Leader and the – the son of Politician personifies
3	Douglas Devananda	16%	16%  approve of coalition with Central
			Government by a Rebel Leader
4	Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam	15%	15%  approve of Intellectual leadership sans the experience of Rebel leadership
5	C.V. Vigneswaran	10%	10%  approve of Intellectual Heritage of the Judiciary

 

Only true belief in Jaffna could produce these outcomes. Leaders have the duty to structure themselves accordingly. May God Bless the Jaffna Voter for  s/he is a True Believer.