Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

25 September   2021

Martyr or Fighter – Nallur Enlightens

I have been invited to join Thiyaki Thileepan Remembrance event on zoom – to be held tomorrow – initiated here in Australia. SBS radio  report – ‘Sri Lankan Parliamentarian Selvaraja Gajendran's arrest’ was published yesterday. As per this report – the above picture is captioned ‘Selvaraja Gajendran lights a memorial lamp whilst the police are watching Source: Mathivaanan.

Then came another video clip in which two young ladies were confronted by the Police in Jaffna in which incident a Tamil lawyer also participated. The background in that video seemed identical to the above and it appeared to be near Nallur temple where Thileepan died. The video footage was disturbing.  The two ladies were seen to be filming the process. This was followed by the Police asking them for their ID’s were asked for and then the Police confiscated the phone through which the recording was made. Then the  lawyer who looked like Sugash Kanagaratnam of Vaddukoddai – the birth place of Declaration of Tamil Political Independence barged in and accused the Police Officers of State Terrorism. I was appalled by such unruly outburst.

It was that outburst in defence of the young ladies who were resisting Police arrest that confirmed yet again – that Thileepan did not think he was a Martyr. He was a pawn for those who were not committed to independence but were seeking to threaten the Indian Government and through them the Sri Lankan government. The phone of the young lady who did the recording was confiscated by the police. As a person of Jaffna Tamil origin, and as a believer in Nallur’s Natural Governance – to my mind, Thileepan was a fighter. His satisfaction would not have come from politics. Hence by claiming he was a Martyr – those who do so are blocking the true picture that he was a brave fighter. Nallur is known for its near-perfect administrative order. If Thileepan’s political claims were true – then he replaced Prabhakaran as leader. One who makes the sacrifice is the leader.

The ladies who were disciplined by the Police were Thileepan’s parallels.  Sugash Kanagaratnam who was hiding until he had the opportunity to accuse the Police - was the parallel of Velupillai Prabhakaran.

The Poem in the appendix came to me from a member of the Royal College Alumni. I had the opportunity to enjoy it due to my tutoring service in Hambantota. This poem is also about my feelings about all my home areas which now include Vaddukoddai. Just yesterday, when a member of the Thunaivi Women’s group said she would go in person to the District Office regarding better use of the Development Building – I said to her to wait until the curfew was lifted. I therefore fail to understand how this group had gathered in Nallur during this time. Such breaches would lead to disorder in social and professional lives.

Members if the Tamil Diaspora have the duty to use the higher common pathway and refrain from celebrating that which is unlawful. Those who do choose the political pathway – need to stay away from lawful  development work.  

When I protested at the University of NSW through lawful process and the police arrested me, I did not resist arrest in any way. I quietly claimed that I was within the law. In court I asked the magistrate as to who the judge was at the scene of the alleged action. Magistrate Sweeney said it was the Police. That response seemed right to me. In the case of Sugash Kanagaratnam – his rowdy conduct in Jaffna confirms his negative contribution to the Court system.

TNPF leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam complained strongly against the unlawful conduct of Lohan Ratwatte who threatened Tamil prisoners. Sugash Kanagaratnam and Selvaraja Gajendran are both reported to be from his political group. Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam has the duty to use the same measure as he did in Lohan Ratwatte’s case and suspend both Sugash and Selvarajah from TNPF or remain silent when the government breaches the law.

The Lesson learnt at the Feet of Nallur Murugan is that both sides to the ethnic war are itching to fight with arms again because they are weak in civil administration. When a fighter is honoured the fighting spirit of her/his pathway is invoked. A Martyr cannot be born until s/he has sacrificed that which was hers/his,  and v.v

 

 

I had a dream

One score ago, I came face to face with a group of children no older than my son.

They reminded me of my youth for I too had lived the way they had done.

 

With time the circumstances drastically changed

For them life was a struggle

They had to fight each day

 

Many fell through cracks on the way

But I could not provide them much

 

I wished them just the very basics which my son had

I wished them a level playing field when it really mattered

One score ago I was alone so I had to end my quest

 

One score later, the situation has further declined

Circumstances much harsher and opportunities confined

This time I wished them the very basics which my grandsons had

But this time I am backed by a group of Giants

So this time we shall conquer

Let the sons of soil now inherit the crown

 

Turn a new leaf and lead us all to that promised land. – by 'Padmasena Dissanayake'