16 September 2022
Gajalakshmi Paramasivam
THE ONLY ME TAMIL
Significant
number of Diaspora Tamils claim that the ethnic war, using weapons was due to Racial
Discrimination. I also attributed Racial Discrimination as the reason for the
pain I felt at the University of NSW. I fought on that basis in courts of law.
They all dismissed me. My declaration began with the following letter:
906/56, Carr St
Coogee 2034
11 August 98
The Dean
Faculty of
Medicine
University of New
South Wales
Dear Bruce,
This morning, in
consultation with my husband, I made up my mind to return to Sri Lanka as soon
as possible – to a place where I can perform as a Professional in all my
creativity.
I heard Pauline
Hanson on the 4 Corners Programme last night. Ms Hanson suggests that we go
back to our countries of origin if we cannot be like them. It hurts that we
even have to hear such things. In the name of ‘Freedom of Speech’ we – the new
Australians are being made to lose our freedom to live as individuals. If the
leadership of Australia is unable to turn it around – to make up for their
negligence in failing to hear the cries of new Australians – one has to wonder
whether Ms Hanson is expressing what these leaders (and employers) feel
themselves in their heart of hearts. This is the million dollar question to
which I have been seeking a favourable answer – that the leaders of the country
to which we brought our children and made them call it their ‘home’ would
ensure that it is ‘home’ for our children. But, my experience during the past
13 years has failed to deliver the answer that I have been seeking so
desperately. When an educational institution such as the University of New
South Wales also demonstrated that it was no different – I do not wish to waste
any more time – hoping.
I am sorry if this
causes you any inconvenience, but I am quite happy to handover to your
satisfaction – to a person of your choice. I am not arrogant to think that I am
indispensable. There are so many excellent Accountants in the market (might
even ease the unemployment problem) and I sincerely wish you the very best –
for you are a good leader.
Yours sincerely,
Gaja Lakshmi
Paramasivam
CC: Phil
Kringas/Kerry O’Reilley
Managers,
Financial Services Division
Vice Chancellor
The letter was
written during Nallur festival. There
was positive sharing from many parts of the Medical faculty. I did prolong my
stay but the more natural I was, the higher the level that the conflict was
escalated to. When we are true, that truth escalates the conflict to the appropriate
level. Mine was heard by the then Chancellor – Sir Anthony Mason – a law
expert. The Chancellor ordered an investigation. That investigation did not seek
and find the truth.
The Sri Lankan
parallel of this is the escalation of the ethnic problem to UN level. But that
has also failed to seek and find the truth.
The parallel of
my Court actions are the cases filed against various politicians in Sri Lanka and
beyond. In my case, I first shared my pain through emails to all concerned
within the UNSW. Later it extended to others concerned, including the queen. I
did receive a response from Mr Tony Blair who was then Prime Minister. It made me feel
connected. Likewise, I did get response from the UN once and I felt included. Often,
in public life, we tend to expect returns as per the official portfolio. But
that is theoretical. Being included is the real franchise to participate. If
our participation is not expressly opposed, then we have the moral obligation
to know that our ‘protests’ have been accepted.
In my Australian
battles, I realised that my investments led me to have insight into the minds
of those whom I opposed. It is that ‘insight’, known as the third eye in Hindu
philosophy, that helped me realise that my pain and loss were escalated to ‘intuitive
intelligence’. This meant that it was of exponential value to me.
This morning’s mail
brought me the regular acknowledgement from our Australian Minister for Foreign
Affairs the Hon Penny Wong whose recent
service in including Pacific Islands is deeply valuable to me. As per my mind
that inclusiveness resulted in the outcome indicated by Sky News as follows:
[Anthony Albanese
offers Australia's support to Pacific
leaders to travel to London for the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II]
This morning’s
mail brought also the following response from Trevor Jayatilleke who is in my
UN list:
‘The circuit breaker for Sri Lanka's Debt
Cycle lies in the Jaffna Peninsula and nowhere else in Sri Lanka., and
that is the crux of the matter. God (Hindu or non Hindu) places the solution to
a crisis in the right place. You are right and our Politicians are ignoramuses
or too shy to admit it and living in a fool's paradise.
Thanks Lakshmi.
Sincerely,
Trevor
16/9/22.’
To me, Trevor is a Common Sri Lankan and hence belongs
in the UN list. But the solution is not as simple as Economic wellbeing.
Certainly not
so, in the case of one who laments that Tamils
are not allowed to mourn in Sri Lanka.
I responded as
follows to his group:
One does not need another’s permission to
love. Hence, one does not need permission to mourn the death of such a person.
This is clearly provided for in the Sri Lankan constitution, as a fundamental
right. Article 14 (1)(e) provides as follows:
[Every citizen is entitled to –the
freedom, either by himself or in association with others, and either in public
or in private, to manifest his religion or belief in worship, observance,
practice and teaching;]
It is highly likely that Sri Lankan police
would arrest someone who is publicly mourning the LTTE or JVP. The reason is
that they are respectful of their own who died fighting against armed rebels. To
oppose rebels mourning publicly is an
endowment of such a natural law.
If you are referring to war memorial in
Jaffna University Premises being demolished, that alleged memorial was a
disturbance to Education. Armed power is the Opposition of Intellectual
power. The memorial ought to have been in an area that was ‘home’ to the
group. In the case of civilians it was
their family cemetery or places of ancestral worship in their own religious
forms. To the LTTE it was the jungle areas of North.
Gaja]
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