05 August 2023

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

 

 

WHO IS THE FATHER OF THE TAMIL NATION ?

 

As a Tamil of Sri Lankan origin, I get confused when some refer to Political Elder SJV Chelvanayakam as the father of the Tamil nation. The only father known to me in Jaffna was my own, Mr Visvalingam Navaratnam, grandson of Dharma Udayar. Last week, A Tamil Diaspora elder shared his feelings as follows:

After the demise of SJV Chelvanayakam the idiots who took over the FP and the TNA as leaders , have not been fools , but have been knaves . They are willing to be deceived and are enacting a drama in order that they’ll be re-elected; these chaps wish to  warm their seats in the House of Representatives & anticipate fooling our people once again: the general elections are due soon. Let us wait & see whether the N/E Tamils too are fooled by their dramatics .

 

As a Tamil of Northern Sri Lankan origin, I do not feel that I have been fooled. My spiritual guru says that our thoughts, words and deeds need to be in harmony. Thinking about it, I felt that this confirmed that the cause was our feeling. As written before, ‘mothers are feelers and fathers are thinkers. Using that as a base, I responded as follows:

[So why are the PEOPLE not dismissing these Tamil politicians who are our other side in politics? I would not be surprised if India’s proxy group forms government in North and East. The rebels who were trained by India, opened the Northern doorway. These by armed rebels had their own agenda. Given that the LTTE was de facto army-government , they were not blessed by the official political system . By killing the custodians of those powers, the rebels seriously damaged our Tamil political heritage that culminated in Vaddukoddai Resolution 1976.  That is the source of our political sovereignty. Hence the equal status in National Parliament in 1977. This Dr Arus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57x0o9pWqPM) refers to LTTE leader as Thesia Thalaivar/National Leader .  This means that his group is seeking military leadership and more armed wars. I am the opposition of armed war largely due to my commitment to non violent-opposition. Those who promote de facto leaders, are supporting de facto partnerships in marriage also. If the relationship is lacking in heritage value, it carries the high risk of scattering in different directions. I have observed this in Tamil Diaspora groups where recently one female referred to a female relative as ‘that woman’. ]

 

As per my home based religious practice, inherited from my parents, the end of religion is spirituality. On that basis, the end of country is Nation. Knowing the difference is important especially when we take rebirth in another country, as migrants. One such migrant is Roy Ratnavel about  whose book Prisoner #1056, Wikipedia reports as follows:

 

Brian Mulroney, former Prime Minister of Canada noted on Prisoner #1056;

“Millions of people fleeing countries less fortunate have found here in Canada a refuge from mistrust and hatred and violence which has allowed them to achieve their potential in the rich soil of our freedom. Roy’s life is one such story. While Roy’s remarkable personal journey is unique to him, reading his book one cannot help but hear a familiar refrain that will resonate with millions of Canadians, because at its core it is the story of the immigrant experience. And in the final analysis, we are all children of immigrants.”

 

So only indigenous Canadians are recognised by the former Prime Minister of Canada, as being different. But Roy Ratnavel takes the position of an indigenous Tamil and not as a migrant Tamil from India. Google Books presents Roy as follows:

‘Roy Ratnavel was born in 1969 in the capital city of Colombo, Sri Lanka. At the age of seventeen, he became a political prisoner, and spent gruelling months in brutal and oppressive conditions. After his miraculous release from prison, he arrived in Canada all alone at the age of eighteen, with just $50 in his pocket. Ratnavel is now an executive at Canada’s largest independent asset management company. Prisoner #1056 is his first book. He currently resides in Toronto’

As per mail from a fellow Australian Tamil, Roy wrote as follows:

 

Ladies and Gentleman,

I’m currently in the air from Tokyo to Toronto. I want to let you know that I was deported out of Singapore and the book launch was subsequently cancelled because Sri Lankan authorities have told Singapore that ‘Roy Ratnavel’ is a ‘threat’ to them.

Again, this proves that Sri Lanka’s ingrained anti-Tamil sentiments and whipped-up nationalist hysteria were very powerful cement for the most odious system, which has always made it easier for the leaders to con their citizenry and others. Because scared and enraged people can be easily manipulated. Singapore has been added to this list.

If you know anything about me this has only ‘emboldened’ my quest to speak even louder. I never go down in fight. I NEVER will. This incident proves me one thing. Prisoner #1056 was spot on in exposing Sri Lanka as terror state—and as the author of this book it is badge of honour to be deported. 

 

To me, my life is a heritage and I believe that heritages are sovereign powers that take care of their heirs. To me, my life in Sri Lanka is a heritage and my visits after I became Australian citizen are pilgrimages.  Those who use their origins to make a profit, will have fears as their return. This is the way of bipolarism.