Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 23 March   2016

Blessed are the Meek

The garden lights in Thunaivi powered by Solar Energy worked to render feeling of security to the ordinary folks even when Sri Lankan electricity service was blocked. Custodians of Electric Power in Northern Sri Lanka cut off supply to our temple during holy period. Now during another holy period in that area – the Electricity Board is facing the return karma. In addition to the above there was an excessive charge made during the December-January period – and the Engineer said about a week ago that it was due to leakage in camera lines. When I explained that those camera lines were there before and after – he just did not want to hear me. But Someone above confirmed that He did and delivered the message through the Minister. As per the latest news (below) the return karma was clear to me:

[Weaknesses of the electricity lines have been the cause of the recent countrywide blackout, Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya informed Parliament today.]

To my mind, the authority that blamed me is now taking that very blame onto itself.

In Hinduism as well as Buddhism – it is common for elders to be respected by humble juniors. While this may seem lowly to those who are quick to take Equal position – the humble person realizes the deeper value. Usually elders – especially those who have retired from active life – would be taken to have discovered Truth through their experiences. This accumulates Energy as do those who neglect to correct their wrongs within the boundaries of the system they were part of when in active service. As practitioners of Pranic Healing would confirm – such Energies are carried by all of us. When good elders are worshipped, this Energy is shared just like when a priest blesses devotees. The beauty of this deep level sharing is that it does not diminish the power of the one who shares. That is the way of Sovereignty.  At money level – the giver loses and the receiver gains. When money is so given and received – without particular relationship with the person through Human hierarchy – it is business transaction. Where direct human resource is given and taken without money being part of the basis – the persons concerned are internal relations. They have natural subjective power to influence each other – due to common ownership.

In a job – where one is driven more by money outcomes – than by human values – such person becomes an outsider. One who is driven by Policy is an owner and – would never be wrong in spending money. This may not be visible to the surface reader. But the real owner knows. I absorbed the loss resulting from the stoppage of electricity supply  due to my acceptance that law and order would be low due to the war. But now I realize that law and order is low due to excessive money paid to workers – relative to the value derived by the customer. Hence the customer who acts as per the rules in using, becomes the internal relation in organizations where internal law and order is weak. The Australian Prime Minister has confirmed that to be the case with our Parliament – by declaring that he would go to polls if passage of his union related legislation was blocked by the Senate. Hence voters are now ‘insiders’ in terms of Australian Parliament.

The Hon Malcolm Turnbull demonstrated his lack of feelings in relation to Brussels bombings – which was reported as follows by the ABC:

‘Malcolm Turnbull linking refugee crisis to bombings 'dangerous', Belgian ambassador says’.

It is reported that Mr. Turnbull stated "For all intents and purposes there are no internal borders in Europe ... and the external borders are difficult to manage.

"Recent intelligence indicates ISIL is using the refugee crisis to send operatives into Europe."

The ABC however highlights as follows:

[But Belgium's Ambassador to Australia Jean-Luc Bodson has cautioned against linking the issue with the deadly attacks in his homeland this week.

"It's dangerous because it's precisely what ISIS wants — that we would make a confusion between terrorism and migrants and between terrorism and Islam," he said.]

Given that I carry the positive energy in relation to racial issues and war-related refugees – I identify clearly with the response by the Belgium Ambassador. Mr. Turnbull has confirmed that he is an ‘outsider’ to Europe and to the issue of war-refugees. Mr. Howard was an insider – as a negative force and hence his presence with the American President -  during 9/11 attack. To my mind, ISIS attacking non-Muslims is driven by shows of ‘cleverness’ – the same way Mr. Howard tried to show off his political cleverness through the ‘children overboard myth’.  One needs global feelings in such issues. If one does not have them – one must limit oneself to the known and the seen. One who lacks feelings in the issue and/or the place – would tend to make up by ‘producing more and more’ which at one point makes her/him an outsider to the issue and/or the place. That was how Mr. Howard invoked the sins of the past residing in Australia as negative forces against indigenous Australians who arrived before Mr. Howard’s ancestors. To qualify as an inner relative in today’s Multicultural Australia – Mr. Howard needed to strictly renounce Subjective powers over Persons of different culture to his – however wrong they may seem to him. Those particular persons may be wrong but even one true person who is wronged will invoke the past karma in her/his favor.

Mr. Turnbull may have made these statements against a particular group but even if one Australian Muslim is hurt due to such judgments  from the top – Mr. Turnbull would have imported the war into Australia – just as Mr. Howard did and we had the Bali Bombing. At times like this we need to identify with the pain of the victims and not try to show how clever we are at judging from outside.

In Hinduism Mothers are recognized as Shakthi/Energy due to accumulation of unrealized credits for their work and pain. Minorities who accept losses due to feelings of ownership – will be the real owners. Hence the Christian saying ‘Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth’. 

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 22 March   2016

The Real Power

I watched with interest, my grandchildren’s fascination with mermaid stories. In one episode – the mermaid in human form was moving a little boat without touching it. I have listened with neutral mind, to such narratives by Hindus about ascetics. Swami Shridi Baba is reported to have lit lamps with water. Swami Sai Baba is reported to have manifested Holy Ash from far for His believers. I was not a believer in Sai Baba  when Holy Powder manifested on my picture of Sai Baba – on 05 November 1998 – when I was down in the dumps due to my pain at the University of NSW. But the Holy Powder did manifest and on the same day the Auditor General’s report confirmed that my findings about the University were right. The Auditor General was the cow with the bell. I was treated like an unleashed cow gone mad. Yet, at issue level – we both reported almost identical findings. Once I settled down after ridding myself of emotional pain I started seeing a perfect connection between the manifestation and my pain.  I felt  that there was a deeper connection and there was a deeper reason for my pain that I was meant to experience. Now that I am able to better see the connection through myself alone – I am in awe of this invisible power that works beyond our immediate control.

Often religious pathways lead us to realizing this power. Mine was the work related/

industrial relations pathway. To my mind, the pathway through which we discover the Truth is our religion. Gandhi chose the Political pathway but without attachment to the status at the end. The value of his work thus became exponential. It is Easter time now – and by Resurrecting Himself – Jesus confirmed this Divine power within human forms. To identify with this power we need to know why something happened to us as per our own actions and beliefs. That is the karmic connection.

As an Australian I needed to make the connection for myself and others with similar makeup as myself. It was through this processes that I made the Bali Bombing connection to the deeper causes that were not seen nor known to the average Australian who leaves governance to the Government. Towards this I had to accept failures at the Public level after doing my best at the official level. In some places – like with ‘genes’ the problem is beyond our immediate and direct control. But those with good genes can replace the ailing mind with their healthier mind.

Communities that rely on religion to realize Truth/Spirituality need to ensure that they do not limit the mind of the People to stagnate at the seen and the known levels, by claiming that they are doing something lawful or unlawful in the name of their religion. The religious measure needs to be higher than the law – so that every practitioner can find her/his own completion through her/his god / conscience. All healthy religions would lead us to our own conscience. Where it is limited by law – it works against Sovereignty that all of us are capable of. The Sri Lankan Constitution for example includes article 9 which requires the Republic to give Buddhism the foremost place:

[The Republic of Sri Lanka shall give to Buddhism the foremost place and accordingly it shall be the duty of the State to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana, while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e)]

 This by its very existence is anti-democratic. Equal rights are mentioned after this as follows:

[while assuring to all religions the rights granted by Articles 10 and 14(1)(e).]

Article 10 states: ‘Every person is entitled to freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice.’

Article 14 (1) ( e)  states : ‘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 or teaching

One who practices article 9 and promotes Buddhism as the foremost religion – becomes a Buddhist and therefore cannot practice Articles 10 & 14 (1) (e) . The word ‘foremost’ takes away the right to Equal Opportunity. One needs a large doze of Truth to be ‘free’ of institutional pressures. This is why, in a Democracy,  religion needs to be outside  the influence of politicians. Where majority voters are Buddhists and are conscious of the above legislative power, they naturally carry the force that denies  minorities their equal status. The  idea underpinning Articles 10 and 14(1)( e) becomes a mockery.

The true Constitution of a Nation is its horoscope. It informs the reader of the good genes and the bad genes in addition to providing the framework for the Common pathway. Common pathways bring our minds together through habitual practice. To the extent we believe – in the supervisor and/or the framework itself – we own the consolidated experience that the Real Constitution represents. The Real for a particular block of land is the Truth manifested on that Land and/or in the name of that Land. Buddhists who killed Hindus, Christians and Muslims in Sri Lanka and/or in its name due to their belief in their own Sovereignty - acted in breach of Article 10. Likewise every Non-Buddhist who killed Buddhist to uphold her/his own faith acted in breach of the Constitution. We may not believe in the Constitution but so long as we take up a visible position – we need to ensure that we ourselves are not guilty of the charge we are accusing the other of.

Where both sides are guilty – one way to preserve the Sovereignty of the group is to submit to Truth discovered outside both pathways – religion by the Sinhalese and language by Tamils. No status should be officially allocated on the basis of proficiency in religion or language. Neither has the capability of spreading beyond borders towards Commonness towards regional and global harmony. Those who stay local need to have strong ancestral powers to realize their Sovereignty. Those who seek to go global need to lose consciousness of those ancestral powers.

Jihadists who kill in the name of Islam – are doing worse than the Sri Lankan Government, by going way outside their borders to exercise their current powers through excessive money. Each community that uses the lateral pathways established by others, towards its own current satisfaction is damaging its own roots when it crosses the borders. 

Wikipedia

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 21 March   2016

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

Turnbull Policies or Abbott Realities?

['It's very easy for me to campaign for the Turnbull government because the Turnbull government is running on the record of the Abbott government - and that makes me a very enthusiastic supporter. The Turnbull government is seeking election, fundamentally on the record of the Abbott government - stopping the boats, finalising the free trade agreements, our strong national security policy,' Mr Abbott said

Mr Turnbull said while there had been some continuity between his government and Mr Abbott's, there were also substantial differences.

'The bottom line is there is continuity and there is change, and there are many policies that have been announced and many initiatives that have been undertaken that were either not policies or not being pursued by Mr Abbott] he told the ABC

The above reminded me of the advice by the Registry Officer of the Federal Court of Australia – who suggested that I would be better off going to Industrial Relations Commission than to come to Federal Court on the basis of Racial Discrimination – including against former Prime Minister John Howard. Applying that rule here – at issue level the choice is between  Mr. Turnbull’s proposed Industrial Relations law and Mr. Abbott’s  ‘Stopping the Boats’ policy.

In my case then and now – the choice is latter – ‘Racial Discrimination & Stopping the Boats’. If on the other hand it had been Mr. Turnbull v Mr. Howard – then the choice would have been former.  This is also the difference between whether one would vote for President  Sirisena’s side  or Prime Minister  Ranil Wicremesinghe’s side in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, I would vote for the latter.  As governors we vote for issues that need the support of Truth that would keep the balance needed for internal harmony.

 In Australia, as a first generation migrant – I developed a true structure that future migrants could rely on – to successfully realize feelings for Australia. This needed me to publish the Truth I had discovered as an Australian at the workplace – the institutional environment where I was most exposed to denial of earned benefits on Equal footing and where I often accepted lower status as the less violent pathway. At other places I made up the loss through my own mind and forewent the status that was denied and expressed my Truth in support of the leader  I most identified with. But at the University of New South Wales – I could not. Even though I was not conscious of it then, I now realize that it was my duty to establish the Truth at a place where law and order level was relatively lower than even the Public Service where there is more idle time than in the Private Sector. Majority in my immediate family are graduates of the University of NSW and hence the deeper feeling – so the next generation in our family inherits stronger values.

Recently a Community elder shared his feelings  about  Saint Yoga Swami through reminder about  Saint Yoga Swami’s Memorial on 19 March – with the following message:

"Whatever work you have to do, do it well. That in itself is yoga." - Yogaswami

Another of Yogaswami’s great sayings is ‘Summa Iru’ / Be Still. During my battles at the University of New South Wales – our dear friend Sunthu sent me a message with ‘Summa Iru’ when I was about to write to a manager at the University. I stopped myself from expressing my support to that person who was part of the hierarchical system. Sunthu is a quiet devotee of Yogaswami and had not sent me any email prior to that. Hence I took it that Yogaswami himself was sending me the message through Sunthu as a messenger.

Yogaswami himself was an outstanding performer in his job as storekeeper under a British Manager. But Swami resigned and practiced yoga most of the time – actively by walking to the homes of poor to listen to their woes and to bless them and passively by sitting in one place. When the mind is still we are in Yoga. As a Spiritual leader – Swami’s  status  was raised above dignitaries – including foreigners. But Swami himself seems to have found Truth more to his liking than rules of work/industrial relations. The higher respect for Swami is not likely to have happened if Swami had remained in the position of storekeeper. Recently my Australian friend said that she likes to take up high positions if she can be in the governing board!  Where it is not likely that we would be – we need to seek and find the place where we are assured of governorship – even if it is governance of One. Yoga Swami had hundreds of thousands to govern directly and exponentially  indirectly. Values that spread naturally beyond time and place borders are exponential.

Now that I have gotten over the pain at the University of New South Wales, I am able to identify with the reason why I did not go up the path of Industrial Relations but instead traveled down the Racial Discrimination pathway. It was by resigning from that active work that I became a voluntary Governor of the University – one who has not set foot in the University after undertaking such as the bail condition to have myself released from custody. Both Governors of my time – Sir Anthony Mason and Dr John Yu – expressly demonstrated that they identified with my feelings. As I say in terms of Mothers – a good mother identifies with other good mothers. This is often the yardstick used by me during my service in Northern Sri Lanka where more and more young ladies are choosing to go out and work. I use that yardstick to prioritize use of my resources.

Had I continued at the  University of New South Wales, I would have ‘waited’ for the Administrators above me to be democratic. By discovering the Truth and manifesting It despite the pain and loss – I believe I upheld the true structure that I had developed as a first generation migrant from the Indian Subcontinent.  In a few years, with more and more Asians migrating to Australia for economic purposes – and the larger migrant communities here to support them -  the struggle would not be as strong as it was for my generation. But from time to time there would be some to whom human values and ‘ownership’ would be more important than ‘money’ and status from outside. By registering my Truth – I was leaving my heritage for them. The  University of New South Wales was going global both ways – importing foreign Vice Chancellors from the West and students from the East. It needed its own Truth to have a stable mind. It is the core duty of any University to seek and find the Truth. That is when its roots are stable. Hence I brought out my experience and got listed as a Pariah for expecting practice of Equal Opportunity. That is the parallel reality of ‘Boat People’ being listed as lesser refugees than those who fly into Australia. Migrants who claim that there is no racial discrimination at the Australian workplace are the parallels of ‘flying refugees’. They are more likely to vote for Mr. Turnbull in an election than for Mr.Abbott.

This does not mean that Mr. Abbott is a racist and Mr. Turnbull is humane. As per my interactions, as individuals both are caring. But when the brain is active – cleverness often overtakes human values. As highlighted in the Tamil movie Dhoni which we watched together as a family – not all children are good in Maths and Science and indeed academically outstanding. Often parents who grew up in the Indian Subcontinent – living in Western culture tend to push their children to become like them or worse better than them. It was disappointing to note that along these lines, during the current festival at Sydney Murugan Temple also – children were being promoted to ‘perform’ during spiritual ceremonies. Children who are natural like Saint Sambandar was as a child – would add to the spirituality of that place. Those who are not – become distractions. Temples need to be places where Truth is shared.

Likewise, Politics to be healthy – needs to be based on Truth rather than ‘marks’ for performance. Truth keeps the mind of a person still so that the manifestations of Natural combinations would happen. Once I resigned from the University of NSW – the two main persons – the Finance Director and the Deputy Vice Chancellor who left out investigating the Finance Director against whom I had complained – got into trouble through an Australian groomed staff. Some in the Australian Tamil Community thought that I was that staff.  In terms of Spirit – yes, my Truth was also a force that challenged through local staff. It is to balance these Spirits – so they are positive – that we need to vote – sometimes for the less smart leader but one who has more time for the lesser people – as was the case with Mr. Abbott when he added his status to the Bali 9 leaders – sons of migrant families. Not many ‘smart performers’ from the two migrant communities were visible during those shows of support. But Australian leaders like Mr. Abbott compensated. In turn some of us are working in Northern Sri Lanka through community sharing to ‘stop the boats’ and to go to Australia with dignity as students – paying money by borrowing from their relatives who have migrated due to war or to find their own ‘Australia’ in Sri Lanka – through institutions such as ours – the Australian Tamil Management Service.

As I learnt through the Caste system - Racial discrimination  is not always bad. Where there is a healthy alternate system to manage hierarchical power – one needs to eliminate race based or caste based discrimination. If the old system is removed without that healthier alternative – reverse discrimination starts happening. When we clever ones with lower status are active – we produce more and more opportunities towards this. Hence the need to resign from active paid work and into service work where one accepts only voluntary submissions – be it in money form or status form.

Why would I vote for Mr. Wickeremesinghe in Sri Lanka? - because the educational pathway  is my heritage from my parents and ancestors along the time based hierarchical pathway. Sri Lankans – especially Tamils in areas seriously weakened by emigration of professionals need structures through which they could hope and expect to be like I was when I left Sri Lanka – a Professional. Without such real leadership – some are sending their children for extra tuition from year 1 and others, like Aborigines,  are resigning themselves to the opportunities they ‘see’ – which may seem narrow to us but to them it is the limit that would motivate them. It’s not different to Aboriginal ‘lifestyle’ choices that Mr. Abbott referred to when he thought he was ‘free’.  

If we vote for issues we are governors and our vote is of global value. If we vote for the individual – our vote is local and we would be limited to the mean of such local values. 

Multicultural sharing in Sydney  under the Leadership of the Hon Philip Ruddock

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 21 March   2016

Ownership Power

‘No one can topple this Government – PM’ – reports Sri Lankan Daily Mirror. I spy  with my little eye – something starting with ‘V’ already working from within to topple this government. Here is the path to that root:

Last week, I rang the Northern Province chief electrical engineer  asking him whether they had raised the credit as agreed – for the excess charges of Electricity to our cottage in Thunaivi Vaddukoddai. We were charged four times above the expected amount for my  December 2015 consumption. When I rang to find out – why ? - I was asked to bring the bill. When I went to the office in Chulipuram – there was no one and the door was locked. A field worker who was walking out of the gate asked me to wait – saying they would be back soon. I waited patiently and finally the security officer opened the door. When I asked to speak to an officer he asked me what the problem was an took the bill – saying he would hand it over to the officer. I concluded that the offers were not going to return that afternoon.

Later when I rang I was told that it was Chunnakam problem. When I rang Chunnakam I was asked whether I had lodged a written complaint? I did one but there was no response. I rang again and was asked to send another. I sent another. On and on it went. Eventually – a team of three came – checked the meter; said there was nothing wrong with the meter; sealed the meter – and was about to walk away. I asked them to check the Temple meter (because no reading was recorded for December - for the temple serviced by the cottage). They looked at it – and said that they needed to change the meter as it was an old one. I asked them why the meter-reader had not reported it when he came to take the readings? There was no response. The chief inspector just repeated that the meter was too old.

Through my experience I worked out that the meter readers had not been recording with care which sometimes resulted in high level bills. Once before when our Training Center bill was high – I discovered that the later reading showed a lower reading  than the previous one. When I pointed this out – the reader said they would not take any reading for a few months but charge us only for the minimum. I agreed but noted that the Electricity Board was not committed to good service. This was a bit sad for me given that I had close relationships with two of its former General Managers – Mr. E.C. Fernando – through work and Mr. N. Sanmugarajah as my close family. Their dedication to good administration was not upheld in Vaddukoddai. As a customer with feelings of ownership I filled the gap.

But try as I did – I could not do so with the Temple & Cottage. To the surface reader – it may seem just high consumption  by us or mistake by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). That would be the parallel of  Prime Minister Ranil’s ‘No one can topple this Government’ claim. But the one with the True Experience would know that that high bill was a manifestation of accumulated karma – remaining there to render each one their share of blame – as per each one’s Truth.

After the Dismissal of the Vice Chancellor of the University of NSW, followed by the removal of former Australian Prime Minister Mr. John Howard – and related experiences, I have learnt that a true owner always invokes the Truth – often subconsciously. The purpose of Laws – especially the complex ones is also to protect ourselves from such manifestations by investing in the positive on regular basis. It is our true investment in the law that works this Energy at its roots. As I said in my draft appeal-submission sent to our lawyer in relation to the Testamentary case of my brother in law that went before the Mallakam Courts:

(a)   “this being a Testamentary case of a Hindu and the Common Hindu belief that we carry only our True virtues / p<]f]iymf and sins / pavmf into our next life and that our loved ones and relatives – add to the True values we take with us – by adding their own through various ceremonies. For these reasons the Court for its part needed to show the highest possible respect and value for the Estate of Mr. Subramaniam Yoganathan – a Hindu covered by Thesawalamai Customary Law – so that our Heritage would be preserved.

(b)   Truth v Knowledge - Where the Truth brought to Court through Due Process forms a bigger picture than the picture presented to Court as per the knowledge of legal experts – such Truth must be recognized for the purpose of changes to the laws and policies. Legal Experts whose experience in that issue is weaker than their investment in the law and court processes – would tend to block the path of  Truth brought to Court by  the litigant with deeper experience – especially where such experience has been painful. If that were to happen, the Court system would have failed the very society that it is required to serve.”

I realized more and more after my Australian experiences – that once we feel true ownership – we work the system – naturally and often subconsciously in the case of those with lesser status than they have earned. When such persons are in need – Truth manifests Itself to protect and support them – so they can balance the books for their own purposes.

Mr. Howard’s makeup – as a Politician was not conducive to upholding Equal Opportunity principles and laws. Mine was/is  very strong in this regard. Hence by engaging with him through his position as Prime Minister – I established a relationship – even though Mr. Howard the Person did not directly interact with me. Had he been truly committed to Equal Opportunity values – he would have – at least as per my mind – as the Hon Philip Ruddock did.

Mr. Howard’s father  is reported to have been  an admirer of Sir Winston Churchill and I come from a family that respects highly – Gandhi who was called a ‘half naked fakir’ by the Englishman. Such followings determine the order of the mind that receives the seen and the heard and strongly influence the known. When the known is largely as per one’s own Truth it is a Natural force through which we influence Nature / Truth.

Last September after I returned to Sydney – I arranged for additional security cameras and fencing for the Temple. The Temple camera system was powered by the cottage for security reasons. Those who did not want the camera system – due to their own reasons – reported that the electric connections were sparking when it rained and the Electricity Board just disconnected supply without any inquiry or discussion with our staff. It was just before the 9 day Navaraathri (9 nights) celebrations  at the temple in honor of Goddess Saraswathy and we used battery power to make up for the Electricity stoppage. We installed expensive Solar Lights during our most recent stay in Vaddukoddai.

The Camera and the Lighting system are to improve the Security in that area – especially for the working women. Through such purpose - we became the government in that area. When the apparent government – represented by the CEB cut off supply – our pain and difficulty and the extra cost – reversed itself exponentially – affecting even the President. THAT is true Citizen’s power.

CEB may not have the resources to serve the higher needs of development taking place in Northern Province. But Human Resource can always more than make up for lack of money resource. The CEB officials are rude as if they are masters and the consumers are servants. Where the consumer is more law abiding than the supplier – the supplier must take the consumer as ‘right’. Otherwise – any show of power – due to custody of the supply key – would go towards toppling the Government in charge at the time the customer had the pain.

They say – that there is a god within each of us. Owners place themselves with those who have faith in them. Where such owners are ordinary customers / citizens – the reversal being exponential is far greater than when a supplier / government is right and is rebelled against. The current Sri Lankan Government may be more right than the previous one. But it is not immune to customers/citizens returning the karma due to weak Administration. The solution is not to take higher position than an unknown customer/citizen but equal position until known otherwise. To know the reasons why something happened, each one would make the karmic connection as per their own Truth. Such Truth will be right for that person and would merge naturally to manifest the true picture of the whole – for better or for worse.

Towns across the northern province came to a standstill today due to a hartal campaign launched as a protest against the recent rape and murder of a 13-year-old school girl in Ukkulankulam, Vavuniya. - http://www.asianmirror.lk/news/item/15003-harthal-in-northern-province

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 18 March   2016

Responsibility to Protect = Right to Question

“Sovereignty no longer exclusively protects States from foreign interference; it is a charge of responsibility that holds States accountable for the welfare of their people”  – UN

“A government cannot promote state security at the expense of human security. The latter must be ensured, come what may, by governments if humanity is to be protected against self-destruction” – Island Newspaper – Sri Lanka

As per global principles – a Country is taken as Sovereign until known otherwise. As per principles of humanity – a human being is taken as Sovereign until known otherwise. Usually we tend to operate as Sovereign units by forming groups – for example family units and institutions. Where such units are strong in Sovereignty – a Country becomes strong in Sovereignty. Where family units and workplaces are disorderly it weakens the Sovereignty of that nation

In a country where the People have voting rights to elect government – does the Government have the Responsibility to Protect or do the People have the Responsibility to Protect their Sovereignty and use the Government as a Facility towards this? The question becomes even more important in Countries like Sri Lanka where voter groups have strongly opposed the Government. Simply asked – did the Government have the Responsibility to Protect the JVP Rebels in Southern Sri Lanka and LTTE Rebels in Northern Sri Lanka? If yes, was this a greater Responsibility than punishing the Rebels to protect the Sovereignty of the Democratic voter from these very Rebels? In a Sovereign nation using the path of Democracy – the Top-down Responsibility to Protect would be Equal to the Bottom-up Right to Question. One who is Sovereign would recognize this anytime, anywhere. One who is committed to upholding Sovereignty would take the ‘other’ side to make up a Sovereign group anytime anywhere.

The moment a voter acts to violate the Sovereignty of another – s/he damages her/his own Sovereignty. To that extent s/he loses the Right to question an institution that the other is part of. A child who violates the Sovereignty of another child in the same family – loses the Right to question the latter until such damage is restored. Until then Parents have the higher Right  to Discipline the Children and also  Responsibility to Protect the damaged children from the sibling who exercised excessive Right. This applies to Employer/Employee as well as Government / Voter relationships. In Democracy, the voter who actively votes is the Parent and at other times the Government is the parent.

A principle that the Government is Responsible to Protect its People takes value away from Democracy. In Sri Lanka, where there are Protests by the People against the Government does the voter have the priority  right above the government to be protected?

The example that comes to mind, is the 24 February 2016 shutdown/harthal -  in Northern Province – resulting from the rape and death of a teenager. The protestors would have included those who supported the Rebels – including those who voted for and/or on the basis of Vaddukoddai Resolution 1976 – the first Political declaration of Tamil Sovereignty. I consider myself an independent person – and attended Court as scheduled – despite our side lawyer informing me that he would not be attending Court. The other side – natives of Vaddukoddai – hired Colombo lawyers. Their barrister – a clever person – said words to the effect that he ‘could move for a dismissal of our Appeal but reluctantly agrees to a postponement’. I responded by stating that given that I had prepared the primary Appeal Application – I could represent myself. The judge said to the Colombo group of lawyers that they needed to be in touch with Jaffna reality. In other words – those lawyers needed to absorb their share of costs under those circumstances. That to my mind was a vote against Hybrid Court system – the foreign judges in this instance being Colombo lawyers who come for their own selfish reasons to Jaffna.

The test of Sovereignty of a nation is often its Judiciary. Judges who are dependent on lawyers promote damage to Sovereignty of the nation including through Politicians who are dependent on voters. It is worse when one is ‘free’ of supervision and is driven by quick outcomes – as was the case with the above group of Colombo Lawyers. They reminded me of the American Vice Chancellor of the University of NSW who ignored my warnings and took ‘higher position’ than I  - an independent worker whose earned rights as a professional was damaged. An American groomed Administrator cannot be higher than an Independent Australian groomed worker in Australia. By taking that higher position against me – an independent Australian – the Vice Chancellor damaged his own rights in Australia. That American Vice Chancellor allowed the Police to arrest me unlawfully and he himself was dismissed by the Governing Council. That happened due to the Absolute power of Sovereignty which Protects the person who Protects It.

The Judges of Mallakam Court where the above matter was heard at the primary level – also contributed to the damage to the Sovereignty of the People. The Primary Judge ruled that our Affidavit (Appendix 1) – prepared as per our previous experiences in Sri Lanka – which were facilitated by Affidavits signed in Australia, Singapore and Canada – dismissed our Affidavit on the ground that it was not singed in the presence of an Attorney at law or Justice of Peace.  (Appendix 2).  Given that on the face of the document – it was attested by a Jaffna JP and my husband signed it in Jaffna where he came for that purpose - our lawyer interpreted that to mean that the Jurat Clause was missing. The cost of travel from Sydney to Jaffna  is far greater than the cost of travel from Colombo to Jaffna  - which loss the Colombo group was trying to recover from us on 24 February.

The Affidavit prepared by the Petitioners under the Guidance of the Colombo team had the Jurat Clause (Appendix 3) which translates as follows:

‘I declare that the foregoing having been read over and explained by me to these deponents  and they having understood same, affirmed  and set their  signatures to  this on this 1st day of August 2011  at Vaddukoddai’

At the beginning of the Affidavit – which looks almost identical to the Application the wording translates as follows:

“We, Sellathurai Mahadevan and Sakthidevy Manadevan who are husband and wife respectively, and living in Kallday lane, South-West Vaddukoddai and of Hindu religion, affirm and declare reverently,  truthfully and faithfully affirm and declare as follows:”

As per the Jurat clause the  Affidavit was NOT prepared by the litigants but by someone else – and the JP was merely explaining it to the deponents. But the Affidavit at the beginning says that the deponents themselves madeup the Affidavit. This seems a regular format in Sri Lanka – as if the ordinary people need legal help to make affidavits. Such affidavits amount to coaching witnesses to say the ‘right’ thing. Legal experts have the responsibility to facilitate such participants but need to be careful not to interfere with the substance of the facts brought to Court.  A Court where relevant facts are greater than the Legal theories / rules used by the Court – the Court has the responsibility to become a facility. Where such happens continuously – the need for new laws covering wider values become essential to uphold the Sovereinty of that Place.

Vaddukoddai has confirmed that it is open to ‘foreign-influence’ and that the Political Declaration of 1976 is no longer valid. The People are the test. When those who are not capable of making their own independent affidavits for judicial purposes are in the majority they declare their Truth that they need Protection of the higher authority with custody of power. Such persons do not have the authority to use their lawyers to demand that the Affidavit of another be set aside due to invalid format. Such is the responsibility of the Court Administration which is part of the Executive.

In Sri Lanka – all those who are in support of Rebels do not have the Right to expect – leave alone claim Government protection. They need to protect themselves at individual level and/or as a group. The Government in turn has first responsibility to protect those who protect the institution of National Governance through every day life.

Historic Trincomalee Pathirakali Ambal chariot

King Rajendra Cholan, the First in the 11th Century A.D. - Tamilnet

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 13 March   2016

Truth vs Reconciliation

Today is the first day of the festival of Mother Kali temples at Sangarathai-Vaddukoddai and Trincomalee – the place that attracts ‘foreign’ powers due to its natural harbor. As per the Sunday Times article ‘Trincomalee’s long road from ethnic conflict to ethnic harmony’:

[In this eastern district, where the strategic port city of Trincomalee, the administrative capital, appears as an ideal ground for national reconciliation, more people now turn up at police stations to lodge complaints in a sign of increasing public confidence in the police and the judicial system.]

One could therefore conclude that the author admits to the lack of Police service to have contributed significantly to the ethnic conflict. My investment in Trincomalee was work related – through Prima Ceylon Ltd. Prima is a big business organization  in Singapore and I believe I added value to Prima through my services while working in Prima. Years later, when we purchased a unit in Coogee-View apartments here in Sydney, Australia - I was pleasantly surprised to learn  that Prima was the owner-developer. This further confirmed that my ‘ownership’ work while in Prima was not lost when I  left Prima to join the National carrier – Airlanka. My true investment in Prima traveled beyond time and place borders to support me in Australia. I felt the blessings of Mother Kali of Trincomalee when I had a dream about my life beyond Sri Lanka. This meant also that Trincomalee was ‘home’ to me – just as Colombo and Jaffna were. Likewise, Vaddukoddai due to my ownership-investment in my husband’s family. Today, on this auspicious day,  I pay homage to both cities.

The above observation about the People accessing the Police Service more and more now, needs to be read in conjunction with the following observations in that article:

[Trincomalee businessman Nishantha Abeywickrema said: “All communities lived in harmony in this district before the war, but now we see that communities live in isolation, confined to their respective villages. The interaction is not the same as it used to be.”]

The way I read this, before the war People of Diverse cultures were not aware of the need to interact with each other, while after the war – they feel obliged to do so. Once we have knowledge of the law and its custodians, we are tempted to use them. Once we use them – mentally and/or physically, we become relatives. To the extent we are disappointed with them – we separate ourselves and live away from them – as I do even now with those of my biological relatives who give preference to the physical above the mental and the ‘Common’. 

Both side leaders in the ethnic war were limited by their biological relationships and their irredeemable actions and policies that others acted upon – remain as Energies – positive as well as negative – affecting all those to whom that place is ‘home’ and more importantly all those who ‘claim’ that place is their home. Mother Kali is the personification of Courage to act physically. Both these cities carry that power for better or for worse.

Those to whom these places of war are ‘home’ would be Natural with the positives and negatives – as the People of Thunaivi in Northern Sri Lanka are. But if they went / or were taken to the Police – they would not know how to construct their case as per the law. Under those circumstances – the matter will be constructed as per the interpretation of the Police and unless the Police consider,  the persons concerned as their higher relatives than the biological relatives through families and members of their community – the judgment of the Police is likely to be as per their own cultural values. A person with higher education for example needs to consider others with investment in higher education as her/his higher relative than one with biological ties but without investment in higher education. To an officer, a higher relative must rank before a biologically closer relative.

The Sri Lankan ethnic war deteriorated to the lower level of using arms – due to both sides using the lower  personal approach in preference to the higher common approach. Today, an Australian reader wrote in response to my article ‘LTTE Killing Rajiv Gandhi - Mistake or Natural?’ :

 ‘Tamil rebels? Don't they mean.....murdering terrorists?’

Having lived with the People of Thunaivi-Vaddukoddai  – as part of that community – my response is NO. Most of the People of Thunaivi react emotionally and would expect to be killed even when they set out to kill the other side.  It is animal behavior alright but ‘murdering terrorists’ – NO. One who has knowledge of right conduct as per her/his own environment with fairly comfortable access to the law – and sees the events through such eyes - would find it easier to mark these guys wrong – and label them as murdering terrorists. Not one to whom that place is ‘home’ through common faith. If the above Australian were part of the ‘Hybrid’ system of judgment – including at social and Australian political level, such injustice would be a negative force for Australians who are active in this issue.

Truth when written from within – through our own experiences – is the measure at the individual level. Reconciliation is needed by those with official positions of responsibility. Majority Australians of Sri  Lankan origin – do not insist on Equal Opportunity practices here in Australia. They accept the lower status and make up the loss through ‘Community-structures’ and their financial freedom. Devolution as per cultural diversity prevents such ‘expectations’ and therefore disappointments.

In Sri Lanka – at the official level – any reconciliation needs to include Buddha Sasana due to Article 9 of the Constitution.  Accordingly in terms of the actions of the armed forces – this test also has to be applied to their actions and/or non-actions in attacking the opposition. Judges without knowledge of Buddha Sasana  are disqualified due to Article 9.

On the basis of Equal Opportunity principles facilitated by articles 10 and  14 (1) (e )  of the Sri Lankan Constitution, a non-Buddhist Sri Lankan has the right to be heard on the basis of her/his religious belief when interpreting the law as well as ‘facts’. In terms of Reconciliation – one side does not have the right to speak for the other – but has the authority to declare independently – its own claims as per its own interpretation of law and facts as experienced by that side. Separation is needed for this the exercise of independence. Without such separation – reconciliation would not be legitimate even if accepted by those concerned as happens here in Australia.

Where the level of Truth discovered is higher than the ‘facts’ reconciled – Devolution of power in regards to the issue of use of arms is a legitimate claim of  minorities who have established this claim.  

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam – 12 March   2016

‘New Delhi: Assassinating former Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was the Tamil Tigers` biggest mistake, a new book quotes the late LTTE ideologue Anton Balasingham as saying.’ Zee news.

LTTE Killing Rajiv Gandhi – Mistake or Natural?

Mr. Balasingham - British Tamil was as per his own declaration part of the Tamil Tiger Leadership. How does one measure whether the act of killing a prime ministerial candidate was a mistake or the ‘right thing to do?’ As part of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam )- did Mr. Balasingham have the moral authority to find fault with the LTTE leadership? In his own mind, did he lose support from that leadership and v.v.? What would the path of Truth reveal if one sought the Truth?

Given that the LTTE claimed to be Freedom fighters and given that majority Tamils accept that at public level – Truth is the measure that would satisfy all of us. Truth generates inner wisdom and when we are active with wider world, it becomes difficult to separate Truth from hearsay and more importantly knowledge through intellectual discriminative thinking. To most of us the earth is flat and is not global. Our investment in learning whether the earth is flat as our eyes tell us or global as the experts say - is the True base on which reliability is developed. Truth when manifested is the Level Playing Field that Equal Opportunity principles profess. Was this common to Mr. Balasingham and to the LTTE leaders – Mr. Velupillai Prabhakaran and Mr. Pottu Amman about whom Wikipedia reports as follows:

‘Pottu Amman was responsible for training Black Tigers for missions which kill them. Most notably, this occurred was when former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was killed by a woman Tiger who was allegedly raped by the IPKF. Another attack was against President Ranasinghe Premadasa, who was killed when a Black Tiger blew himself up also killing 23 bystanders on May Day.’

If LTTE leadership believed that they were fighting for freedom – then it means that they did not have knowledge of higher measures. As one LTTE leader said – ‘We do not know Civil Administration. We know to fight’. Hence as their Political advisor, Mr. Balasingham had the responsibility to take that as the start point/base on which information is measured. This is necessary not only for winning wars but also in business. When we are over-regulated we are like to lose wars / business. If Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa had retired as President after winning the war – he would still be a hero and would have saved Sri Lankan Government the threat of war-crimes inquiry. Similarly, if the LTTE within the current Tamil leadership retires from ‘fighting mode’  - LTTE would continue to be war-heroes to Tamils. I have not heard even one Tamil refer to any of the LTTE leaders in particular. Most of them speak of their own victories against their own enemies during the LTTE period.

As per the above article about Mr. Balasingham:

[In contrast, Balasingham had no hesitation in admitting that the LTTE assassinated moderate Tamil leader and academic Neelan Thiruchelvam - who was critical of the Tamil Tigers -- in July 1999 on a Colombo street.

When the Norwegians, Solheim included, confronted Balasingham on the killing, the book quotes the latter as saying point-blank: "Yes, we killed him and if you listen to me I will tell you why."]

If Mr. Balasingham, LTTE’s chief political strategist,   had invested in the Political system of Sri Lanka in common with the educated section of the Tamil Community, he would have felt the pain in us losing  Neelan Thiruchelvam.  That act of killing was an example of  brawn power killing brain power.   One who was part of such killing force – lost the right to represent the Tamil Community and its struggle for higher status for intellectual achievements and through such to establish  its Equal status to govern. The death of Neelan Thiruchelvam went towards strengthening our claim to Equal status in Parliament – as confirmed by  TNA (Tamil National Alliance) in Sri Lankan Parliament. With Mr. Balasingam as the political leader – our status in politics would have been far lower than it is now.

As per the article:

 [The book quotes Solheim as saying that Balasingham once referred to Prabhakaran as a "warlord" and said the LTTE needed to transform into a political entity.

Balasingham also told Solheim, who is now based in Paris: "You must never underestimate the capacity for violence of these guys (LTTE)."

According to Solheim, Balasingham "was very frank with us, including admitting to the LTTE`s mistakes.

"Over time I came to regard Bala highly and to consider him as a great human being as well as a good friend."]

To the Tamil Community – Mr. Balasingham is a relative. We have the duty to take a position ‘internally’  until there is Public knowledge of particular aspects of a person within the family/community. On that basis – Mr. Neelan Thiruchelvam was a higher relative to Mr. Balasingham as per the core values of the Tamil Community. By killing Mr. Thiruchelvam he made an outsider of himself. By giving official recognition to Mr. Balasingham ‘as great human being’ – Mr. Solheim is diminishing the value of Norway’s contribution to the Tamil Community which values Mr. Neelan Thiruchelvam highly due to his total investment in values that are precious to our community.

As stated many times, I live in Thunaivi when I am in Northern Sri Lanka. Thunaivi is part of Vaddukoddai electorate that was represented legitimately by  Mr. Neelan Thiruchelvam. The following report highlights the value of the heritage we share with Mr. Neelan Thiruchelvam:

[After the Black July riots many TULF leaders went into exile but Tiruchelvam stayed in Colombo. Tiruchelvam was appointed as the TULF's National List MP in Parliament following the 1994 parliamentary election.  Tiruchelvam, and G.L.Peiris, were the main contributors to  President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s  1995 constitutional reform and devolution plan (also known as the "GL-Neelan Package" or "The New Deal"). The plan involved turning Sri Lanka from a  unitary state  into a "union of regions", merging of the Northern and Eastern , expanding the subjects devolved   to provincial councils, establishment of a mechanism to resolve disputes between the central and provincial governments and greater recognition of Sri Lanka's many minorities. The plan went beyond the Thirteenth Amendment   and was federalism   in all but name. The plan, which was released on 3 August 1995, was generally welcomed both in Sri Lanka and abroad but was attacked by Sinhalese nationalists  and Tamil militants. The plan was subsequently watered down so much that even the TULF refused to support it and the plan was never implemented.]

Both – Sinhala as well as Tamil Rebels  would act to ‘show’ wins above Service. Killing high profile persons is one way of ‘taking over’  the  opportunities in their territory – just as Vaddukoddai Resolution was taken over by the LTTE – as per ITS  purpose of fighting through arms. Whether this is right or wrong – depends on how common we are with them – by law for those in positions and in Truth for those ‘free’ of positions and their duties.

The People of Thunaivi cannot be measured by the same measure as the People of  Sanagarathai across the road. Both are part of Vaddukoddai. The last time I encountered problem with them – I did not report the matter to the Police for this reason. Instead, I reported the matter to the parents of the young ones who were acting in breach of our rules within our family temple. These young ones who are of the kind recruited by the LTTE – don’t even have the motivation to respect the Hindu temple practices known to majority. Isolation from Tamil leadership has led to them developing their own rules. I therefore have to use my actual ‘ownership’ credits with them to discipline them and maintain the sanctity of that area around our temple. Parents who worship at the temple usually manage to keep their children within the rules. Where I have knowledge of a young one not knowing / having parents – due to illegitimacy and/or death of the parent – I leave the matter to the Lord / Lady Kali. The Hon. Philip Ruddock, MP also said to the Australian Tamil community that he left matters that were beyond him to the Lord.

There is a saying in Tamil – that our evil comes back to us. Before this happens – we need to separate ourselves from them – so one gets her/his own. If we remain within one structure – we must be ready to accept the common verdict from outsider for better or for worse. Within us – so long as we live as per our Truth – we would never be wrong in our own Independent eyes. Given that Mr. Balasingham saw LTTE Leader Prabhakaran as War Lord – he had the duty to resign from the LTTE and not pollute it from within. That’s when Mr. Balasingham, would have earned the right to represent Tamil Rebels who lacked knowledge of wider laws. If he chose to remain within – then he had the DUTY to be silent and that would have been facilitated if he left behind the eyes of the more educated Tamil when he chose to be part of  Rebel leadership.