Discovering Military Truth through University Research?

by Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam

(June 11, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) I write in response to the article ‘Leadership Training for University Entrants’ by Dr Jayantha Dhanapala and Professor Savitri Goonesekere, published in today’s ( June 10)  Sri Lanka Guardian.

I identify with most of the feelings and thoughts by the Friday Forum on behalf of whom the above article has been published.

Military style training for all students is further confirmation that under the current leadership, Sri Lanka is becoming more and more a military controlled country. Tamils in North & East have been suffering this due to leadership on both sides. It became worse after the Government started using Sinhalese Armed Forces to control these areas. To us, this latest move is further confirmation of the Guna/Quality that resulted in the above occupation,

In paragraph 6, the authors say ‘Encouraging military style leadership skills, regimentation and behaviour patterns, is contrary to core values of freedom of thought, opinion and expression, and the value of dissent which all universities should strive to inculcate in their students.’

True, But let us look at our past – the path through which these Universities have developed. Freedom of Thought is progressive when such Thought is based on Truth – in the context of Universities, it is Truth through Research and/or investment in those who discover that Truth. Sri Lankan Universities have been more about producing graduates who would bring ‘status’ and ‘money’, rather than about discovery of Truth and sharing that Truth. They are not different to many leading Universities in the West. The Sri Lankan Government is proposing military education whilst the University of NSW here in Australia – had ready access to the use of Police to suppress someone who had done Research in Racial Equality and discovered its reality at the University and in Australian work environment. Having easy access to such armed forces is as damaging as providing military training to University students.

The core purpose of these systems is for us to feel connected to each other mentally - even though we may never meet each other physically. Truth connects us Naturally even though we may not connect mentally or physically. Through Truth we feel connected. Ultimately that feeling is the source of our self confidence and fulfillment.

The authors say ‘It is of interest to note that in a group exercise on world leaders the suggested world famous leaders are Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, King Dutugemenu, Anagarika Dharmapala, Mahinda Rajapakse, Veera Puran Appu, and Ranasinghe Premadasa.’

Management, is a combination of Administration and Truth/Reality. In the above list, all those who held official Administrative positions, are the parallel of Administrators and in terms of Truth – Gandhi’s Truth / Reality would totally negate such Administrative Values of the above leaders. It would certainly confuse the average student. The leadership examples for such a program need to be all those who fought for Independence through use of armed force. This would include many LTTE leaders – especially Velupillai Prabakaran.

Whilst it is upsetting that the Government is interfering with Higher Education system – one needs to look at the Higher Education system itself – the path through which we have reached this stage. That is our Truth/Reality and once we are in that Truth – we would know how to get rid of these army programs mentally and eventually physically. Towards this, we need to live more and more in our Truth and less in principles that cannot be reconciled easily to our reality.

All these systems help us connect to each other through common structures and processes. To the extent we are ‘attached’ to our local environments, we would not be able to connect to ‘outsiders’. Structured systems help us make the connection. This program obviously is not one through which Tamils would feel connected to Sinhalese. It is very local. We need to look beyond, at finding our own Truth – through or beyond Local Universities. Any University that uses armed forces to suppress Truth and / or to block the path of seekers – is very much a ‘local’ institution.

Wonder whether the aim is to seek military Truth? Until Universities become self-sufficient – i.e. – until they earn their keep and more – they risk becoming political pawns. Once they earn their keep – they would naturally influence all concerned through that real status they have earned. Sri Lankan Universities need to move towards self-managed systems through which they would be able to highlight that such courses are a burden on the Public. That is the way to target the hip-pocket of the politician.