To the person seeking Truth for her/himself for inner peace and/or social purposes, the disappearance would be of greater significance if Mr. Ekneliagoda was NOT a journalist or if he was a good journalist. To the person seeking to strengthen her/his contribution to a particular system – in this instance - Journalism and/or the Legal system – it would be the other way around. The reason for this is that others far away from us through time and space – would identify with our contributions through Common structures and systems that we contribute to. Hence one needs to prioritize the ‘actuals’/’facts’ through which this system is developed and/or maintained.
by Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam
(June 23, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) I write in response to the article ‘Replacing investigations with gossip’ by Mr. Basil Fernando, published in Sri Lanka Guardian.
I admire the commitment by Mr. Basil Fernando towards improving the legal system in Sri Lanka – starting with the ordinary person without portfolio. Laws that do not work for the ordinary person genuinely committed to law and order, is largely academic and if indiscriminately mixed with reality, it disturbs the Peace of the whole.
Mr. Basil Fernando writes about the disappearance of Journalist Prageeth Ekneliagoda ‘It appears that some maintain that the abduction and disappearance would be of lesser significance if he was not a journalist, and of greater significance if he was a journalist; lesser significance if he was not a great journalist than if he was a great journalist; lesser significance if he was not abducted and made to disappear for his journalistic activities rather than if he was abducted and disappeared due to his journalistic activities.
The moral issue: Is the abduction and disappearance of a person who is not a journalist less important or less significant than the abduction and disappearance of a person who is a journalist? ‘
To the person seeking Truth for her/himself for inner peace and/or social purposes, the disappearance would be of greater significance if Mr. Ekneliagoda was NOT a journalist or if he was a good journalist. To the person seeking to strengthen her/his contribution to a particular system – in this instance - Journalism and/or the Legal system – it would be the other way around. The reason for this is that others far away from us through time and space – would identify with our contributions through Common structures and systems that we contribute to. Hence one needs to prioritize the ‘actuals’/’facts’ through which this system is developed and/or maintained.
Mr. Fernando asks the question ‘On the other hand, if there is no such basis to make a distinction about the moral wrong involved in an abduction and disappearance what is this whole debate about?’
To most of us living outside Sri Lanka – i.e. – physically far away from what happens in Sri Lanka –Common Structures and Due Processes are important. Each one of us receives ‘facts’/’what happens’ as follows:
As per our inner Truth belief. This belief is formed through our own contribution to the issue and the system through which we receive ‘facts’. This is the strongest base of all and it takes us close to all other believers at that level. Good families, communities and nations are strong in this common belief. They may not enjoy high status with outsiders but they would through their very presence contribute strongly to Peace.
As per our positions and the duties associated with those positions. Some of the facts may be merely to satisfy those position duties and therefore would not contribute to direct belief in that issue.
On the basis of our thoughts as to how others around us would receive our reaction to the facts. This amounts to hearsay and needs to be limited to use through majority vote after exhausting the above two avenues. Excessive use of majority vote reduces vertical process through intellectual thinking. It is likely to take us into a world that is too wide for our logical thinking.
Like Mr. Ekneliagoda , Sri Lanka as a country is also receiving attention from the various quarters – each as per their needs and desires. Reporter Jyoti Thottam of the ‘TIME’ says in her report in analyzing Mr. Ban Ki-Moon’s win of a second term as Secretary General of the United Nations -‘On other priorities related to peace, security and human rights, it's hard to see much progress. The U.S. and Russia may have pledged to cut their nuclear arsenals but the relationship between India and Pakistan, surely the most volatile between two nuclear-armed nations, is at a low point, and the UN has little credibility with either country to improve it. Similarly, Banmissed an obvious opportunity to raise human rights concerns with China when he met with Hu Jintao. With Sri Lanka, on the other hand, he tried repeatedly to raise human rights issues over its treatment of civilians during the end of the civil war, but — at least so far — he has been outfoxed by the Sri Lankan government, who have used the support of China, Pakistan and India to prevent the UN from taking any real action.’
This confirms to me that Mr. Ban Ki-Moon lacks investment in Sri Lanka as per 2 above. In terms of 1 above, one needs to have lived as a Sri Lankan or physically and/or mentally through others – to believe. In terms of 2 above, Sri Lanka lacks the Common systems through which one could read ‘facts’ born in Sri Lanka. The way that last battle in Sri Lanka is interpreted by various persons would be different as per the paths they use. The same way Mr. Ekneliagoda would not be important except locally, if not for his investment in journalism and more importantly in the Tamil Community that was suffering more than its share of pain and loss due to life in Sri Lanka. It did not matter very much as to which of the above three paths he took for his purposes. What matters more is that he was there – seen as an open practitioner of Racial Equality, contributing to Global Standards of Democracy. Those of us who have invested in these Common systems will include Mr. Ekneliagoda through our own work. Similarly, it does not matter whether Mr. Ban Ki-Moon had a win or not in Sri Lanka. Those of us who are independent users of UN Facilities and Systems would benefit the folks in Sri Lanka, through ourselves.
Recently, a Tamil Diaspora leader declared that he did not know what I do in Sri Lanka. To my mind, I am the UN to the People I work with in Sri Lanka. I also applied for the position of Secretary General of the United Nations. I felt the urge to apply because I felt second to none in Public Administration and Management and hence when I saw the name of a fellow Sri Lankan Dr. Jayantha Dhanapala being fielded for the position – I felt my application would confirm the eligibility on the basis of belief – of both my countries – Sri Lanka and Australia – to apply for the position. Like with election of MPs, we need a structure not larger than the one through which we could ‘believe’ that we are eligible. Merit is applied ‘after’ that belief.
In a recent article, Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka says ‘In his controversial book ‘The Cage’, the best known anti-Sri Lanka publicist, former UN spokesperson Gordon Weiss, had this, among other things to say: “Dayan Jayatilleka, one of the most capable diplomats appointed by the Rajapakse regime, had outmanoeuvred Western diplomats to help Sri Lanka escape censure from the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. He had also been one of the most trenchant advocates within the government for meaningful constitutional reform, including the devolution of power to the provinces”.’
My thought was ‘Why was Dr Jayatilleka not chosen to be Sri Lanka’s candidate for the top Administrative position?’
Unless our work and thoughts contribute to Common Systems and Belief – they are for our own selfish purposes. Many Tamil Diaspora leaders who were elevated to high status through the express path largely due to Association rather than due to commitment to Independence and Self-Governance, tend to downgrade the importance of my work. But to me, I seek to be Good than be seen as Great. I am happy to contribute to a Common system for the sake of others including the UN and the younger generation and towards this I take my earned position as per my assessment which would inspire all others who believe in me. Once this Common Belief is developed – we feel the Universal connection and whatever we do on the basis of that belief would benefit ALL.
Post a Comment