‘The War – Is it Hereditary or Acquired? – Muthusom or Thediya Thettam? (Tamil)’

by Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam

(July 11, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) I write in response to the article ‘The Objectivity of Truth’ by Mr. Unto Tahtinen, published in the Sri Lanka Guardian.

The author says ‘My problem was - and is still - what is "Truth".’ As happens to me these days, I immediately identified with my own inner search. I did not go in search of Truth. I usually did question in my own mind, wanting to know a logical connection, if something did not make sense to me. When I was hurt and did not have an answer why? I usually turned to my faith in God. I accepted that there was a God, due to my family, starting with my parents. Now I believe that Truth is another name for God. When I feel like a quick answer (objectivity) I speak to God. When I am not looking for an answer I just keep going inside myself – just to be with what happened. I often found comfort and peace in that inner journey. I believe all those who are genuinely hurting would find comfort and peace through an inner journey. That I believe is Divine Power that we all come with.

To me that inner experience is Truth. When we do not ‘see’ or know outcomes – we just have the experience. That is true comfort by transcending the ever changing physical / objective outcomes. I feel that my way of accepting difficulties and then seeking within is the way of the poor – poor in money and status in their respective environments.

The author states ‘Gandhi answered to the question, what is Truth, by saying that "it is what the voice within tells you".’ To me, that voice itself may be already there in relation to that issue and therefore the search would tend to be more internal. Where there is no voice inside in relation to that issue we tend to bring from the outside and then start seeking. What we bring from the outside needs to be self-balancing for it to become our inner voice. As they say in Tamil – ‘There is a Solution for every Problem’.

As per my observations, those who are economically and socially well off , tend to consciously seek Truth through objectively measurable outcomes. Consciously seeking Truth seems to have an external beginning and hence duality and hence objectivity with its two sides.

When our start is from the outside – i.e. – there is zero ‘Inner Voice’ – we need to make sure that we keep balancing the two sides in our minds. Recently, I wrote in this regard – using the Sri Lankan Presidential elections - ‘The other alternative is to collect and study facts – such as the 2010 presidential election results that make a complete picture. According to published results, Mr. Rajapakse’s votes were 58%. If all other candidates grouped together Mr. Rajapakse’s side gets 59%. That is the closest to us getting to a complete picture. We are therefore not yet believers in or users of democracy.

Taken on the basis of the ethnic war – votes for Mr. Fonseka who promised and is likely to have kept his promise of - devolution of power to maintain Peace with Tamils are taken to be votes against Mr. Rajapakse in the Tamil issue. Whether Mr. Fonseka really believed in the stated rights of Tamils as Equal citizens is not relevant here. It is like in any relationship – including marriage’

In the above example it is important to bring into us the two sides at Equal level of popularity (votes) and towards this we must add our apparent status in a forum to Mr. Fonseka to balance and bring the position of President of Sri Lanka into ourselves. Likewise to Mr. Fonseka’s side to bring about a picture of Equality in relation to the racial problem. Then when Mr. Rajapakse says something, Mr. Fonseka from within will respond to that from the ‘other side’ – the side he is able to ‘see’. Towards this we must not ‘see’ and therefore ‘think’ from Mr. Rajapakse’s side. Mr. Fonseka also needs to be driven by that position of apparent Equality and not dwell on his personal beliefs. Such commitment to position is important if majority are to participate by giving form to racial equality. Many Tamils took the side of the LTTE even though they were against armed struggle, for this reason. That comes from the investment of Tamils in positions above immediate benefits – in higher education early employment after high school. Investment in University education meant investment in this hierarchical system of belief. Tamil investment in the University system has been high over many generations. This promoted also the inner search through belief in preference to producing objectively measurable outcomes. In the vertical system of management leaders thought for others below them. They were required to. Only the results of the leader were published. This works well when someone already has that inner voice.

I relate to this more and more through the Customary Laws of Tamils – Thesawalamai which distinguishes clearly between inherited wealth and acquired wealth. Traditional owners and Migrants. The sharing of these are different. The latter as in democracy is equal at the money level. The former is shared – by pooling the status as well as money and then dividing equally and distributing the money to keep that balance within a family and yet in society - taking the family status through sons/surnames. That inheritance is the parallel of that ‘inner voice’. It’s the ‘relevant experience’ that employers require from applicants for a job. Often these days certificates of qualifications and ‘external knowledge’ through consumption of published information on the subject drive selection – especially in large institutions. Such institutions would tend to be riddled with problems more than opportunities to seek and find Truth/Peace and Love/Happiness. If they follow the principles of Equality – they would convert the vertical growth through status to lateral spread through money.

In terms of Diseases – we tend to accept hereditary diseases (inner voice) more quickly than others. External treatment to hereditary diseases would be minimal if we accept from early age that the disease is a part of us and eat and exercise to minimize its effects. Likewise problems in families, institutions and countries. To most in my parents and my generation – the Sri Lankan war is an acquired problem. To most in the younger generation it is hereditary disease. The two cannot be treated through same level of medication.