Sinhalese or Sri Lankan?

by Gaja Lakshmi Paramasivam

(August 17, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) Under the vertical hierarchical system, status was part of the benefits for showing respect. The switch to democracy and flatter systems has deteriorated the value of ‘status’ and replaced it with money. Status is less tangible and therefore more difficult to define. It is relative – usually to a status we have allocated to ourselves.

This status that we allocate to ourselves may or may not be on common merit basis. It does not matter if it is not on merit basis where we are bound by belief. It matters very much if we are not bound by belief. If the pain of the other is not felt by us without the pain being ‘proven’ – then we are not bound by belief.

At a recent discussion on the issue of Boat Refugees from Sri Lanka – a Sinhalese lady said that to her – all migrants from Sri Lanka were coming for economic purposes. According to a recent opinion poll, Australian Public want the Boat Refugees processed onshore. This indicates apparent ownership of the issue. At least to that extent there is belief in the ‘cause’. Similarly, under the hierarchical system – there is belief to the extent respect is ‘shown’ naturally and without conscious expectations of benefits. To that extent one does not have to ‘use’ or show the use of merit basis.

As an Australian, the above Sinhalese lady needed to confirm her allegiance to the Refugee Convention that Australia was committed to through its investment in UN values. Unless that lady had worked at the UN standards and/or related to the issue through UN standards, the lady was using her personal thinking or the thinking of the local group that she naturally belongs to and/or is dependent on for her status. This could be the group that is occupying – rightly or wrongly – the Sri Lankan Government positions which the lady and/ or her children hope to one day step into. To the extent of the lady’s ‘show’ of respect – the lady is entitled to ‘show’ her hopes but only to the positions that Sinhalese are entitled to. They are positions driven by majority votes – and not by status earned through merit.

Hierarchical status, when flattened – becomes majority vote. The height at which we stop using merit and seek majority approval is the maximum height of our world. This may be our family, race based community, country or profession. It is to prevent premature claim of leadership that we need to seek and find a higher person beyond our biological connections - to whom we attribute credit for our own status beyond our immediate circles. We then start developing into that person/position. The other person / position may not genuinely be the person/position we think s/he is. But to the extent we believe – we become that person or position. To the extent we work genuinely and do not receive/take benefits as per our common measure – we believe. Our common measure is the measure that we use to assess our cost in doing the work. Benefits must be calculated on the same basis – as if our ‘other’ half has already done the work we are doing and has collected the money and status benefits for which we are now doing the work . Then we are wholesome and independent.

Many migrants who fail to complete their relationships close to their biological circles, tend to relate to themselves through those back in their countries of origin. That motivates them. So long as this is expressed in those circles – strictly within the boundaries of those circles – this helps motivate others seeking to follow these leaders. But beyond that it is an abuse of power/opportunity.

I asked this above Sinhalese lady whether she had experienced racial discrimination here in Australia and she said ‘no’. Hence to a question whether there is racial discrimination here in Australia – this lady is likely to say ‘no’. If that is the right answer – then we need to repeal our Racial Discrimination Legislations. So long as we have them and we have not had specific experience at National level to prove otherwise – we have the responsibility as migrants to take the position that there is racial discrimination in Australia. In Sri Lanka, there is no law but the verdict of the Global Community states that there is racial discrimination in Sri Lanka. If there had been a law and it had been actively used – the war is likely to have been prevented. Laws that are genuinely used – help us prevent exposure beyond our boundaries. Once a problem or opportunity comes outside its natural boundaries – local belief is not enough to manage it, leave alone control it. Now every Sri Lankan has the responsibility to start off on that basis – ‘yes there is racial discrimination in Sri Lanka’. Otherwise we are failing Sri Lanka and drawing from Sri Lanka to benefit our own personal status and those who are seen to be part of our circle.

Had we genuinely converted to Democracy and treated each other as Equals – where we do not have a merit based status – we would have been economically progressive – treating the one who pays or receives as our ‘other’ half as the case may be. When we are not able to do this, we need to stay away from those with whom we do not feel common belief.

Hierarchical Administrative structures helped develop status. This is most apparent in armed forces. When we are driven by money – we naturally stagnate at the Equal level – and hence get separated once the transaction/project is over. Wins and Defeats taken at the physical level is the parallel of money. The more we focus on wins – the more we develop the Guna/Trait of separation.