| by Subramaniam Masilamany
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to,the Sri Lanka Guardian)
(September 12, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) To lead the Tamil struggle we need a George Marshall, a Winston Churchill, a Mahatma Gandhi, an Abraham Lincoln, a Benjamin Franklin, a Theodore Roosevelt, a Nelson Mandela, a Martin Luther King, all in one. What we need is Team Leadership.
There will never be a better time than this to achieve our freedom, the world opinion is on our side, morality is on our aside, free world is on our side but our so called leaders are not on our side. Sad indeed!
The biggest challenge we Tamils facing is lack of will of the leaders to unite and put forward a unified front of significant force and impact that is recognizable by the International community. The cause is we, Tamils are suffering from Pauling-Peterson syndrome, that is, are we winning against each other or are we winning against our common enemy? The enemy is fast convincing the world not because they are right but the leaders cannot unite.
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| There are lots of things happening about Sri Lanka in the international forum to benefit the participating countries at the expense of Tamils and in the name of Tamils. But I do not hear anything or read any where the TGTE is part of the process. |
Tamil people must keep a very close watch and vigil on the self proclaimed leaders and the so called leaders must be kept on close a watch and must be forced to come out in the open so that the community can cross examine them in a public forum. Tamil people must keep a constant vigil on any organization or leader so that they do not use the good will of the people to their own personal wealth and welfare, to their ignorance and ineptitude or to display inertia due to their ineffectiveness and inefficiencies. There is saying that either you lead, follow or get the hell out of the way. Most of them must get the hell out of our way. Democratic institutions do not work if people do not participate actively. Tamils must actively participate in the formation and maintenance of the government.
Before May 2009, Rudrakumar and Emmanuel were together on a common agenda with Prabaharan in the centre, now they are far apart, the mission did not change, then what changed them? During the 2009 genocide they were missing and now they are out in the open. Why now? Why for who? Rudrakumar and Emmanuel can be seen together in S.J.Emmanuel’s book titled Agonies and Aspiration of the Tamil struggle, page 103. Why are they divided now? Is it ignorance, ambition, greed, avarice, vanity, fame or all of them? What good is the endeavour if the out come is naught? There is no focus, there is no mission, and there is no enthusiasm, just emptiness and void.
It is unfair to merely target Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Alibaba and his forty thieves, we have our own weaklings to, it is the duty of us to separate the Oak from the forest, leaves and saw dust from the cow dung and tiger from the kittens. We have to put them in the blast furnace and check them out. To lead the Tamil struggle we need a George Marshall, a Winston Churchill, a Mahatma Gandhi, an Abraham Lincoln, a Benjamin Franklin, a Theodore Roosevelt, a Nelson Mandela, and a Martin Luther King, all in one. It is an uphill task, for every one step forward there will be two steps back wards. It is not for the faint hearted, it is not for Rudrakumar or Emmanuel. What we need is team leadership.
In our struggle for freedom why fight for a piece when you can have the whole pie. Leaders know what will happen in the future, losers just run with what is happening now. Leaders create the conditions while losers are victims of conditions. Now Tamil people can differentiate leaders from losers. To know the future one has to stand on firm moral commands, convictions, commitments and conscience. These are the bed rock of any leader. Tamils, check your leaders out. If we continue in this weak outlook, another debacle and genocide is unavoidable, all Tamil educated erudite and elders must get involved and raise their voice. Look for the tsunami not for the ripples. Water is rising and the tsunami is coming, Tamil leaders cannot configure it out. They are suffering from Pauling-Peterson syndrome, that is are we winning against each other or winning against our common enemy. Our leaders need counseling.
Among Tamils neither there is E=mc²: nor acceptable Leadership quotient among the leaders, simply said there is no force to make any impact. We are a ship without a captain, ship without a sail, ship without a rudder and ship without a compass.
Right or wrong since independence two leaders provided some form of semblance to the Tamil community that was struggling to create an identity for itself. The trouble with Tamils is that we have no formal knowledge and information about the attributes of a leader expressed as “Leadership Quotient” There are at least 13 attributes that are measurable and can be used to determine the leadership ability. The first and the most important attribute is effectiveness. That is the sine qua non of leadership that is the basic minimum. Do our leaders at least have this basic attribute? I will be surprised if most of us are unaware that there is a process of determining Leadership ability expressed as leadership quotient. People who are uncomfortable with my points of view about our leaders must subject their leaders to this test and see if they have the Leadership capacity. That is why in America leadership selection is such an arduous task and a lengthy process.
Since the temporary set back in 2009 and the genocide; Tamils are trying to re-organize into one united political force, we are able to find common ground to unite, the community is united and ready, but we have too many chiefs. We have too many chiefs but no Tamils to follow. Our so called leaders are not united. I wonder why, if we cannot unite at this stage when we are going to unite. Intelligent, educated, and wise Tamils are leaving the community in droves for there is no sense of community. There is no synergy and there is no energy as one friend said we have no math except division and subtraction, we have no addition, no multiplication, no exponential expansion and no comprehension. There is no E=mc². That is to achieve any threshold force one need the mass and the speed, we do not have it. The cause is about 5 leaders are dividing and misleading the community.
ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A FIFTH GRADER?
While discussing the plight of the Tamils worldwide several remarks were made and they all seem valid. Soon after the 2009 genocide, there was uncertainty among Tamils as to what future holds for them. But some of us felt the situation is now much better to fight for our freedom in a different and more palatable way. We were under the impression that Tamils worldwide will unite and become a political force unto ourselves, it did happen worldwide except among Tamil Diaspora. The Tamils is Sri Lankan are united, that is excellent. Tamils in South India, Malaysia, and Singapore are united, but among the Diaspora there seem to be power struggle, than call for unity. It looks as if fifth graders have taken over the community. They probably want to lead and guide the community but they don’t have the capability, they don’t have Time and Money. One minister for TGTE told me we cannot do this full time; we have our personal lives, family and professions. No one asked them to be the minister; but they wanted to be a minister. I am sure there is no perks or profits in being minister of an imaginary government, except the community at heart. Or am I wrong? We need selfless, community minded people to guide the community.
PART TIME TRANSNATIONAL GOVERNMENT OF TAMIL EELAM
I do not know if you folks noticed or not, the Prime Minister, the ministers and members of the parliament are part timers do a full time 24/7 job. Freedom movement is not an easy job, not a job for the faint chicken hearted. As Patrick Henry said, there is no space between freedom and death, either you are free or you are dead. Every man should be willing to die for freedom for that is very sprit of life. Two tiny dog puppies demonstrated what freedom is.; a friend of mine came to visit me with two little puppies in leash. I told him what will happen if you unleash them, he said nothing. So he let them loose, they were so happy for they have got their life back when they got their freedom back. A man gets his life back when he is free. When he gets his freedom back he wants to be as creative as possible. What we have in Sri Lanka is not slavery but savagery. There is no freedom, there is no death, and it is life at its worst. 20 Million Singhalese lived it and now they are infecting it to the Tamils.
Mahinda Rajapaksa et al wanted to divide the Diaspora and I do not know if that was the reason why we are divided. There are at least 5 divisions among the Diaspora and there is in fighting among them to the liking of Mahinda Rajapaksa. To Mahinda rajapaksa, the Diaspora is of no threat for they are all divided. I am sure Mahinda had discussions with all these groups that are working for the emancipation of the Tamil community. Rudrakumar the Prime minister of TGTE and S.J Emmanuel of the World Tamil forum has had discussion with the Mahinda Rajapaksa. These two are biggest threat to the Tamil community. Several educated and experienced elders in the community have confirmed this view. Mahinda rajapaksa has silently and quietly achieved something we Tamil are unaware, the Diaspora is not a malignant threat to Mahinda Rajapaksa. What Mahinda Rajapaksa needs is to get out of the vice grip of Tamil genocide and war crimes and if he can get the Diaspora Donkeys to join him, then he can show his middle finger to the International community. I am sure Rudrakumar and Emmanuel are aware of his plot and plan. Then why did they talk to him and why are they divided. When I try to explain this to the innocent among the Diaspora they seem to get upset. I have been called names.
I am particularly concerned about the Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE). It was fantastic idea to help each other trans-nationally like a multinational corporation. What TGTE needs is robust and charismatic leadership, the institution and the idea is fantastic but the people need to be polished up to International standards. Currently they find comfort in dealing with small and politically powerless organizations, what we need are people who are capable of effectively enter into dialogue with world leaders. I do not see them having that capability and capacity.
TGTE as they call themselves are not reaching out to the other groups and unite them. When asked Rudakumar about why they have not made that effort his answer was elusive, he said we are trying to be democratic and reach out to the grass root level. Basically what he is saying that we are not interested in the other groups. He lacks political skill. When answering questions he says I am thinking and that is my view, but he is not sure about his capacity to take an idea, market it and implement it, and make it a success. Compare him to Mahinda Rajapaksa, he did something unthinkable and stood by it. As A Tamil I hate and despise him but among Singhalese he is leader and hero. You cannot argue with success.
To deal with Melinda Rajapaksa you need guts, determination and perseverance. There is sign outside Rudrakumar’s office say, “Please do not disturb”.
There are lots of things happening about Sri Lanka in the international forum to benefit the participating countries at the expense of Tamils and in the name of Tamils. But I do not hear anything or read any where the TGTE is part of the process. I know the answer, they will say it is all done secretly behind the scene and screen and we cannot divulge the details. Any time I raise the spectre of TGTE there are couple of people raise their voice on behalf of the people at TGTE. TGTE is doing things without the consultation with the Tamils. Then why not we live under Rajapaksas? If you are living in a dungeon what do you care about who is at the entrance? But the speeches sound fantastic reminiscent of the 1960s; Lots of noise no substance.
THE WEST AND THE WORST
The International community is confused and uncertain about the ability of the Tamils to manage their own affairs if a separate state was given. They do not want to open a can of worms that cannot even wriggle. So they seem to favour a united Sri Lanka over a divided Sri Lanka. What have the Tamils got to offer the west in this bargain? They are not united, half of them are supporting the Palestinians, and some are anti west but live in the west. There is no common census, common sense or confluence in the community. We are strongly divided than weakly united. There is no chemistry. What the Tamil must understand is stop being patsies and pan handlers. We are pretty good with wealth creation but we do not have wise politicians, or do we have the leadership quotient? When G.G.Ponnambalam asked for 50/ 50, S.J.V.Chevanayagam asked for federal states. S.J.V Chevanayagam got elected not because he is right, but because he is weak, nice and frail. Why do we elect weak and the meek as our leaders?
The western support is slowly slipping away while our leaders do not have the courage to allow them to be evaluated for their leadership. We need our leaders to come out in the open and expose them so that people can get handle on the Leadership ability. Hiding behind radios and news papers are outdated mode of exposition. The current system is more equitable where the leader is judged for his voice, breathing pattern, body movement, eye contact, and choice of words, attire, and neatness, definitive and decisive statements. The moment a leader says I think, it is time to change channel to cooking or discovery channel. I will and I am, we will and we are the words people like to hear. There is subliminal message we exude that cannot be hidden. Now you know the reason why Rudrakuamar talk to people via radio instead of audio-video such as You tube, face book etc. Some people think I am causing chaos, that is exactly we need today, chaos to create order, a new world order for Tamils. Today what we need are diplomatic and political skill to convince the world of our character and capacity. We have to offer the world something in return. All we have been asking are our rights and our needs, but we have nothing to offer to the Singhalese or to the world. We are asking them to give our freedom, how can they when they don’t have it in the first place.
I am sure if we reach to the Singhalese and the world and say, what do we have to offer to you for you recognize us as a distinct community. In Canada the French wanted to separate, but rest of the country asked what do you need not to separate, they said we want to be recognized as a distinct community. Simple, it was granted and enshrined in the constitution and viola we have united prosperous Canada. We should reach out to the Singhalese and ask for it. Even if we divide we have live with them, we cannot physically separate the country into two nations, politically and economically yes.
But what need among us is community, I mean Unity. A community needs constant motivation, there is no destination, it is journey we undertake generation after generation. It is a never ending system not status quo; it is sine qua non of any culture and community. This is what we should have done 60 years ago and this is what we should do now. Until such time all our voices will be unheard. Freedom is process and we have to be at it, it is never ending duty of every Tamil. There will never be freedom without unity. So let us work to unite the community.
But we Tamils 70 million must Unite, Stay together, work hard and never ever give up, the best is yet to come and we are winning.
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