Tamil Sovereignty

| by Gajalakshmi Paramasivam

( May 23, 2012, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) It is Remembrance time for Tamils. We as a community felt helpless when over three hundred thousand Tamils began going through tragic experiences in May 2009. The loss and pain would weaken some and strengthen others. If the strong amongst us are able to balance our weakened brothers and sisters we are confirming that Tamils had attained nationhood and that what happened in Vanni was an attack and not a defence against alleged terrorism. One who has attained this independent status as a Tamil does not need others to confirm it.

I observe accusations being made by Tamils against the Sri Lankan Government as well as the International Community. I do see value in many of these accusations but the question that arises again and again is ‘where did I fail?’

These days I am more and more conscious that I was born with the ability to be free and independent and that realizing and maintaining this Independence in all aspects of my life is the whole purpose of my life.. A big part of this comes from my connection to my homeland. The environment in which we are born is our home environment. Home is where we feel natural and free. I was born in Jaffna and my sister was born in Colombo. All three children of mine were born in Colombo. All our grandchildren were born in Sydney, Australia. Hence taken as a whole, Sri Lanka and Australia are our homelands. Just as an individual, Jaffna has special powers over me and I over Jaffna. Even at the time of my birth, my family had close connections with Kilinochchi/Vanni – not only through Farming but also through Saint Yoga Swami who added natural strength to Killinochchi through his life there. I do believe that those who truly feel connected to Kilinochchi have the above mentioned power to balance and/or cure the weakened brothers and sisters of Vanni. These are Natural Powers that are shared through our feelings. I believe that this is the power I share with the war victims.

I believe I have strong powers of Independence accumulated from early stages of my life. I felt I was able to help the refugees in the camps of Chettikulam just by being Natural with them. Had I ‘handed out’ money and / or other visible ‘aid’ beyond my assessment of their need, it would have confirmed to me that I was desirous of credit for being with them. This would certainly have confirmed to me my lack of Independence.

Likewise, if the UN or other agencies, had handed out more relief than was needed by the prisoners of war and/or refugees, that would have diluted their powers to be independent. Most of us cannot control or directly influence what happens to us on the outside during war. But all of us have the ability to remain independent and free in our minds – by remaining in our Truth – including in prison.

I do not see much effort from the Tamil side to repair the damaged opportunities to realize independence as a Community. We have the right to defend any attacks on our earned sovereignty. By the same token we have the responsibility to protect others over whom we have power, from any attacks from our side on their earned sovereignty. We do not have the right to attack someone else’s opportunities towards Independence and this includes official structures that confirm such independence. Rights equal Responsibilities in a Sovereign State.

The more we blame others for our woes – the more we confirm our lack of Independence. In democracy we get even – not through revenge but by producing outcomes that confirm our reinforcement of our ability to remain sovereign, including by repairing the damage to the external structures that symbolize our Independence. In autocracy – we reward and punish from a higher level to respectively promote the positives and remove the negatives so we become One. Where there is no common faith – we do not have this moral authority to reward or punish.

Blaming from a distance is punishing. To that extent we need to have demonstrated credits in that activity more than the attacker – in this instance the Sri Lankan Government. Influencing other governments to use their subjective powers by submitting our status from a lower position, takes value away from our powers of Independence. As Gandhi said - that would be like handing over power from the British to the English-Indian leaders. Once we submit – we surrender our right to produce outcomes independently.

So long as we think that the answers are from the ‘outside’ – we would not feel the urge to look within. As a Tamil looking within – I believe that we are self-sufficient – independent including of the UN. We just need to go about our Democratic way and defend any attacks on our opportunities - through our own structured path.