| by Gajalakshmi Paramasivam
( April 10, 2013, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) I write in response to the Sri Lanka Guardian article ‘Is Post-War Sri Lanka truly Multicultural? ’ by Ms Kamaya Jayatissa
Yes and no. The answers depend on how we define Sri Lanka. Since I say I am Sri Lanka – I would say that Sri Lanka is as multicultural as I. To those who claim Tamil Eelam – also Sri Lanka is multicultural but only at body level. This question could also be asked in a different form as follows: ‘Is Sri Lanka truly Democratic?’ The response would be quicker in this instance – NO. This is because those with the status to issue the certificates of democracy have already classified Sri Lanka as a failure in this regard. Rights and Wrongs through Common Principles were used to certify Sri Lanka as being undemocratic – which holds true in the case of majority Sri Lankans – including Tamils and Muslims.
Hasty Democracy would lead to wastage. In a recent paper by Professor Laksiri Fernando, Professor Fernando quotes Author G.C. Mendis as follows “But the chief reason for the present conflict seems to be that the various sections of the Middle Class soon realized that the spoils won from them [colonial masters] were insufficient to satisfy all groups. The number of places in the Legislative Council and the local bodies were limited and the posts in the Government and other services were insufficient to meet their growing needs. The result was that they began to struggle among themselves and sought the aid of their respective communities to attain their ends.”
When viewed in common – this has been the reality of families that failed to value their elders. Valuing elders above contemporaries is like valuing land above cash. If the Sinhalese who had majority power had valued their Colonial elders they would now be not struggling to maintain the international status that Ceylon enjoyed. Acceptance of welfare monies from outsiders has led to improved economic ratings but not real and lasting progress through democracy. Recently, I highlighted this (Appendix) in relation to a Vattukottai family wedding which took place in Sydney, where cousins played the role of parents of the bridegroom despite the paternal uncle as well as maternal uncle being present. If the talk is about ‘culture’ these folks would take control of the topic and talk as if they are the leaders. This is a real and sad internal damage due to the actions of the LTTE. If the elders do not take their place as per our traditions – then they must ensure that they are transparent about it – so the young ones do not hijack the status in the name of culture. In Public life we need the strength to at least ‘show’ that we are carrying forward our traditional values – such as Thesawalamai in the case of the folks of Northern Sri Lanka. Our individual likes and dislikes and even rights and wrongs at individual level – need to be overridden by the rights and responsibilities of the positions that make up our traditional structures. There are serious structural damages to our Tamil traditions and yet we show outsiders pretty cultures under the guise of multiculturalism. Sinhalese at least get pulled by through their government – by global governments. Tamils do not have even that. Hence we are left to internal goodwill of a few.
Ms Kamaya Jayatissa states ‘Unfortunately, as it has often been the case, we tend to forget that this Rainbow Nation of ours is way more than just a few communities living side by side. Too frequently do we tend to forget that, as a nation, we need to cultivate not only our commonalities but also our differences in order to foster respect, develop mutual understanding and mostly create a platform for open dialogue between our people so that no individual or community feels marginalized to the point of being considered as strangers in their own soil’
It took Tamils centuries to develop Thesawalamai and we continue to use the laws of Thesawalamai officially and socially – the latter being more loosely carried forward. When we seek to follow in the path of Democracy – we need to ensure that we carry the essence of those Hierarchical values but give them democratic form. If the system of democracy is dumped on Sri Lanka – we would have access to easy money and status which would be lost to us once the dumpers have had their benefits from Sri Lanka. Only money and status that have been truly earned would have lasting values. Over time – benefits become investments and investments become ownership powers / energies / Shakthi. Money without true work and/or sacrifice would go away as easily as it came. It is dead money. Likewise status – which comes by migrating to richer countries – under false pretenses. The message from Above – listed in the Appendix is a clear example of migrants – who may have satisfied the laws of Australia – to become citizens but not the laws of karma which relies more heavily on investments that were used by Sponsors to sponsor these migrants than the current earnings and status in the new countries.. When we sponsors are therefore disrespected – the value underpinning such migration is damaged. This is what happens with hasty allocation of monies to make us ‘look’ equal. The parallel of this is the migration of those of majority race in Sri Lanka from rural areas to urban areas which are more visible to the government and the outside world. Likewise in Vanni. These internal as well as external migrants – tend to act without the consciousness of common principles and values of the new environment and hence exercise majority force using their memories of their status in their rural areas which become heavy baggage in their new areas due to them being disconnected to their ‘roots’.
When Commonalities are greater than differences – we become each other’s opposition. Where the differences are greater than the Commonalities – we become each other’s enemies if we continued to not have separations. Devolution of Powers in Sri Lanka is only an official term for this Separation. Like the Judiciary – every ethnicity that develops independence through its own faith – needs to be respected as an Equal. Likewise every self governing individual.
Appendix
Spririt of Nallathamby Subramaniam of Vattukottai Speaking in Condemnation of his eldest grandchild
This is a letter from the Spiritual world to our Hindu Tamil Society of Vattukottai to repair the damage caused by Mr. & Mrs. Senthilnathan who have strayed away from the traditions that I painfully developed and invested in on the basis of my heritage from my own ancestors.
I write this after painfully observing that despite the many heirs for whose wellbeing my wife and I left behind a rich heritage of good conduct and high social status, Mr. & Mrs. Senthilnathan have – LTTE style – elevated themselves to the positions of Government of the younger generation of the Subramaniam family. I tap on my forehead and say ‘karmam; karmam’
Venu is the son of the second of my sons - Tharmalingam. The last of my sons is Paramasivam who placed himself and through himself me – in Venu through Venu’s father. Venu got married this week – in Sydney – which became home first to my son Paramasivam. By sponsoring and enabling the other members of my family – starting with my eldest grandson / grandchild Senthilnathan, to settle down in Australia, when he Paramasivam was himself in hospital after being very seriously injured in an accident whilst crossing the road with his daughter Gayathri, Paramasivam confirmed the level of his share placed in the common family – to honor me. They did not receive that value and treasure it but I have received Paramasivam’s values and merged them with mine. That is the best Thivasham he could do for me.
Tharmalingam did very little to take my place with Paramasivam when Paramasivam was in need of help after the above mentioned injury. My daughter in law Gajalakshmi cared for my son as mother and father at that time and did all the work to get the approval of the authorities to successfully sponsor and show wider society that my family was there for my son during his time of need. This was followed by sponsorship of many other members of my family – including Saraswathy who even after marriage with a healthy dowry out of my hard work and sacrifice – kept depending on my sons – thus confirming that she was a dependent on my sons even after she got married. My wife did not do that. Then there is my other daughter Sakthidevy who also got our family home as dowry and despite that kept relying on my sons for her living and ended up asking my youngest son Paramasivam to sponsor her son Sritharan to Australia – out of Paramasivam’s earnings. This Sakthidevy refused even to cook for my son Yoganathan who had to pay and get his meals from outside in Vattukottai. . Yoganathan who had much discipline – even though he was younger than Venu’s father Tharmalingam and Senthilnathan’s father Paramanathan – took charge as if he was my eldest son and settled claims by my brother in law Mr. Vaithiyanathan of Malaysia – that I had owed him money. Yoganathan settled the claim and stopped all contacts with Vaithiyanathan thereafter – as if the settlement was made in protest and not because Yoganathan actually believed that the money was owed. During all this – my sons in law Sabanathan and Mahadevan kept their distance. That was fine – so long as they did not claim that my sons owed their sons. Both my these fellows behaved as if I had responsibility for their children – despite receiving dowry from my earnings. Now they are coming after Yoganathan’s earnings also! Shameless fellows who bring disgrace to their fathers. Yoganathan funded also the rest of the University education of Paramasivam and thus took my place in the family. Once Paramasivam started contributing to the common leadership they shared my position in common.
Despite all that – this chap Senthilnathan and his wife have taken it upon themselves to give Venu away in marriage!!!!! Easy come easy used. If he stopped to pay his respects for my son Paramasivam’s work – to go to University while he Senthilnathan at that parallel stage roamed around in Vattukottai – then sacrificed opportunities to earn money by coming to Australia as a student – and living frugally as a student – he would have been a healthy medium through which the conduct that goes with higher education is carried forward by his children. Otherwise their higher education is merely for a living.
My son Paramasivam was honored by the Navaratnam family of Araly – whose daughter has graced our family not only through her resources but also through whom my son Paramasivam was given the honor of giving away Shivasakthivel Navaratnam – the great grandson of Dharma Udayar of Araly. Senthilnathan hijacked the duly earned place of my sons through quick actions which were possible because Venu’s father did not take his due responsibilities as my son – and this – despite inheriting property in Vattukottai and also money from my son Paramasivam to build a house in the land inherited from me by Tharmalingam.
Present at Venu’s wedding were also Palamuthusingham who failed to respect Paramasivam as a fellow member of the engineering profession – but rather sought to be Senthilnathan’s buddy. Birds of a feather they are. But another fellow member of the profession did honor my son Paramasivam and asked this stooge Senthilnathan who shows the weaknesses of the LTTE – as to why my son was not present there? This fellow member was present and witnessed when my son Paramasivam gave his son Pradeep away in marriage at Wollongong/ Helensburgh Vishnu Temple. Senthilnathan showed the community at that time – that he was a close member of the Paramasivam family. Both sons Pradeep and Venu respectively were given away in marriage to society. That is the meaning of this part of the ceremony – as per our traditions. Accordingly – in marriage – Venu’s father is Senthilnathan and Venu’s mother is Mrs Inpa Senthilnathan. Venu’s mother herself is the sister of my son in law Sabanathan. It is well known in Sydney that Mr & Mrs Sabanathan and their second daughter Nalina place themselves in front of other devotees at the Sydney Murugan temple – without following Due Process as set by the temple authorities –especially so during festival times when there is a crowd to whom they seem to think such actions would show that they are important! Obviously there is not enough goodwill between these two families – the Tharmalingams and the Sabanathans – despite the closer apparent bondage through both parents. This is what happens when a true son of mine was not valued by them but was used for their benefits – and then forgotten. They obviously do not know the value of family in a person. Hence now in Sydney Tamil community – Senthilnathan is above Mr. & Mrs. Sabanathan in status and in the Colombo and Vattukottai Tamil Community - above Mr. & Mrs. Tharmalingam in status.
My family – the Subramaniam family continues through my son Paramasivam who has shown respect for me publicly and who continuously thanks me for my contribution to his higher education – without which he would not have had the opportunity to groom a healthy educated family with Gajalakshmi’s partnership. They are now being called by the folks of Thunaivi-Sangarathai in Vattukottai District – as Ammah & Aiyah / Appah and even our distant relation Moorthi – seen as a friend of that fellow Mahadevan, expressed appreciation to them for the help rendered to his family. I am happy that Paramasivam took Senthilnathan away from Sri Lanka and therefore Vattukottai and likewise Saraswathy and her family as well as Sakthidevy’s only heir – Sritharan who follows in the footsteps of his father and Periappah Sabanathan – and has gone with the wife’s side – instead of upholding his father’s work – however low that may be in status. If Sritharan had followed the leadership at least on his mother’s side – and been grateful to my son Paramasivam – and shown respect to Paramasivam as a guru - he would have saved himself the disgrace of submitting to petticoat government.
My blessings continue to be with my son Paramasivam through whom the value of my life’s work gets carried forward. Others who have lost track of my value – are faceless part of society.
Spirit of Nallathamby Subramaniam of Vattukottai
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