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Journey Down Memory Lane To Reach 'tamiz Izam'
R.Shanmugalingam

Chapter 22

"anpilum ujarNta matamilly, unhmyjilum mElAna camajamilly."- No Religion is higher than Love, nor a Religious sect superior to Truth..- God, Religion, Religious sects, are all products from the fertile minds of man. Man also created money as a tool, but his own creations are playing havoc with him. Religious sects the succor for one of man’s faith lost their objectives in the passage of time.

Religion regarded Love and Truth as its pair of eyes to bring some semblance of order in man’s life. We know that as time passed scoundrels, in the name of God and Religion caused divisions and differences. They introduced barriers of castes between God and man. Religious walls were built, moats were dug. Religion created for an orderly life itself was disorderly. Some say, Thiruvalluvar, Thirumoolar are the products of such a period. Paddinathar, Sivavakkiyar and other Sittars were the reflections of a later period, of these great masters.

It is suspected within this Sittar community, spurious Sittars infiltrated and gave a bad name to the Sittar philosophy. It is not hard to know as to who those plants were and who planted them. It is therefore not surprising that even at this very minute the Sinhalas are planting ’tamiz’ traitors among us. People like Devananda have the gall to ask to join the TEFF. (Tamil Eelam Freedom Fighters.) I quote below from the Fall issue of Tamil Voice: Douglas Devananda Condemns Sri Lanka Government.

Douglas Devananda MP, who is currently visiting the US as part of a Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation, has called several Tamil expatriates all over the US.

Those who received these calls told the Tamil Voice that, he asked for their help for him to join with the LTTE, to fight for a just solution to the Tamil national question. He had told them that he condemned Chandrika’s devolution package, and had even boycotted the parliament for 10 days. Just a short while ago, he said, he did not vote with the government on the emergency regulations. His family had told him that the recent attempt on his life was a retaliation by the Sri Lankan army for this opposing vote.

Most of those who received these calls, however, were highly skeptical and refused to meet with him.

Some including the President of the Sangam, had pointed out his past deeds against the Tamil people. He has worked closely with the Sri Lankan army, both during the Premadasa regime as well as the current Chandrika regime, with his cadres fighting the Tamils alongside the Sri Lankan forces. His cadres have acted as informers. His organization has produced detailed maps of the peninsula for the army. As interrogators they have engaged in abduction, ransom, torture and murder of ordinary Tamil civilians.

One of the Tamil expatriates visited him at the hotel he was staying in New York city and he described it as a bizarre experience. At first, he said, he was accosted in the hotel lobby by armed Sri Lankan body guards (some of them Sinhalese, who looked like thugs dressed in suits) who insisted on doing a body search, which he flatly refused. Douglas himself had then come down and accompanied him to his posh hotel room, where they had a long conversation. He was shown a memorandum, where he had condemned the Sinhala government actions. He had said he was opposed to Chandrika’s devolution package as it was inadequate and asked for help to contact the LTTE.

Finally someone in Massachusetts and another in California contacted Mr. Lawrence Thilakar in Paris asking a meeting with Douglas Devananda. Their solicitations were however, politely, refused by Mr. Thilakar.

It is imperative that we keep our eyes, ears and our ability to judge situations sharp. As the saying in ‘tamiz’ ‘kanhnhukku enhnhy Uttikkonhdu irukka vEnhdum’ when such scoundrels try to infiltrate. They will adopt all known tricks to man. They get coached by experts in these arts of deceit and mayhem.

Sittars have volumes of songs in simple, familiar, pretty ‘tamiz’. They have not failed to emphasize that, Religion, Sects, God are all in the minds of man, and have been very vocal about it.

• "Odi Odi Odi Odi udkalaNta cOtijy
• Nadi Nadi Nadi Nadi NaLkaLum kaziNtupOj
• vAdi vAdi vAdi vAdi mAnhdu pOna mANtarkaL
• kOdi kOdi kOdi kOdi enhnhiRyNta kOdijE." (‘civa vAkkijac cittar.’)

• Chasing the light within man
• seeking for ever days wasted
• wilting and withering the man
• countless digits in numbers dead. (Shan ‘pittar’)

• "tejvamelAm vinh nhAdip pOkum pOkum
• tImyjelAm manh nhakattin teruk kUttAkum
• ujjumunhmy uLLattunhmy Odip pOkum
• ulakavunhmy vigngnAnam kUdi vEkum
• yjamilly jenavakangkA raNtAn tuLLum
• yjyjO akilamelAm kaLLam kaLLam
• tujja NeRi kAddiNinRAr cittar cittar
• tUlaNeRi kAddukinRa rettar rettar." (‘kAryc cittar.’)

• Gods will reach for the heavens.
• Evil will be the street dance of heathens.
• Lasting truth inner truth will disappear.
• worldly truth science will burn togeather.
• Arrogance will jump about defying doubt.
• Oh pity! world full of cunning and deceit.
• Sittars exemplified lasting doctrine.
• Cheats show fleeting doctrine. (Shan ‘pittar’)

I reiterate that I do not claim to chronicle anything. I have never maintained a diary. My thoughts run riot and as I have practiced a little ‘kavadi Addam,’ and controlled trained but aggressive race bulls, I check myself. Yet if I see anything in front of me that challenges me, I tend to loosen the rein.

It is nothing new when I say human nature is to be wanted and appreciated for their actions-good or bad. Evil continues because there are fans to call for encores. In certain quarters Al Capone was a famous hero. Gandi was a villain. When somebody points any error in details from my writings, I am happy that they read my writings. I had the following e mail from a circle member, and I am appending to correct the error I made and thank him for his serious interest .

"Hi, In your writing related to "vELvi", you mention about "kavanavathai amman" repeatedly. If you are refering to the temple at(near) Keerimalai/Ilavalai/Karukampanai (kavuNavathai is in the middle), then it is not correct. The temple is a "vyravar temple" and the village is "kavuNavaththai". It was the last temple to practise animal sacrifice defying the legal bans. regards,"

I am only scratching the surface in the hope that somebody will take it to heart to delve into our various past glories. The Late Mr.C. Rajasingam in his book ‘The Cultural Contribution of The Tamils’ had propounded theories and in some cases has quoted authority about several aspects of our culture. I am sure the book will stimulate fresh thinking and research into the manifold aspects of ‘tamiz’ life and culture.

Next something about immediate past memories.

continued

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