Journey Down Memory Lane

தமிழ்த் தேசியம்

"To us all towns are one, all men our kin.
Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill
Man's pains and pains' relief are from within.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !."
- Tamil Poem in Purananuru, circa 500 B.C

The title of this series of articles is self evident of the writers idealism of a nation called tamiz Izam. I do not want that idealism of my generation and generations before and after to be lost with the present generation. It should not be lost by default nor by abdication.

Undoubtedly it is the present generation that can deliver and sustain the inevitable formation of the land and nation called tamiz Izam from afar and within the island. There is an absolute need and chances to meet this ideal and put it in place is in place. It is a matter of getting the international community to understand and appreciate the need. We have no direct control over events in Sri Lanka. Life has to go on and will go on.

However, a little prodding, a good word of encouragement to the right circles will enhance the chances of sustaining the de facto government of tamiz Izam. "Tamil stronghold of Jaffna" may be under siege or even captivity. Nevertheless, a de facto government is in place....

The Devananda narakattu muLLuk katy that the freedom fighters are forcibly keeping tamizar as pawns and human shields, is the fig of his imagination. Poor fellow he cannot even imagine big. He may by name be a pleasure to the angels but he is a devil to Tamils.

My father used to encourage people to move across elephant pass. He wanted the vanni areas to be developed. He did take a 10 acre bush in Kandawalai and spent thousands of dollars to develop the land for rain fed farming. Except for one year, the others were a total water starved disaster. This was perhaps why the thrifty and conservative Jaffna man was reluctant to uproot his meager otherwise secured life. Now it is another story. Every action of the Sinhalas viewed with an optimism lens lends to something good happening out of it. Again life is not all optimism.

Someone raised a question through the circle as to whether my journey down memory lane is memory or imagination? As is my nature I have answered him directly. However, without provoking any protracted correspondence, I wish to give below excerpts of my reply that may be of general interest:-

"Western medicine is beginning to realize that it is the self that can aggravate or assuage malady. I am a living example of not depending too much on western medication. Use of modern equipment and methods for surgery is a good reason for anybody to come to the west for higher studies. Please note that religion does not cure. Faith in religion does and more so the self confidence in oneself contributes more to curing illness. It also helps one rise to greater heights in this world.

I would appreciate if you read a little more about ancient Tamil ways. I am glad my circle647 article will give you some idea. tamizar not only knew how to protect they did protect the environment. Have you heard of Chena cultivation in Ceylon? It is the haphazard way of felling and burning the forest for cultivation. Once the fertility diminishes they move to a new area. It is this cultural deficiency that is compelling the Sinhala Buddhist to drive away or decimate tamizar.

Take over tamiz homeland to expand their outmoded economic base for their criminals.All in the name of united Sri Lanka and Sinhala Buddhism for forced colonization tamizar stuck to the land once cleared and this may have contributed to our having stuck in the North and East. Unlike modern expanding technology that has gravely destroyed the environment, and still has not found the formula for a life of contentment nor containment?

Please do not take my rejoinder as a reprimand. As the title indicates it is a journey backwards to go forward. It is in that spirit I am writing to you direct. I do not have to justify my thinking, action or writings to anybody. I am neither a scholar nor a cadet or recruit to the real world. I pride myself for my capacity to blend tradition with modernity harmoniously, a trait developed because, I remember such words by philosopher George Santayana, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," and the great tamiz works. ..

Nomadic hunter when the hunted disappeared had to resort to methods that could be reproduced. Wild animals had to be domesticated and thus cows, elephants, donkeys chicken, goats and a host of animals came to be domesticated for milk, meat, egg, pets, draft power, transport, as a tool of war, etc. This was not enough, man had to invent new and more productive ways. Farming was perhaps the first result of an industrial revolution of man. It is therefore, axiomatic, as Gandhi said, "If the food front cracks all other fronts crack."

The good thing that has come out of Sinhala Government folly is that our die hard rooted jAzppAnhattAn has been uprooted from his traditional araipparapu muthucam to a more expansive land from where his production of agricultural output will be many-fold. American farmer used modern machines and modern science and technology in his extensive farming methods. The Jaffna man was getting yields, on an yield per acre basis comparable to any in the world. His output in terms of total production was insignificant. His intensive farming and farming philosophy under an extensive farming practice will be a treat. Our Sinhala neighbors can depend on tamiz farmers to continue to feed them. This time on tamiz terms and not under a Sinhala obnoxious rule and demand.

Do not look into the past through the mirror of modernity. When we look into our past let us learn to see, when somebody talks of our past do not just listen, learn to hear, when you look into your future do not despair but hope. On hope with determination for action lies the salvation of tamizar, only in tamiz Izam