Ok, so Hindraf rallied thousands of people to the streets on Sunday. Many who marched had reasons of their own. Disillusionment and a sense of having been wronged and neglected fuelled many of those present.
The Hindraf trio of Uthayakumar, Waythamurthy and Ganapathi Rao were discharged by the court of any charges, for now at least.
There were a lot of allegations on how the policies of the government have resulted in the Indians being an oppressed, downtrodden bunch.
Now, Malaysian Indians, take a good hard look at yourself.
How far have we come as a community? True, the downtrodden are still that way, but not all of them. Many of them broke the poverty trap, by getting an education. Those who bothered, could see education as the means of breaking the chains.
My dad saw it. So he pushed his children. My sister became the first doctor to come out of that minority Indian community in my little hometown. I know how hard my parents tried to educate their kids. We are not rich today, but my father’s inclination for books and learning rubbed off on all of us. We read, and our mindsets changed.
I had an ex-colleague who just lost his dad a few days ago. He hailed from the estates, from a family of rubber tappers. He went to university, worked for a Malay language newspaper before moving to and English one, furthered his studies even more (was a Chevening scholar) and today he works in Jakarta. His family too, broke that poverty chain. (If you are reading this BP, my condolence on ur loss).
I’ve a friend who had to leave school and take take of four siblings and mother, when his passed away. Today, all three of his children are engineers and his nephews and nieces either graduated as engineers and accountants or are aces at school, with 4-flat CGPAs. He hailed from the estates, drawing less than minimum wage as tappers at one time.
And take that gutsy engineer chick S. Vanaja who became one of the three shortlisted ones for the Angkasawan bid. We all know who was chosen, but she made it that far didn’t she? Now she may have a future in aerospace, thanks to her current job with the National Space Agency.
I have stated my case on the issue of temples and stuff in the previous posts so I won’t go there again.
I have received some SMSes about people injured and people dead at the rally, in Ampang/KLCC, and without proof, I would like to say it is very irresponsible to make that allegation.
And this letter to Gordon Brown posted at Rocky’s, made me think, has Hindraf leaders’ antics set us back 50 years in the natural racial integration process that made me look at my fellow Chinese, Malay, Kadazan, Punjabi, Bidayuh Malaysians as brothers and sisters?
That letter makes a mockery of the efforts of people like Harris Ibrahim, Malik Imtiaz and Edmund Bon who walked on Sunday just to observe/assist people there.
It makes a mockery of Uncle Zorro, who walked in solidarity with downtrodden folks.
Some of the grievances Hindraf brought up was genuine, so it is a shame really that their outlandish talk and outrageous antics has slashed their credibility.
If Everything was Right, What is Left? 
I agree too. I felt I was misled when I saw that other letter addressed to Gordon Brown. I thought it was way too far and I didn’t like the racist overtones one bit. This will smear the rest of the other legitimate causes Sis!
Ini sudah lebeh… (:
Its funny how one looks at things.At one moment there seems to be a silver lining in the dark grey clouds,then the next,It turns ugly.
I did not attend the rally , i knew that its going to be ugly.
Anyway my tired legs will betray me when the time to run comes.
Rocky posted the petition about two days before the rally,some call it demo,some call it riot, whatever it is,all fair warning was given.
I believe the whole episode was a confusing one and as i said before, its not a well planned one though the intention was fair.
The cockup was with the photos of the queen and ghandi, the use of religion{hindu}
That trio should have used Tunku and the kings photo.Maybe the guys got carried away from the reality that its end of 2007 and not 1950s.
If the state of the poor irrespective of race was highlighted as the rallying point, the impact will surely be felt.
Emotions were aplenty but history shows that no battle/war was won on emotions. Maybe the stored fraustrations were let loose. But tis the time for restrain and well planned actions.
The guys failure was in not keeping to the issues at hand.
Demolishings of the temples issues are a very loongggggggggggg subjective one. If each indian donated $10 bucks {hehe} they could have bought the land and no body will have any contentions with that BUT again Local authority boys are pushing to been seen and heard, you know lah.The ultra way.
On that fateful day, my friends and me were on a marathon JUGS run for 36 hrs . But that doesnt mean i belittle the trio.
Till then, i’ll wait for the GE and ‘pangkah’ any party other than BN. Be it PAS,PKR or DAP, whatever as long as its not barisan rasuah.
Till then WTBF I’ll wait ,doing the things i normally do,no show of gnashing teeth or fists.
Just a pencil will do and an “X” ,simple lah peopleeeeeeeee
It is my sincere wish to see all opposition parties unite as one, And have a ONE ON ONE, let the orgies be to BN ,as what RPK suggested/advised. Then the reality of forming the next gov will come true.MY VOTE IS FOR THE OPPOSITION. ‘satyam’ .So shall the 437 votes of my team.
Do your thing people, let the powers that be, be, till election day,
I’m not a wordsmith so please forgive my simpleness.
Cheers and peace ! ! !
U mean you guys went on a protest march without actually finding out the whatfors? Sigh. The petition had been floating around 4 sometime… if you had only trawled around the pro-H blogs. That decided it for me, truly. Sigh
And no, Rajan. Rocky only blogged about this the day after.
I had reservations about this demo and made such comments on Kak Ton’s Tok Mommy blogsite and Hantu Laut as well. It was too soon after the 10 Eleven’s march to make an impact. Furthermore going alone as Hindus of Indian descent doesn’t figure well to represent the people at large.
Galadriel I salute you for your personal success and the presence of mind. You represent the Indian brothers that can make up a successful Malaysia
Nijaninja,
My regrets for having stated that rocky put it up two days before the event. I read it wrong. Sorry to rocky too. Nevertheless, the petition was “crudely and emotionally drafted. Yes, i know that feelings too but the petition should have been kept to the basic issues and to the point. Words should have been carefully “selected” so that THEY cant use it as a counter attack tool.
Now, that petition will be used to gain anti malaysian tamil sentiments which could be counter productive to the original aim. Moreover, it could isolate/ discourage wellwishes from supporting the plight of malaysian tamils.
The worst is yet to come.God forbid it. I pray aspiring PMs will not use the negative approch to gain mileage.
I dont read all the blogs but i read MT,go on to rockys and trawl some of the blogs listed therein. Thank you
Hey sayang , there is a saying in tamil , but in english it might lose its color 🙂
If you take a swine home ,bathe it,powder it ,and scent it , it will still waddle back and wallow in the mud filth puddle it came from.Go figure!
I believe ethnic Indians in Malaysia still enjoy more rights than Indian citizens who is living in their own country. India accounts for 40 per cent of the world’s poor and its fiscal deficit is one of the highest in the world. Almost half of Indian women are still illiterate; about 40 million primary school-age children are not in school.
Indian workers form the third largest foreign work force in Malaysia, with 140,000 of them seeking out a living there.
According to the Indian census of 2001, the total population was 1.028 billion. Hindus numbered 827 million or 80.5 %. About 25 per cent, or 24 million, of those Hindus belong to Scheduled Castes and Tribes. About 40 per cent, or 400 million, are “Other Backward Castes”. 15 per cent belonging to the three upper castes. Dominant group of Hindu nationalists come from the three upper castes who constitute about 10 per cent of the total Indian population but controle the civil service and economy. And thus the caste system virtually leaves lower caste Hindus to an oppressed minority.
About 20 per cent, or 200 million, are religious minorities. Muslims constitutes 138 million or 13.4 per cent, Christians 24 million or 2.3 per cent, Sikhs 19 million or 2 per cent, Buddhists 8 million or 0.8 per cent and Jains 4 million or 0.4 per cent. “Others” numbered 6.6 million or 0.6 per cent. Christians provided education at all levels to other religious groups without prosyletisation. According to Tahir Mahmoud, an Indian Muslim journalist, “The 2.3 per cent Christians in the Indian population cater to 20 per cent of all primary education in India, 10 per cent of all the literacy and community health care, 25 per cent of all existing care of destitutes and orphans, 30 per cent of all the handicapped, lepers and AIDS patients etc”.
1.38 billion.Muslims across India are severely under-represented in government employment, including PSUs. Ironically, West Bengal, a communist ruled state reported 0 (zero) percent of Muslims in higher positions in its PSUs. A Muslim child attends school for three years and four months, compared to the national average of four years. Less than two percent of the students at the elite Indian Institutes of Technology comprise of the Muslim community. ( Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee)
According to the National Human Rights Commission, as on 30th June 2004, there were 3,32,112 prisoners in Indian jails out of which 2,39,146 were under trial prisoners. That’s more than 70 per cent. India’s jails hold a disproportionate number of the country’s minority Muslims, a sign of discrimination and alienation from the Hindu majority.
Hindu upper caste men, who constitute just eight per cent of the total population of India, hold over 70 per cent of the key posts across newsrooms in the country. The so-called twice-born Hindu castes dominate 85 per cent key posts despite constituting just 16 per cent of the total population, while the intermediary castes a represent meagre three per cent.
The Hindu Other Backward Class groups, who are 34 per cent of the total population, have a share of just four per cent in the Indian newsrooms. Muslims, who constitute about 13 per cent of the population, control just 4 per cent top posts while Christians and Sikhs have a slightly better representation. But the worst scenario emerges in the case of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) : Based on CSDS study, 2006
India’s subordinate courts have a backlog of over 22 million cases while the 21 high courts and the Supreme Court have 3.5 million and 32,000 pending cases (2006) There were 13 judges for every million people. Merely 7.8% Muslim employees working in Judicial sector of 12 high-Muslim population states surveyed by Sachar Panel.
According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, India has the highest number of street children in the world. There are no exact numbers, but conservative estimates suggest that about 18 million children live and labor in the streets of India’s urban centers. Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta each have an estimated street-children population of over 100,000.
The level of child malnutrition in India is among the highest in the world, higher even than some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, says the report ‘Extent of Chronic Hunger and Malnutrition in India’ by the UN’s special rapporteur on the right to food (2006)
When it comes to Human Rights issues in India, it is not ratified the Convention against Torture, its citizens do not have the opportunity to find recourse in remedies that are available under international law. The victims are trapped with the local Hindu caste system, which in every aspect militates against their rights. Many victims conclude that a justice system accessible to the poor of the land does not exist at all.
RSS is the Hindu-supremacist organization that has fueled a rise in anti-Dalit, anti-Muslim, anti-Christian and anti-Sikh violence. . The former ruling party, the BJP is the political arm of the RSS and helped fascism to spread across civil, defence and educational steams of the society. The caste system and the fact that the government machinery is basically controlled by this Hindu-centric group means that violence against vicitims largely goes unpunished.
I believe HINDRAF and Uthay Kumar is closely associated with RSS, a Hindu Taliban who spoil India’s social fabric with fascist ideas. Let us not forget that, Malaysia’s ethnic Indians are mostly from Indian state of Tamil Nadu, an impoverished land lagging with illiteracy and feudalism. The poverty in Tamil Nadu, compelled them to move Sri Lanka, where they are now in war with their hosts, Sinhalese.
Do the ethnic Indians in Malaysia want to come back to India? I bet none of them want to come back to India. Instead of asking for more rights they should try to learn to respect their hosts, the Malaysian people. Only such an attitude will bring them prosperity. Let them not forget the poor and impoverished indian citizens living in their own country.
Well well well ! ! !
What do we have here ? ? ? Cyber troopers raiding the blogs.
At MT we have ‘prema’ and here were have ‘kavitha’. Nice ! Are you both for real ?
Your facts are too ‘detailed and very idealistic, well ‘arranged’ to give maximun damage to your mark. But Please try again.I am very sure that there is this unseen force, far greater than hindraf, working very hard to arouse discontent and hatred among malaysians to doubt the motives behind 25/11,portraying it as a self serving one.Your “facts” about hindu-muslim relationships are too naive.
Kavita dear, in my opinion, you too are a bit wet behind your ears !
Im sure you would have researched “very” well, a PHD level person would have ‘lost’ to you.
The language used in your post sounds familiar with people at ys2 who are used to this form of mumbo jumbo. I know it too well.
Are you the daughter of ‘prof’ at ys2 ? You are ,im sure !
So, could you please share with us the payment scheme and terms of service. I might be interested and so will others too making your ‘work’ much easier for you. ! ! ! A TS title is in waiting for HIM. Best regards and all the best,hope you get what you are looking for.
You would have spent sleepless nights arranging your composition,just like ‘uncle’ sam. Now please go rest your ‘lady macbeth ‘ mind.
Thank you dear
Rajan.. kavitha real identity just like yours is not the question.
If the numbers she gave are true they are true… don’t be afraid of the truth lah…
your heap shot at her just damaged your credibility
Mr.Rajan ,,, WE are the masters of our destiny … blame others not for our short commings .My brothers and I would be washing cars today besides the Panggong Wayang in Tapah if we didnt move our butt and get cracking for a better existance . If there is anyone to be blamed for Our Misery .. ITS OURSELFS .
Kavitha, whether she’s a person or otherwise, has some valid things in her comment (seems like whole article 🙂 to me) so I allowed it.
I’ve been targeted by these “cybertroopers” too which is why I started moderating my blog. But I can tell who are and who aren’t.
So chill…brothers.
Rajan, i’m kinda confused by your many cryptic sentences.
Jediraj, a question. So u got cracking for a better existence? So u hav a better existence?
Does that mean u can buy me a pint tonight? 🙂
I’m broke….i’m so broke I can’t pay attention….sigh…
Few bad apples spoiled the rest.Anybody who read the letter to Gordon Brown would have been annoyed and lost any sympathy they may have for HINDRAF and its cause. There may be many things wrong with the government but the allegations made in the letter were lies made to discredit and sabotage the Malaysian government.This act of treachery is most unacceptable and unbecoming of any citizen of this country.People will respect and support your cause, if your discontentment are based on truths.
It was not a genuine attempt to help the Indians in this country.It was a flight of fancy and an attempt at seeking personal glory.
For those who had not been to India, they wouldn’t know the extent of abject poverty of the lower caste and the downtrodden and the atrocious living conditions they are in.As a matter of fact, those from the lower rung of society, in the whole of the sub-continent, Pakistan and Bangladesh included, are mired in poverty, that most Malaysians would not imagine possible, because we don’t have abject poverty in this country.
I will not minch my words and many may not agree with me. Using the ISA is too kind and a waste of time, the top organisers of HINDRAF should be charged for treason and to be given a fair trail to defend themselves.
They are now taking their grievances to the world arena.If the rest of the world didn’t care what happened in Darfur and other areas of true ethnic cleansing and genocide, who the fuck they think would care about them.
Im sure everyone knows that the initial ‘cybertroopers’ were sent out to cause havoc among the blogs. THEY have changed tactics, They flow along with the blogs and cause uneasiness among the blogs and discredit them.
The first phase of 25/11 rally had nothing to do with what india is or were economically ,socially, culturally and politically.
The main issue was the insensitive and highhanded manner by which temples were demolished .
Then only, other issues were brought in as the days went by and the fever got high.
The problems faced by the malaysian indians would not be even mentioned in parliament if not for HINDRAFs 25/11, At least due to HINDRAF , there is some serious mention and attention given to the plight of malaysian indians now or is it just lip service ?
Samy velu would have given his usual lip service and bingo alls well. But now at least some serious attention is given.
Marginalisation – LKY said it well before 25/11.
Yes we know it is present but no one really bothered to talk about it loud and clear untill 25/11.
an example ! Blogger SS in his latest piece says that he being a malaysian indian catholic was marginalised by the marginalised, hehe ! but isnt he only thinking of the cathloics and not about protestants, anglicans ,pentecostals, and the various other denominations of christianity? Isnt the marginalised marginalised marginalising the marginalised. hehe !
SS was kind enough to explain why he walked the walk.
To SS , sorry but it was only an example of not being too detailed about what we say/hear sometimes and please do not take it to heart. A good CT would have put you in bad faith.
As for the cryptic sentences , i just did not want to be too direct as to name names but those in the know, know what i was talking about.
BTW the new breed of CTs are good, they dont use any of the race banging etc but are smooth as silk.They are there to change opinions. Good wordsmiths.Heard some were even imported.
Wishing everyone a merry christmas and a happy new year.
Let Me Tell You a Little Story
About MY country, that is feeling sorry
Me,a Malaysian Indian ,, Think i should Worry ?
Bout The recent price hike,,of Petrol and Curry
Hindraf says ,that Macha ! you dont worry …
We’re an Estate lot ,,,thats why we’re Blurry
Just because some of you guys went on to Study
Read law in England ,eating Pies with Berry
The Brits brought us here , in loads of lorry
We didnt swim here … they had to use the ferry
Didnt Grandpa in India say “Dei Thambi! all you kids hurry
Life in British Malaya …we’ll all have strawberry
Ananda Krishna … that indian is a different story
He made his Millions ,,, thats a Point in this glossary
But wait they say ,,, that Indian is Scarry
He from Sri Lanka lah ,, not from Pondicherry
To all my Brothers ,, who are now in Scurry
School your Kids well ,,, make it your point of Glory
And even if they take away your Aviary
No one can take THAT away ,,, what your kids have Study
Proud to be Malaysian ,,, this is my Story
Took that Oath and will never feel Sorry
Something is surely wrong ,,, for over half a Century
By our OWN kind we were sold ,,, and sent to the Butchery.
Yesterday I was driving back from KL, I attended a Tae Kwan Do meet at the Cheras Badminton Stadium. On the way back there was a Police roadblock somewhere before Tapah, actually it was a speed trap. I slowed down and stopped, the cop looked at my plate number then at my face and indicated to me to go to the side. I asked the cop who came to attend to me, why was I being pulled over. He instead questioned me where I was coming from, why was I in KL and so on and so forth, I was not booked for speeding. I just happened to be a Malaysian of Indian origin.
Dear Rajan,
If you think India is not part of the problem, then why you should have to fight to survive with your Indian identity in Malaysia? If Chinese Malyasians can overcome minority issues, why can’t for Indian Hindus? It proves that your problems cannot be solved without a social change within your own community.
I would like to you to visit this blog, http://www.indianmuslims.info/news/2007/dec/02/malaysian_indians_and_indian_muslims.html
which compares issues faced by Muslim minority in India and Hindu minority issue in Malaysia.
Major,
that is indeed disturbing, what u have undergone. This is racial profiling then, I must say. The aftermath of Hindraf…where every Indian in Malaysia is a potential threat to public order.
Bloody sad, considering the years u gave serving this country.
Agi Idup Agi Ngelaban lah Ranjer … should have just used our lingo and told the Cop off . Kasi dia mengelabah puyoh and tell him to Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo OFF !
The anti hindu, anti indian rant is growing louder and I’ve already seen posts calling for the killing of indians. I would suggest all Malaysian Indians should be on the lookout. Remember, if Malaysian Indians die or get hurt, due to racist attacks, it WILL NOT be reported in the mainstream media.
I have been noticing lately that the smear campaign by the government against Hindraf is working very well. They blame Hindraf for violence, which was in fact, initiated by the government and police themselves. They blame Hindraf of being racist, but no body in this country is more racist than UMNO, MCA and MIC. They blame that Indians are mislead…but they mislead the rest of the rakyat with their smear campaigns and cocked up stories in the so called mainstream newspapers. They even have the cheek to claim that Indians are NOT marginalized, and put on phony perplexed faces when faced with the Indian question. To top it all, 31 of the thousands of people who were made to squat like illegal immigrants, locked up that night in the Batu Caves compound, and sprayed with chemicals and tear gases, are now facing trumped up terrorism and attempted murder charges.
Some of you are sold.
I don’t think the question here is why poverty stricken Indians are not able to escape the vicious cycle. Some of the most important questions relevant to the demonstration are:
(1) EQUAL RIGHTS, which includes the right to higher education and the right to practice your religion freely. For every success story of an Indian, there are many many stories that contradicts. You are lucky if you get into a local Uni and into a course you wanted. There are many unsuccessful applicants, Chinese included, who are unsuccessful, even though they may be better than most of the Malays who got in. To put salt to the wound, you have the world class STPM exam compared against a local lecturer level’s Matriculation. The other issue is the increasing encroachment of Islam into the lives of non-Muslims, and the helplessness of the civil courts against the now more supreme decisions of the syariah court.
(2) Frustration at the corrupt MIC leaders. No need to say anymore on this coz everyone knows abt their empty promises and their disgusting UMNO’s-butt-licking attitude. Most of whatever paltry aid given by the government ends up in their pockets.
(3) RESPECT. Indians are dismissed as irrelevant (Umno AGM on Deepavali and KJ screaming why newspapers are not distributed on that day are just 2 of the latest examples). The needs of the poverty stricken Indians come last in the government agenda (9th Malay-sian plan). Not to mention some of the rakyat’s attitude towards an Indian man or woman…one sentence says it all; the dark color discomforts them.
The semantics in the petition do not matter to most of the 30000 people who rallied on Nov 25. What matters to them is to show the government that they cannot be taken for granted anymore. They demanded respect as human beings, and recognition as citizens of Malaysia.
I salute them for their guts.
Truth puppet,
I believe that what Gulam was saying snidely
in his blog,about hindu -muslim strife in india refers to northern india where most of the hindu fundamentalist reside. Now in south india and malaysia, there is no such thing as hindu muslim butchering.In fact, they are so secular that one would easily find members of a family professing the various faiths without a second thought.
If at all there is some violence , it is not because of religion but more so because of gangs fighting to control their “areas” which is misinterpreted as religious clashes.
The Tamil muslims insensitive slaughtering of cows in front of temples on a holy day was one such example when clashes occurred which was fanned by MLAs.
I think it is very naive to solve problems of religion by using statistics.
As for identity of malaysian indians, i believe that all of them would say they are malaysian indians. I am sure that a very large number of malaysian tamils will not know which part of india their ancestors came from and i am sure they dont know who their kins in india are. ALL they know is Malaysia so it is unfair to say that their loyalty is for india..I believe that there is’ ethnic cleansing” of the economic kind in malaysia.
I know not who you are BUT as a malaysian indian ,try applying for a permit to conduct your business in peace. Try approching the banks for business loans,Try dealing with the numerous government departments that holds the key to your business survival by way of their “APPROVAL”,Try applying to “bandaraya” to approve your renovation plans,Try BOMBA to approve your building for occupation, try jabatan peranchangan of BR, Try putting your foot forward and you’ll see how frustrating it is.
You have to “entertain” them all EVEN if all your submission is of the first order or you will have to wait for kingdom comes to commence business.
TIME LOST IS MONEY LOST.Money lost is CAPITAL BURNED
I agree, that once your business gains momentum and is a force to be reckoned with, things become easier because of the DUTIFULL ANGPOW and HAMPERS for every occasion. Their welfare bodies, sports club, lawatan sambil belajar , You got to take care of their “lonely nights” and “health SPAs bills and presents for their loved ones.You are even expected to “GRACE: their childrens birthday parties etc. NOT forgetting the maintenance of their cars or downpayment supported by regular payment of installment and also, dont forget the credit cards payments. You start this journey by way of an introduction fees to a friend of a friend of a friend till the time comes for you to deal direct. The friend of a friend of a friend will eventually be the guy who will be the center of attraction.
CORRUPTION ! How can you proof it? All dealings in CASH, no receipt lah ! No cheques please ! We are malaysians. pun not intented to persons not involved .
Ayiiiiiaaaaaaaa hati sakit lah.
IF YOU GOT TO LAY ! YOU GOT TO LAY, No two ways about it !
Sorry i digressed a tiny bit