THE DAY THAT THE GLOVES CAME OFF FOR UMNO (Remembering HINDRAF Lawyers ISA arrest)

The 4 Hindraf lawyers were arrested on that fateful day.

On that day, the main protagonist among the power elite, UMNO now began a phase of open assault on the Indian community. Before the 13^th of December, they had operated in a behind the scene conniving relationship of the Tuan-Mandore type. Tuan UMNO and Mandore MIC. On the 13^th of December 2007, all that changed. The Tuan’s hand lay exposed.

Before that day, they had used subtler and I daresay treacherous methods of

control of this ‘noisy Keling’ community . They had slanted the perceptions of these ‘Kelings’ using the media by creating illusions of a benevolent government. They had bought influence through bribing and throwing crumbs at the impoverished and marginalized ‘Kelings’. They had kept the ‘Kelings’ ignorant and misinformed, They had taken away any modicum of true leadership for these otherwise ‘noisy Kelings’.

The Indians had awakened to this grand drama of 50 years and it was all upturned on the 25^th of Nov 2007. On that day the Indians saw a way to marshall their discontent in one synchronous flow. Getting together and throwing away all illusions, they united and in one grand stand that day, they showed a very strong hand. A hand that reverbrated and had the capacity to change the political landscape.

That was too threatening to the ruling power elite of the country. Their 50 year, Tuan Mandore game was up. There was to be no more waiting. The gloves came off 18 days after the Grand Hindraf Rally on the 13^th of December 2007. The ‘kecoh Keling’ had to be dealt with and disposed off as had been done to various other rebellions in the past – through force, through fear, through intrigue and through treachery directly and openly by the Tuans themselves now..

That was the starting point for the “now-not-so invisible hand” of the power elite to begin its machinations against this restless Indian populace.

· Put away the leader, Uthayakumar using the Internal Security Act

· Introduce a special branch mole into the rebellion, and elevate him to the status of a leader.

· Create an illusion of a split among the 5 arrested on the 13^th by manipulating them during the detention.

· Confuse the awakened Indians by reporting in the media the damage being done by the mole barely a month into the detention period.

· Give the power elite controlled mainstream media, full latitude to spread falsehoods by playing up the cooked up claims and allegations of the mole against the true leader of Hindraf.

· Link the Hindraf movement to the LTTE with fabricated evidence – ala Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.

· Persecute the movement that started all this by more arrests and more unjust charges in court.

· Outlaw Hindraf altogether.

The 13^th of December signified the beginning of this assault which continues till today two years after, in so many ways. I project the assault will continue till there is a completely new concept of the Malaysian Nation and of completely new National policies. Policies which fully recognizes the rights of every citizen regardless of ethnicity and makes reparation for the damages and neglect of the Indian marginalized over the last 50 plus years.

As Uthayakumar says in the video before his ISA arrest, he is prepared to lead the Indian community till the objectives are reached. He is not intimidated by threats to his personal liberty. He will continue to struggle because there is just no other choice to throw off this mantle of tyranny and injustice. The privileged few are not going to change just for the asking. So Uthayakumar will continue his struggle and we will be there with him in that struggle as will many of you . There will therefore be more Dec 13^th s until this system based on tyranny and injustice is totally demolished.

We will see more December 13^ths………………..

Viva la Makkal.