The estimate for the stateless Indians in the country ranges anywhere from 100,000 to 300,000. We do not know for sure because of the very nature of the problem and also because of the lack of reliable statistics from the UMNO government. But some recent data suggests that only in the state of Selangor there are around 40,000 Indian children who have been denied birth certificates. We know from our ground experience there are cases all over the country in large numbers.
Of course the National Registration Department comes under the Federal Government. Is that reason enough DSAI for your PR government not to do anything substantial about this problem. As I have said, all of that just sounds like silly excuses. For we know, that if there is a will there is always a way
For instance, the Selangor and Kedah Menteri Besars and the Penang Chief Minister can set up a department each in the States, with one Director, Several managers, officers, adequate administrative staff and about a hundred or so temporary field officers within the State Secretariat to address this issue.
The issue requires identification of the stateless people through campaigns, working on every individual case identified and staying with the cases through the entire procedure till they are all reinstated as full fledged citizens of the country. This may take 12 -24 months to cover most of the cases . Just think, how many lives will be positively impacted, how many people now will come out of the blanket of stateless non existence, they can go to schools, they can register for government welfare programs, they can get hospital treatment at subsidised rates, they can open bank accounts, they can get licences or permits for small trades and so on and so forth. So many people will be brought back into the mainstream.
Surely this is not too unrealistic a thought, is it. Have the PR governments embarked on a program like this -DSAI? Do the State governments not have budgetary resources to do this or does not the so called policy of “pluralism” extend to reach to these kinds of problems? What is the meaning of pluralism for the Indian poor, if that is the case? It is totally irrelevant isn’t it?
Come on, DSAI start getting real if you really want to become the new PM of this country. Your path there requires that you need to get out of conventional modes of thinking.
We in Hindraf and HRP want to see substantive new effort on all such critical indian problems. We think you can do mush more than what you have done. So do not say ” We have done much more than BN. It may not be to the full satisfaction of Indians but what do you want the state government to do?” If that is all you can say then do not make empty statements that you want to engage with the issues. If you really want to engage with the issues then you must act positively and in appropriate ways on the issues. You are right, there is no need to debate with Hindraf, all PR needs to do, is to just work on the issues, and stop all the Mandorist illusion creating stuff, a-la MIC.
If we do not see any changes in spite of all these inputs then, you tell us DSAI does it make a difference who rules this country, for the Indian poor?
N.Ganesan
National Advisor
HRP and Hindraf
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