M'sians should have 'Nambikei' in Hindraf

Over the last week several articles and commentaries have emanated mainly from political writers from the opposition side and their colourful commentors in spewing negative views about the ruling government in lifting the ban and a possible dialogue with Hindraf.

This indirect public gorging by these writers can only mean that they are concerned on the thought process of the poorer grassroots Indian voter in Malaysia and how much influence does Hindraf have over them.

As usual all the possible distasteful innuendos are thrown at the Indian Malaysians like being pariahs, cheapskates, easily bought over, no integrity nor principle and so forth.

Many fail to recognise that Hindraf was the catalyst that invoked the 2008 tsunami, and which was then victimised when all the regular politicians and their eminent supporters moved on with their regular lives.

Let’s look at the Malaysian population demography of 28.3 million as of the census in 2010. Malaysian Indians represents 7.3 percent of the population of which approximately 75-80 percent are still living in rural or semi-rural vicinities. Giving the benefit of doubt, let’s say that 25 percent are in urban cities.

Further, let us also look at emigration which has brought about a Malaysian diaspora of about 1.0 million who are able to vote. Naturally the bulk of these are the Chinese Malaysians, whereas the Indian Malaysians and the Malays probably make up some small percentage but definitely not as significant.

The majority of the Indian Malaysian population is very much in the doldrums if we start micro analysing the 75 percent of those in the rural and semi-rural areas. There are the very people that Hindraf represents on the basis of humanity.

No disrespect meant to our fellow urbanised elite Indian Malaysians, but in reality basic bread and butter has not been their issue, but what type (ie brand, class, prestige) of bread and butter is susceptible.

The majority in urbanised cities and the diaspora amongst the Indian Malaysians are well-intentioned people but to a large extend get swayed with the typical ‘I know how and why it should be this or that’. Most of them talk about good (Pakatan) vs evil (BN) and how these stupid Indian Malaysian voters are condemned if they don’t make the right pick. Really!!!!

Then where was the whole nation when this community had deteriorated to the level it is now through blatant institutionalised racism condoned by all of us?

Today everyone is batting their eyelids again, or shall I say when the election bell is ringing, as that is the only time when the Indian Malaysian issues become pertinent.

As far as I can see, Hindraf seems to be the only one who had stood thick and thin along with this community all this while since its inception without worrying about with whom it should talk or not as long as the permanent solution is attained.

We shouldn’t be too concerned with the political overtures on how the affected Indian Malaysians should vote, but be able to acknowledge only what Hindraf does and how it can eventually benefit the people in a broader sense.

No longer a government-people distinction

The pure notion of democracy is that there is no division between the government and the people, so why does this division exist? The only justification is because it has long since ceased to exist. The discord that exists in reality for the poorer segment of Indian Malaysians is a classic example to show how the current politics and policies is in a static system whether it is BN or Pakatan.

What we have is not democracy, what we have is a society of politicians and the people. Once the group has your vote, and no longer has to perform, your country is in their hands, and they won’t care what you want until voting time comes again.

Democracy is an old antiquated notion, Hindraf’s clarion call for a neo-democracy, where every person has the opportunity to bring their grouses in a collective manner for a bipartisan and humane solution, ensuring that society progresses in a fair manner without enduring such a state of disparity such as encountered by the marginalised and discriminated Indian Malaysian society in the present day, should be received with open arms.

The participation in a neo-democracy evolution needs all segment of the community to join hands to uplift those communities that had been long neglected and side-tracked like the poorer segments of the community for political and power abuses on the basis of basic human rights rather than trumpeting political and individual deviation.

Politicians, political pundits, you and me are welcome but lack a raison d’etre in totality if we are unable to see that only Hindraf is able with their crystal clear version of the Hindraf blueprint of what needs to be done in this era of baits and temptations for the aggrieved community.

Can we at least for once have a consensus on the Hindraf blueprint minus the politics for a segment of our own Malaysians?