'Pakatan will implement Hindraf plan in 100 days'

Should Pakatan Rakyat assume federal power, the Hindu Rights Action Force's (Hindraf) five-year blueprint on resolving the Indian community's woes will be implemented within 100 days, declared Pakatan supremo Anwar Ibrahim.

"I've even said that we will discuss it and resolve (the blueprint issues) within 100 days of Pakatan (taking over Putrajaya).

"What I mean is we have agreed on the blueprint," he told 1,500 Indian attendees at a two-hour question-and-answer session in Shah Alam last night.

The opposition leader was responding to a question raised by Semparuthi news portal editor Jiwi Kathaiah (left) on whether Pakatan would put its fingerprint on the Hindraf blueprint.

Aside from Semparuthi, the main organiser, four other Tamil newspapers, Tamil Nesan, Thinakural, Makkal Osai and Malaysia Nanban took part in the session.

Hindraf had warned before that Pakatan's "inordinate delay" in endorsing the blueprint may result the coalition losing the NGO's support in the coming election.

Hindraf blueprint spirit in Buku Jingga

It said that despite Pakatan's initial interest to engage with Hindraf, as seen by the number of meetings between the two parties since November 2012, including one with Anwar, "there is nothing to show in the form of progress".

However, Anwar (left) suggested that Hindraf and the NGOs "should not insist on us (Pakatan) signing" the blueprint.

He reiterated that the spirit of the blueprint has been incorporated in the Pakatan policy document, the Buku Jingga.

"We have read your (Hindraf) blueprint. But can't you also read our blueprint (Buku Jingga)?" he asked.

The PKR de facto leader said that his party's Indian leaders have been consistently addressing the other issues affecting their community.

These included stateless Indians, insufficient allocation for Tamil schools and death-in-custody issues.

"Look at the Kugan's case (he died in police custody in 2009), it wouldn't be national issue if we hadn't taken it up. I also asked PAS and DAP leaders to join me in visiting to Kugan's home."