I believe so. After all, this segment of the society, the current underclass contributes to practically all the majority negative vices or worsening social ills in the country ie – murder, robbery, suicide rate, illiteracy and of course minus the white collar crime committed.
Now look at the history, when plantation was one of the pillars of the nation this was not the case until probably the late 80’s when the magnanimous Mahathir Mohamed came into the picture for the benefit of the Malaysian Indians. (I am actually being sarcastic here).
Despite the economic significant of their contribution in yesterdayear, these plantation workers were receiving scanty attention, yet they never turned to negative vices that is prevailent today.
Sure we talk of development, fine and I accept, but then what happened to the hundred of thousands of Malaysian Indians who were shortchanged in the process and left stranded without the right infrastructure or government planning to address their issues in their social development along with the other Malaysians.
The Malaysian Indian being as much as the son of the soil needs to survive and the plight of the Indian community, especially the plantation workers in Malaysia, their condition has largely remained unchanged since independence in 1957. Then at least they had their plantation work to ensure their survival no matter how poorly they were paid, but in today’s scenario with their displacement for their livelihood without proper planning and equal opportunity, they resort to negative vices as a matter of survival.
For argument sake, one would of course say why resort to such things. Frankly I don’t have any answer to this but we are all not made equal similar to our five fingers or our siblings. What is perplexing is nobody want’s to neither understand nor comprehend why they have become this within two decades in this community other than passing their two cent comments.
A simple example, Seetha, the latest suicide casualty of this engineered social displacement of this society.
Seetha, had the audacity to take her live and of her children and many of us sitting as an armchair critic can critize such action. Now, I and you may have lived in abject poverty, but we battled it and do what we can do, then again we are not in Seetha’s shoes nor are we able to judge her decision in our own arm’s length position.
Maybe Seetha just given up in life so easily, but then again it is her prerogative not for us to judge her position. Even jilted lovers, debtors and many other kind of human specimens commit sucide for their own notions.
Looking back at Seetha’s decision, all I can think of is she could have thought for herself, in indulged in poisoning her children, because as much as she did not have a chance to survive within our time frame, what chance will her children have without burdening another ? Am I or you going to run to the aid of the children to safeguard their interest or the government is there to lend a hand with their manipulated system?
I don’t know whether Seetha comes from a plantation background but it is so obvious that she is a remnant of the society that had been created due to their marginalized state within the community for our own individual obeisance that we all are will put up with all kind of excuses because it serves us without actually pondering over the root cause for this segment of the society.
If we talk about an Indian issue, automatically it is classified as a racial issue. How far and how well we know our history begs an answer. Everytime an Indian issue is brought forward, it is like a stigma. Now let me ask you this, why is it a stigma, when the reality faces them and provides you with the challenge to correct the unfairness and inequality faced by this community within this so called multi- ethnic society.
We must understand, for the last twenty ought years, the sole faculty of the nation along with its people have been development and making money without a uniting factor to effect a due respect for our rights and the humanity that flows within us.
The latter part can only happen if we can participate, unite and act in uplifting those segments in our society that had been neglected for the society that we live in as oppose to our own needs.
Only we Malaysians in unity can ensure that a Malaysian Indian’s life is not so cheap and worthless for our community and our common cause.
May Seetha rest in peace as she had made her own peace with her maker for the marginalized, discrimnative life she had led in Malaysia as I remorsely feel I had indirectly contributed to the neglect of this society for my own need.
R. Shan (Human Being)
Now look at the history, when plantation was one of the pillars of the nation this was not the case until probably the late 80’s when the magnanimous Mahathir Mohamed came into the picture for the benefit of the Malaysian Indians. (I am actually being sarcastic here).
Despite the economic significant of their contribution in yesterdayear, these plantation workers were receiving scanty attention, yet they never turned to negative vices that is prevailent today.
Sure we talk of development, fine and I accept, but then what happened to the hundred of thousands of Malaysian Indians who were shortchanged in the process and left stranded without the right infrastructure or government planning to address their issues in their social development along with the other Malaysians.
The Malaysian Indian being as much as the son of the soil needs to survive and the plight of the Indian community, especially the plantation workers in Malaysia, their condition has largely remained unchanged since independence in 1957. Then at least they had their plantation work to ensure their survival no matter how poorly they were paid, but in today’s scenario with their displacement for their livelihood without proper planning and equal opportunity, they resort to negative vices as a matter of survival.
For argument sake, one would of course say why resort to such things. Frankly I don’t have any answer to this but we are all not made equal similar to our five fingers or our siblings. What is perplexing is nobody want’s to neither understand nor comprehend why they have become this within two decades in this community other than passing their two cent comments.
A simple example, Seetha, the latest suicide casualty of this engineered social displacement of this society.
Seetha, had the audacity to take her live and of her children and many of us sitting as an armchair critic can critize such action. Now, I and you may have lived in abject poverty, but we battled it and do what we can do, then again we are not in Seetha’s shoes nor are we able to judge her decision in our own arm’s length position.
Maybe Seetha just given up in life so easily, but then again it is her prerogative not for us to judge her position. Even jilted lovers, debtors and many other kind of human specimens commit sucide for their own notions.
Looking back at Seetha’s decision, all I can think of is she could have thought for herself, in indulged in poisoning her children, because as much as she did not have a chance to survive within our time frame, what chance will her children have without burdening another ? Am I or you going to run to the aid of the children to safeguard their interest or the government is there to lend a hand with their manipulated system?
I don’t know whether Seetha comes from a plantation background but it is so obvious that she is a remnant of the society that had been created due to their marginalized state within the community for our own individual obeisance that we all are will put up with all kind of excuses because it serves us without actually pondering over the root cause for this segment of the society.
If we talk about an Indian issue, automatically it is classified as a racial issue. How far and how well we know our history begs an answer. Everytime an Indian issue is brought forward, it is like a stigma. Now let me ask you this, why is it a stigma, when the reality faces them and provides you with the challenge to correct the unfairness and inequality faced by this community within this so called multi- ethnic society.
We must understand, for the last twenty ought years, the sole faculty of the nation along with its people have been development and making money without a uniting factor to effect a due respect for our rights and the humanity that flows within us.
The latter part can only happen if we can participate, unite and act in uplifting those segments in our society that had been neglected for the society that we live in as oppose to our own needs.
Only we Malaysians in unity can ensure that a Malaysian Indian’s life is not so cheap and worthless for our community and our common cause.
May Seetha rest in peace as she had made her own peace with her maker for the marginalized, discrimnative life she had led in Malaysia as I remorsely feel I had indirectly contributed to the neglect of this society for my own need.
R. Shan (Human Being)
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