Hindraf urges boycott of Thaipusam at Batu Caves

KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf Makkal Sakthi, an ad hoc apolitical human rights group working across the political divide, has called on Hindus this year to boycott Thaipusam at Batu Caves if the Committee insists on desecrating an ancient Hindu rite and practice, “paal abishekam”, by employing motorized equipment to shower the milk from the devotees onto the deity.

“They should observe Thaipusam at other temples in the country which observe the right practices according to Hindu rites.”

“Hindraf is totally mystified and appalled by the attitude of the Batu Caves Committee,” said Hindraf Chief P. Waythamoorthy in a statement. “The Committee should continue with the usual practice instead of employing the motorized abishekam.”

Waytha said the matter was brought to Hindraf’s attention through a video on You Tube which has since gone viral.

Waytha alleged that the Committee had no regards for the feelings of thousands of devotees who had undertaken severe penance to participate in showering their “paal kadum” (pots of milk) in the final ritual, abishekam, during Thaipusam.

“The purpose of showering the milk on the deity (abishekam) is a process of cleansing oneself of sins and to satisfy any debt bondage to the deity,” explained Waytha. “This practice is observed worldwide in India, Fiji, Sri Lanka, South Africa, USA, U.K, Australia and Singapore, among other places, during the Thaipusam month.”

In these countries, he added, millions of people bring along their “paal kadum” for the satisfaction of their milk being showered individually by the priests who normally chant mantras as they do so. “There are no mantras chanted under the motorized method intended to be practiced in Batu Caves.”

The belief between an individual and the deity is personal in nature, stressed the Hindraf Chief, “and therefore motorizing the showering of the deity or motorized abishekam is clearly an absurd method by the Batu Caves Committee”.

It not only desecrates Hindu rites, he reiterated, but also insults the individual devotee who had painstakingly undertaken severe penance to fulfill their devotion to the deity.

Source : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/01/26/hindraf-urges-boycott-of-thaipusam-at-batu-caves/

A case of broken promises – again – to minorities, say analysts

Caution to Malaysia's minority groups: beware of a government bearing promises and agreements before an election.

Several analysts interviewed by The Malaysian Insider said that this was one of the lessons to take away from P. Waytha Moorthy's resignation from the Najib administration and Putrajaya's inability to make good a 10-point solution with Christians over Malay Bibles and the use of the word “Allah”.

While they agreed that the Hindraf (Hindu Rights Action Force) leader was equally to blame for his hasty move to sign a pact with Putrajaya days before the May 5 elections and for accepting a deputy minister's post after Barisan Nasional's (BN) victory, it was an obvious case of broken promises by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"Should Hindraf decide to engage in a public campaign to denounce the PM  and government agencies for their cynical disregard of the Indian electorate after making use of them during the recent elections, the damage to Najib personally and BN as a whole could be considerable and long lasting," said political analyst Dr Lim Teck Ghee.

He said that apart from Indians, other minority groups, especially in Sabah and Sarawak, had also been monitoring the progress of the Hindraf agreement with Najib.

Hindraf had said Putrajaya had been “dragging its feet” in delivering its promises to aid the poor Indian Malaysians in return for their support in the elections.

Uthaya: We didn't anticipate losing our deposit

INTERVIEW The following is the final of the two-part interview of Hindraf founder P Uthayakumar. In this part, he talks about his loss in the May 5 general election and what he hopes will be the future role of Hindraf he claims to represent.

Part one appeared yesterday.

Why did you choose to stand for election against a Pakatan Rakyat candidate when you knew it was a losing battle and there was a desire for change amongst a certain section of the electorate?

We had no choice. I have been and am consistent with the struggle that on top of Umno even the five Pakatan-ruled state governments were and are practicing institutional racist policies - see www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com - on day-to-day issues.

The concerns of the Indian poor lacked the political mileage and therefore became vulnerable. Therefore, both Umno and Pakatan take advantage of the Indian situation. For taking a strong stand against Pakatan institutional racism from the day I was released from Kamunting prison, Pakatan had refused to even talk to me despite numerous formal letters and through third parties.

The only solution forward that I could come up with was the uphill task of HRP's Project 15/38 (15 parliamentary seats/38 state seats), which was the creation of Indian majority seats as a means of attaining political empowerment to fight Umno and any other kind of institutional racism.

Project 15/38 was a failure. The closest I could get and my best bet was to contest in Kota Raja (parliament seat) and Seri Andalas (state seat under Kota Raja) - the constituencies with the highest Indian voters in the country.

Pakatan had neither respect nor regard for Hindraf and the almost 2.5 million Indians in the country by blatantly refusing to make way for us in even one of the 222 parliamentary seats for a one-to-one contest with BN.

Uthaya on Hindraf's Kane and Abel situation

INTERVIEW At this moment, it is very easy to demonise P Uthayakumar. No doubt Hindraf (or whatever it is now) and Uthayakumar have done their fair share of demonising of their political opponents. This is the nature of partisan and racial politics.

With my last article - and let's face facts, it was a polemic - I assumed I was done with Hindraf. As a Pakatan Rakyat partisan who was supportive of the aims of Hindraf (even though I was attacked by the racists within the ranks of Pakatan), the fact that P Waythamoorthy and Hindraf, embraced Umno and called for a return of a two-thirds majority after years of fighting the institutional racism that afflicts this country, was a move that for me at least was unforgivable.

However, I still maintained contact with Uthayakumar (left). These days, most people who have always despised Uthayakumar gleefully, link his brother's "betrayal" to him. Mixed in with the usual racists comments about Hindraf, is the added bonus that Uthayakumar was complicit in Waythamoorthy's betrayal of the oppositional forces in this country.

In our conversations, Uthayakumar was adamant that he would never fall under the thrall of Umno and I believe him.

Some Hindraf supporters, those in Waythamoorthy's corner, do not agree with my partisan stand, but my response has always been, that when Hindraf under Waythamoorthy signed the MOU (memorandum of understanding) and when Waythamoorthy become a deputy minister in BN, they lost all claim to being simply a non-partisan non-governmental organisation. Hindraf, or the faction Waythamoorthy represents, is now part of the BN machinery.

Waytha, choosing between Ravana and Rama matters

The last few days have been really very sad times for Malaysian Hindus, and especially those who belong to or associate with Hindraf.

I am not referring to the purported betrayal of Indian Malaysians by P Waythamoorthy, the leader of Hindraf, for signing a MOU with BN, nor his willingness to work with BN, nor his subsequent call to Indian Malaysians to return BN to power with a two-thirds majority.

There are enough letters and comments from the cyber-world and right-thinking Malaysians to condemn his latest decision in his avowed bid to uplift the Indian community.

Specifically, I am referring to Waythamoorthy's defence of the MOU wherein he had said it is inconsequential whether Ravana or Rama rules the country.

This is what has me - and, I believe, many other Hindus - really peeved with Waythamoorthy.

In effect, what Waythamoorthy meant was this: "I don't care who - bad or good - rules the country for as long as I get what I want."

Self-centred and short-sighted, he is prepared to gamble away the long-term welfare and well-being of Indian Malaysians for short-term gains.

Waytha wants to be the new Samy, says Uthaya

In P Uthayakumar's campaign trail in Kota Raja, a big poster hangs outside of his office in the traditional Hindraf crimson theme with his face etched on it, reading ‘P Uthayakumar - One-man show since 1990.'

Uthayakumar, one of Hindu Rights Action Force's (Hindraf) founding members, has over the months remained largely quiet about his brother P Waythamoorthy's attempts to negotiate with both Pakatan Rakyat and BN over the Hindraf blueprint.

But his younger brother's act of signing a pact with and declaring support for BN last week and even urging Indians to return BN's two-thirds parliamentary majority has obviously riled Uthayakumar.

"Waytha is simply trying to become the next Samy Vellu (the ex-MIC president). He's the new emerging ‘mandore' (powerless messenger), who is (aiming) for the minister's post in Najib Abdul Razak's cabinet," he said without mincing his words.

He told Malaysiakini that he had never expected his younger brother to sign a pact with BN.

"I thought he was using BN as a leverage to get a deal with Pakatan," he said.

It's clear that Uthayakumar did not agreed with the direction Waythamoorthy was taking Hindraf, largely the former's brainchild since the turn of the millennium.

Burying the hatchet BN uses to hack Indian community

“Guess that's 31 pieces of silver you've got now, huh? Sleep well, Judas.”
- Mark Millar (Civil War)



COMMENT Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy “admitted that there will be criticism over this deal, and acknowledged that some might accuse the movement of selling out", reported Malaysiakini.

Here let me put a name to that “some”. I am revolted, disgusted and repulsed by this so-called ‘deal’ Hindraf and Waythamoorthy have cooked up with Umno.

From day one, as a Pakatan Rakyat partisan, I made it clear that the only acceptable alternative was Pakatan even though I have been (and will continue to be) a vocal critic of my chosen ‘side’.

Meeting with Hindraf and Waythamoorthy (right) at the movement’s blueprint launch, I advocated support for Pakatan. After a meeting with PKR’s Chua Jui Meng that included Waythamoorthy, think-tank Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI) director Lim Teck Ghee and I, we (Lim and I) campaigned for a continuing of talks with Pakatan.

In a subsequent meeting, with Waythamoorthy, we (Lim and I) advocated [again] our stand for making a pact with Pakatan.

Travelling to the temple in Rawang - where Waythamoorthy was carrying out his hunger strike - with Lim, we reiterated [yet again] that there could no discussion with Umno. And most recently at the Hindraf press conference on the state of their negotiations with either alliance, I conveyed to the so-called Hindraf leadership that it should be Pakatan or “vote as your conscience dictates.”

Waytha begins hunger strike for Hindraf blueprint

In a drastic move, Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy has embarked on a solo hunger strike to press BN and Pakatan Rakyat to endorse Hindraf’s five-year blueprint to solve the problems of the marginalised Indian community.

“The purpose (of the hunger strike) is for them (BN and Pakatan) to acknowledge that human rights of Indian (Malaysians) have been violated.

“Both have to sign it (the blueprint). If both do not sign it, they don’t respect human rights,” Waythamoorthy (right) told reporters following prayers at the Rawang Hindu temple yesterday night, before beginning the hunger strike.

He said BN has not been in touch with Hindraf to discuss the blueprint, while in Pakatan’s case, the discussion between Hindraf and the opposition coalition had reached a stalemate.

Disappointed at Pakatan’s lack of a definitive answer to endorsing the blueprint in the coalition’s manifesto last month, Waythamoorthy announced that he would embark on a hunger strike.

The purpose of the strike is to press home the need for "permanent and comprehensive solutions to these serious problems".
He said he would be limiting his intake of water during the duration of the hunger strike.

According to his wife K Shanti (left), Waythamoorthy took a vegetarian lunch for his last meal before starting his fast.

“I’m a bit sad, there is no need for him to do this…but I am blessed as I have a husband like him,” she said to Malaysiakini, adding that the family will throw their full support behind Waythamoorthy’s struggle.

Waythamoorthy’s daughther, W Vwaishhnnavi, also expressed worry over her father’s fasting stint.

“(But) I feel very proud…My friends like my father because he helps the poor Indians,” said the standard five student before Waythamoorthy began prayers yesterday.

Amid the fragrant of burning incense, some 80 people attended the prayers at 8.30pm.

Coinciding with the Hindu festival of Maha Shivaratri, the crowd appealed to the Lord Shiva to ensure the success of Hindraf’s struggle.

Under the guide of a priest, Waythamoorthy, garbed in white, and the crowd sprinkled light-blue flowers and nine types of grains to pay the homage to Lord Shiva.

After an hour of praying, the crowd sang the Hindraf anthem Tholvi nilayane ninaithal (Failure isn't permanent) while hoisting Hindraf’s signature orange flag.

Waythamoorthy said he will continue the hunger strike as long as his body can endure.


Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/223484

'Hindraf blueprint reality within 100 days of winning'

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) within 100 days of Pakatan (taking over Putrajaya).

"What I mean is we have agreed on the blueprint," he told 500 Indian attendees in 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 Hindraf blueprint.

Aside from Semparuthi, the main organiser, four other Tamil newspapers, Tamil Nesan, Thiru Kural, Makkal Osai and Malaysia Nanban participated in the session.

Previously, Hindraf had warned 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) had suggested that the Hindraf and 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 queried.

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

This includes stateless Indian, insufficient allocation for Tamil school 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."

The session ended at 11.15pm.


Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/221444

Hindraf and Anwar finally meet

For the first time since its inception, the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has officially met PKR's top brass, including Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, to discuss issues affecting the Indian community.

The Hindraf delegation was led by the movement's chairperson P Waythamoorthy (right), who appear to have a less acrimonious relationship with the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, compared to his brother Uthayakumar.

Uthayakumar is Hindraf's most recognisable face who was the movement's de facto leader in Waythamoorthy's absence. The latter was in self-imposed exile since December 2007 and returned on Aug 1.

Under Uthayakumar's stewardship, Pakatan components, save for PAS, have repeatedly avoided any high-level talks with Hindraf. Uthayakumar has since formed the Human Rights Party, which threatens to contest seats currently held by Pakatan.

Hindraf chief stopped from leaving the country

Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P Waythamoorthy was barred from leaving the country this evening on grounds that he is a national threat.

"The immigration officers informed me that a restriction has been imposed on me by the Immigration Department director-general and the inspector-general of police.

"The reason given from both sides is that I am a threat to national security," Waythamoorthy said when contacted by Malaysiakini.

He said he was to take a 6.30pm flight to Manila in the Philippines for a business trip and is now stranded at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang.

"The government has cheated me. They issued me with a perfectly good passport on July 30 and then, two months later, I am not allowed to go out of the country.

"When I came into the country, I was not a security threat, but two months later I have suddenly become a security threat," he said.

Waythamoorthy said he would lodge a police report against Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and the inspector-general of police for falsely accusing him of being a security threat.

He will also lodge a report against the director-general of immigration for acting beyond his powers.

"They have basically made me a prisoner in my own country. It is a breach of international convention and laws that stipulate you cannot prevent a citizen from leaving his country without cause," Waythamoorthy said.

The restriction would also throw a spanner into his plan to meet with his lawyers in London this weekend for Hindraf's case against the British government, he added.

The Malaysia High Commission in Singapore had on July 30 granted Waythamoorthy a passport for his return to Malaysia after his self-imposed exile in the UK since 2007.

The Hindraf leader was allowed to enter the country on Aug 1, without any restriction imposed.

Source: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/209234

Waytha: I have different strategy for Hindraf

Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy, who has returned from overseas exile, today said he would steer Hindraf in a non-partisan direction but denied that he was having a row with his elder brother P Uthayakumar, who helmed the movement during his absence.

“No, we don’t have a problem. You must understand that we have a different strategy and approach. He is independent in his thoughts and so am I, opinions differ in a large organisation,” he said when approached after attending a Hindraf gathering of some 1,500 supporters.

Asked to comment on Uthayakumar’s plan in leading the political offshoot of Hindraf, the Human Rights Party (HRP), to contest in the next general election, he replied: “That, you must ask Utahayakumar because he is the secretary-general and I do not belong to the party.”

“I’m sure he has his strategy and I’m sure he knows what he is doing and I wouldn’t interfere in it, but my strategy is definitely different,” he said.

Waythamoorthy added that his platform had always been a non-political party one, addressing the plight of the Indian poor,  and this would continue under his leadership.

The gathering today was the first of a series of Hindraf roadshows following Waythamoorthy’s return on Aug 1 from self-imposed exile in the UK.

‘Hindraf vindicated’

Meanwhile, commenting on his unhindered return to Malaysia, Waythamoorthy said that this was a vindication of the movement.

“The fact that I was granted my passport (to return to Malaysia) clearly vindicates Hindraf because previously we were termed as terrorists out to overthrow the government, which was ridiculous.

“Now is time to lift the ban on Hindraf, allow us to operate as an NGO and human rights movement, and we will talk to address the issues.

He added that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s attempts now to court the Indian community proved that the issues raised by Hindraf were justified.

“Previously the government had been saying that no, your demands are extreme, but the fact that Najib is going around dishing out goodies here and there (to Indians) shows that he acknowledges the problem,” he said.



Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/205511

'Wanted man' Waythamoorthy returns

Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P Waythamoorthy has returned to Malaysia, allaying fears that he would be arrested by the Johor immigration department.

There was a moment of suspense about noon for about 20 supporters when the immigration personnel took away his passport briefly.

“They (the immigration) said I was on the police wanted list,” said Waythamoorthy in a brief telephone conversation with Malaysiakini.

He was invited to the discussion with immigration officials in an office but refused to participate.

After a short discussion with immigration front desk personnel, the passport was returned and he was allowed free passage.

Several supporters who were travelling with Waythamoorthy from Singapore went through the same ordeal.

“We are happy and bit shocked. We thought he would be arrested,” said Hindraf national coordinator W Sambulingam when contacted.
The entourage were greeted by a convoy of six cars. They were then taken to a temple in Johor Bahru for a meeting.

Waythamoorthy is scheduled to address supporters there at 5pm today, and to return to his home in Seremban tonight.
                                      
Waythamoorthy left the country soon after the Hindraf rally in November 2007 to take the movement’s campaign global. His passport was revoked on April 2008.

Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/205165

Hindraf Makkal Shakti loses appeal

Hindraf Makkal Shakti (Hindraf) loses its appeal today to set aside a High Court’s refusal to grant it leave to initiate a judicial review application pertaining to a decision in not approving and
registering the group as a non-governmental organisation (NGO).

The Court of Appeal’s three-member panel chaired by Abu Samah Nordin ruled that Hindraf’s appeal was academic in view of the Registrar of Societies’ (ROS) letter dated Sept 22 last year to reject its application to be registered as an NGO.

Justice Abu Samah said the court agreed with the decision of the High Court judge and that Hindraf had not shown that he had erred in law and in fact in his decision.

The panel, also comprising Justices Alizatul Khair Osman Khairuddin and Lim Yee Lan unanimously dismissed Hindraf’s appeal and ordered it to pay RM5,000 in legal costs.

Hindraf was appealing against the decision made by Judge Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim on June 30 last year denying it leave to file a judicial review application on the ground that the ROS had not made any decision pertaining to Hindraf’s registration.

Hindraf secretary P Ramesh in his application filed on May 25 last year, named the Premier, Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, the Registrar of Societies (ROS) of Malaysia and the Federal Territory ROS as respondents.

Ramesh sought a certiorari order to set aside the decision of the respondents presumed to be given on April 24 last year and a mandamus order to compel the respondents to approve and register Hindraf as an NGO.

Hindraf claimed the respondents had refused to reply to its application to be approved and registered as NGO.

In his supporting affidavit, Ramesh said the application to register Hindraf as an NGO was made on Oct 2, 2009 and that the application was made based on the rights of freedom and equality as provided under Article 10(1)(C) and Article 8 of the federal constitution.

The panel accepted the submission by senior federal counsel Noor Hisham Ismail representing the respondents that the appeal was academic in view of the ROS’ letter.

He said Hindraf’s application for leave to file a judicial review was premature.

Lawyer P Uthayakumar, who is also Hindraf’s legal adviser, argued that the ROS’ letter was not in the record of appeal as the letter came after the High Court delivered its decision.

Uthayakumar said Hindraf would bring the matter up to the Federal Court.

Source : Bernama

MIC lost relevance 38 years ago, says Niat chief

INTERVIEW The MIC lost its relevance in politics and to the Indian community as far back as 1974, says National Indian Rights Action Team (Niat) chairperson Thasleem Mohd Ibrahim.

"It started becoming irrelevant much earlier, but (former MIC president) S Samy Vellu had his own way of making the party appeared relevant," Thasleem told Malaysiakini in an interview last week.

His statement contrasts with the popular view that S Samy Vellu, who assumed office in 1979, was the cause of MIC's downfall, culminating in the 2007 Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) rally, which brought some 30,000 protesters onto the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

Thasleem, a long-time Tamil education activist, claimed that the MIC in 1974 forwarded a memorandum to the Cabinet Committee on Education, but its proposals got nowhere.

The memorandum, he said, called for the upgrading of Tamil schools and syllabi, better teacher training and residential schools to be set up to "enable Indian students to overcome the debilitating effects of their socio-economic environment."

"If the cabinet committee did not agree to this, why didn't (then MIC president) V Manickavasagam walk out of the Alliance Party?" he asked, adding that the time then was ripe because MIC had no competition for Indian support.

Return Waytha's passport, Malaysian gov't told

Hindu rights pressure group Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has called on the Malaysian government to return its chairperson P Waythamoorthy’s passport to facilitate his return from exile in the  United Kingdom.

Hindraf’s national advisor, N Ganesan, said Waythamoorthy plans to be on Malaysian soil on Aug 1, “with or without” his passport.

“He would like to return home with dignity and full rights as a citizen of this country and as the chairperson of Hindraf,” Ganesan told Malaysiakini.

“Therefore we demand that the Malaysian High Commission in London immediately issue him a passport,” added Ganesan, who is based in Penang.

Ganesan (right) said it was the previous prime minister and then-home minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who made the decision to withhold his colleague’s travel document.

He then called on current Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to rescind the decision and instruct the competent and relevant Foreign Ministry officials to immediately issue him a new passport.

He added that Waythamoorthy has announced his intention of returning to Malaysia after more than four and a half years in exile in the UK.This exile was imposed on Waythamoorthy by the Malaysian authorities, he stressed.


‘It will save all the embarrassment’


Ganesan was referring to Waythamoorthy’s passport being withdrawn by the UK Border Agency on April 28, 2008, at Gatwick Airport, UK.

It was withdrawn on instruction from the Malaysian authorities via a letter dated March 17 the same year.
Ganesan reiterated that Waythamoorthy plans to be on Malaysian soil on Aug 1 although he may not be issued his travel documents by then.

“It will save all the embarrassment and problems associated with this to all concerned, if  the Malaysian government will issue him a passport in the amicable manner that we request,” said Ganesan.

“He has since utilised the time in exile to make the necessary preparations for the historic suit against the British government on behalf of all the marginalised and poor Indians in Malaysia,” he added.

“This is for the role the British government played in their current depressed and marginalised state in Malaysia,” he stressed.

Ganesan said that since the case has been registered on July 2, Waythamoorthy is ready to return to Malaysia to continue his human rights work from within the country.

Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/203062

Hindraf re-files civil suit against UK government

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) yesterday filed a legal action against the United Kingdom government for marginalising the poor Indian community during its colonisation of Malaysia.

The application was re-filed at the High Court of England and Wales yesterday, where among others they sought for the British government to share responsibility to what is happening among the poor Indians in Malaysia after they came to the country in the 19th century.

Hindraf also questioned whether it was part of the UK’s post-colonial imperial design to leave the Malaysian Indians to continuously be exploited, and claimed when the British left, the Indians were continuously entrenched into a two-tiered citizenship by an institutionalised racist regime.

These are among the key issues raised in the legal action filed by Imran Khan and Partners.

Hindraf also claimed that the British were only interested in looking after their strategic and security interests in the South-East Asian region. So to preserve their wealth in Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Brunei, the British would collude with the local new elites to whom they hand over power.

Hindraf in a statement questioned the role of the British colonial government which created the politico-legal system in Malaya after the UK’s departure. 

“This is Hindraf’s case in its essence - if you care to understand it in its depth and with an open mind,” said a statement by its national adviser N Ganesan (right).

“We are human rights defenders of a different order and we use the little resources that we have the in the best way we can, for the interest of Malaysia and all Malaysians. This case against the UK government is for real. Win or lose, the Malaysian people will win with this case just coming to the fore,” said Ganesan.

Ganesan had previously said that the suit is backed by P Waythamoorthy and his team’s four years of research into historical records of the British colonial governments gained from the British archives in London and other sources in the Indian and Singapore records offices.

“New information is going to surface (to show)... the process of marginalisation of the descendants of indentured Indian labourers... was not an accident of history but was an act of conscious omission by those in power,” he had said.

Source : http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/202598

This is why Hindraf filed the suit

On July 2, 2012, Hindraf filed a civil action on behalf of the marginalised Indian community in Malaysia against the UK Government in the High Court of Wales and England calling into account the British government for its role in the antecedents leading up to the severe marginalisation of the Indian poor in Malaysia today.

The key questions that Hindraf seeks answers for in this civil action are:

1) If the British are solely responsible for the presence of most of the Indian poor in Malaysia today, do they also not share responsibility for what is happening to the Indian poor in Malaysia today? After all, the Indians were brought into the country by them under their watch for over 150 years. It is now just over 50 years since they left.

2) Knowing the British deftness and skills in running their Empire can we accept that they did not recognise this possible turn of events to an enfeebled community upon their departure? Or was it also a part of their post-colonial imperial design to leave these people in this enfeebled and exploited state to maintain ongoing divisions in the colony?

3) Is what happened in 1957 so remote from what is happening in 2012 to render Hindraf’s case academic? Namibia is calling into account the genocide of several hundred thousands of their people by the German colonialists today, what happened in the early 1900s. Armenia is still calling into account the Turks for the Turkish genocide of more than a million of their people again in the early 1900s. The Jews are still calling into account all those responsible for the Holocaust of the 1930s and 1940s. In this case, the aggrieved Malaysian Indians are calling into account the devastating effects on several generations of Indians that has left them without systemic protection as an enfeebled minority.

4) The UK was instrumental in establishing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1949 at the United Nations. Are we to take it that such a declaration which is not even a legally binding one on nations can be more circumspect in their statement of human rights than one which defines a whole new nation. What they left Malaya with was an entrenched two-tiered citizenship in perpetuity, defying relevance to the most fundamental of these human rights principles. In the process they created a politico-legal basis that has led to the development of an institutionalised racist regime here in our country.

Hindraf ropes in parents for new Tamil school suit

Hindraf yesterday moved to recruit parents of Tamil school students in a bid to refile its lawsuit against the government, which among others, demands for full aid for 523 Tamil schools in the country.

“Hindraf has launched a website as well as pamphlets, text messages and campaigns on social media to gather at least 100 parents with children studying at Tamil schools as aggrieved plaintiffs.

“This is to refile a lawsuit which is the A to Z solution to the Tamil school problems in Malaysia,” Hindraf information chief S Jayathas (left) said in a statement yesterday.

The move comes after its earlier lawsuit was dismissed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on June 20, citing that the plaintiffs, Hindraf de facto leader P Uthayakumar and Kota Alam Shah state assemblyperson M Manoharan, did not have locus standi.

“The court said that the two did not have locus standi to institute this public interest civil suit in that they are not aggrieved parties but merely acting in the general interests of the Indian poor as their children are already in secondary school and not in Tamil school,” said Jayathas.

Hindraf's new neighbour raises eyebrows

Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders were caught by surprise yesterday when they found out that a Putrajaya commissioned outfit, which focuses on Tamil schools, is now their neighbour.

Hindraf de facto leader P Uthayakumar expressed astonishment that the newly-created Action Plan for Future of Tamil Schools, which operates under the Prime Minister’s Department, had set up office next door.

“This is the first time that an office under the Prime Minister is positioned outside the administrative capital in 55 years.

“Clearly this is a propaganda attempt to convey the image that the government is working with the grassroots Indian community, like Hindraf,” said Uthayakumar, whose organisation is a fervent campaigner for community issues.

Uthayakumar accused Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of pretending to connect with the Indian poor in order to canvass for their support.