I’m twenty four this year, and if you must put me in a box (I hate boxes), I am an ethnic Indian of Malayalee and Telegu descent and Roman Catholic by way of religion. I have been asked by my many of my Malaysian friends, some Indian and some non-Indian to comment on how I feel as a Malaysian Indian on the HINDRAF rally. I’m really reluctant to do so, but I’ve been feeling extremely depressed the last couple of days, and I think typing some of these thoughts might help.
I did not attend the rally because I am for a wider cause, which is justice for all Malaysians regardless of race or religion. I, however, will not deny the cause that HINDRAF is behind, which is the championing the plight of the Malaysian Indians – one that is justified. And I fully support HINDRAF’s right, and the right of Malaysians in general – to freedom of assembly, freedom of speech and expression as stated in the Constitution.
But, it is my belief that is was narrowed down by making it a Tamil-Hindu issue, that it excluded, even alienated people like me, and many other Malaysians of various ethnic backgrounds and religions from supporting the walk. I do not know if this was HINDRAF’s intention, to drive a wall between us and to continue perpetuating this ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ they fight against, by being no different from the very people they are trying to rally against.
I have seen statistics to show that Indians have the highest rate of suicide, highest rate of alcoholism, highest rate of domestic abuse, highest rate of illiteracy, highest race of infant mortality, highest rate of high school drop outs, some of these statistics show these cases go all across the board – with regards to the Malaysian population. For such a small percentage of the population to have such high statistics in these areas is indeed worrying and damaging to our society as a whole.
That said, we need to approach this as a Malaysian problem and not solely an Indian one. It’s clear that that approach did nothing for the MIC and they did nothing for these marginalized Indians. So why must we continue using the same formula? I think it’s time for a new approach. HINDRAF rallied the people to come out and to walk with last Sunday only on the banner of being Tamil and Hindu. I worry and care about these people too, why must this barrier of race and religion be used to separate us? And every other Malaysian who is concerned for their Malaysian brothers and sisters? I was beginning to hope that after BERSIH, we would be united again. It seems we have regressed once more.
To me what HINDRAF did that day, was not very different from what some of our MPs espouse publicly, the practice of divisive race and religion politics. You rallied these people, poor, disenfranchised to come out that Sunday to walk with you to hand in a memorandum that was nothing but a PR stunt. The High Commission was closed on a Sunday. There wasn’t prior notice to get people to come out and receive the memorandum, there was no preparation. The crowds were unsure of what to do, as many independent walkers wrote on their blogs. These people were tear gassed, they were shot at with water cannons, they were arrested, some beaten.
Why? Your claims for the incredulous amount of USD 1 million for every Indian, has made the cause a laughing stock among so many. Yes, I understand that the money was never the issue, then why make it an issue with these gigantic amounts? Why couldn’t you have sat down and planned these things out with the rest of us, civil society, NGO groups that would support you, not the 25 Indian based ones, and obviously NOT MIC? It has garnered a global audience this protest, but, in terms of action within this country, you have driven a large stake into our efforts into moving towards a Malaysia for Malaysians, with no divisive racial lines.
There are so many who would have been behind HINDRAF and every other disenfranchised and marginalized Malaysian. The memorandum you sent prior to the walk to Gordon Brown, reeks of racist, inflammatory statements. Many of us Indian, Chinese, Malay, Sikh, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and so forth, have come out and condemned the destruction of the temples, have walked alongside you, myself included and lit candles, held vigils, supported and looked for justice in and outside courts. Your agenda looks simply like fighting racism, and racist policies by doing the same right back. Fight racism with more racism? Tit for tat?
The reason why the BERSIH rally was not given as much coverage as the HINDRAF rally, is simple. It was well-organised, it was well-represented with members of civil society from all walks of life, and there were very minimal instances in which they could manipulate the story, and even then, they manipulated it. I’ve seen what they did to the Indians out on Sunday, the beatings, the volley after volley of tears gas, and what broke my heart the most was the gassing at the temple. A place of refuge to be respected BY ALL.
Instead, because of the racial and religious card HINDRAF played, and in my opinion, the usage of such typical (and obviously flawed) methodology that BN uses, it has made your cause, which is so extremely relevant look dysfunctional. It is important to be mindful that this government, the ruling majority will use this to play up racial sentiments, and they have done so with their news reports. And you have let the cause fall prey to this. That’s just sad.
I will however, say the walk was needed, and that I supported it – for Malaysians to regain what little dignity they had left and also to let the government and the world know, that we will not stand for this sort of political, social alienation anymore. I am proud of them for doing so, but I am disappointed that HINDRAF has used this peaceful gathering to further your own agenda, which reeks of the threat of violence and aggression. The people in the streets who sat down peacefully and faced the water cannons and tear gas, for what? This?
As a Malaysian, I will not stand for the suggestion that we are being “forced into terrorism like the Sri Lankan Tamils.” Why mobilize people through ethnicity? It only has caused to deepen this rift and create an “Us” and “Them” situation. As a Malaysian, I ask you to reconsider and unite under a larger banner, and include us in this fight for justice. Malays, Chinese and Indians, Malaysians.
If you do that, I am certainly with you. Until then, the rest of us, young and old Malaysians, from all walks of life will keep helping the marginalized in this country, but we will do it blind. Colour blind, under one banner. For now though, I more interested in repairing this situation, and doing something about what has happened. Obviously, we have numbers and critical mass. How can we mobilize civil society for further movements of change and action? For the upholding of a democracy, and most importantly, how do we break free from these shackles of race and religion? Will the lines ever get blurred? Will we finally tell THEM, enough, and have them LISTEN?
11 Comments
November 27, 2007 at 6:12 am
While I agree that the use of religious undertones needs to be managed, I think Hindraf are geniuses in playing the underdog trump card. In this instance, there is a need to make an outrageous claim for USD 1 million just to get the attention of the international media. In many ways, I compare this to what Gandhi did in India in where he amassed a large number of individuals to defy the British by making salt (the salt march). He didn’t have to, but it became a massive media power play across the globe and shamed the British. After all, why arrest people who are only trying to make salt?
Hindraf now needs to do a few things. Firstly, change their Indian only stance to something more inclusive. I think they established a good base to start off with, but now need to rally the troops a little bit more. They need to include the poor urban Malays and Chinese as well.
For one thing, this whole saga puts people like Khairy on the defensive. If Khairy can rally outside the US embassy, why not Hindraf? This again is an amazing powerplay because it forces the government into a corner. They can’t say it’s bad because they’ve done it before to a foreign government and they lose a lot of international credibility by talking about the whole permit issue. This seriously makes Pak Lah, look really bad.
Secondly, groups like Hindraf and Bersih need to move these sorts of initiatives outside Kuala Lumpur.
More interestingly though, is the new power of the Internet. Not only from the perspective of those with Broadband access but also the whole VCD campaigns and telephone MMS videos going around.
Interesting times.
November 27, 2007 at 7:37 am
Interesting times, indeed. But as for comparing the HINDRAF rally to the Salt March, I think that’s pushing it a little bit too far. I still maintain HINDRAF should have made this a Malaysian civil society initiative. You think this made Pak Lah look bad? Think how much better it would have looked if Malaysians walked that day for the Indians. Although, the issue here isn’t about making anyone look bad, I could care less how bad they looked and I don’t need to walk to do that, they all do it very well on their own. What needs to happen is action. A thrust in the right direction, with good intention, with motivated action, and most importantly, with moral fibre directing them, and us.
November 27, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Ahhh. Let me then ask you this question. Why is that just because they were predominantly Indian Malaysians that rallied, that this is not a “Malaysian civil society” initiative?
People often forget that Gandhi’s success was not about just passive resistance. It was about playing the media card and playing it well. There is so much chatter going on in the country now, that Hindraf has passed their first test.
The issue here is about making the government look bad. It’s politics.
The next steps is just what I highlighted above.
November 29, 2007 at 2:29 am
Hindraf seemed more fun, too bad I missed it and went fishing at mantin. At least in this one they throw stuff at the police.
November 29, 2007 at 9:29 pm
It was civil society, I will give you that.. but for the organisers to play up on the Tamil and Hindu aspect of the cause to me, was flawed. We’d all have made a better, bigger point if it were Malaysians of every colour out there for OUR brothers and sisters who are marginalised. So that, to me, is a better media card. And I beg to differ about making people look bad. My peers and myself have been trying for years to stop being classified by race, to stop others from thinking along racial lines, and fought hard to be called Malaysians, what HINDRAF did with the memo, and what they were espousing about wanting “Indian rights” – to me it’s regression. And playing the game exactly the way UMNO does. And that just doesn’t sit well with me. The people out there that day, they have my respect for finally speaking up though.
December 1, 2007 at 6:00 am
HEHEHEHE… Thanks Utaya..
Kesian Tamil.. Lalang tidak selalu hijau dude.. Pak Lah rulZ again.. They should have bring Tamil Tiger fighter and cyanide along during that rally..
Dare to change MyGOV.
December 2, 2007 at 6:57 am
Well, some of my telegu friends went for the rally, and I never hear them complaining about anything, besides the excessive force used by the FRU and police units. Some of my malayalee friends went for the rally and they never complained about anything too!
All that matters is that how you are viewing the rally, and your perception towards it. You keeping on emphasizing about the rally not being a ‘malaysian rally’ or at least, an ‘indian rally’ but instead, its more towards ‘tamil-hindu’ rally. Well, one thing for sure, the heroes who went for the rally were not there for the 1 million per head crap, but for the sake of getting themselves out of this marginalisation and discrimination faced by indians, or indirectly the non-bumiputras!
December 2, 2007 at 8:14 pm
IPityU – If change is needed, and any Malaysian brothers and sisters are marginalized, tak kira orang asli, bumiputera, atau lain-lain, why can’t we demand change? I’m sorry, but I’m here for the long haul and I’m a citizen, and it’s my government too. So yeah, I dare to change, it is my birthright to demand this of my benefactors.
Flabbergasted: I have no problem with the rally, or the people that went, as I stated in my post. I applaud the Indians, largely BN/MIC supporters for finally standing up, speaking out against the administration and taking ownership for their dissatisfaction. And I think the organisers deserve a thumbs up for getting that many out there, and mobilizing these people. However, I don’t agree with the same racist politics that are being played up by HINDRAF, it is no different than UMNO’s ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ and is creating a bigger “Us and Them” divide. It is unfortunate because we should be moving towards One Malaysia. But, you have your opinions and I have mine, and that’s powerful enough. As long as we keep working to eradicate, or lessen these instances of marginalization for EVERY Malaysian, I’m all for it. Thank you for dropping by
December 5, 2007 at 12:41 am
I think this is one of the better analysis of the HINDRAF rally: http://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/75613
December 5, 2007 at 12:46 am
Sorry, tercepat tekan submit.
I guess we need to look at the rally from their perspective – like KJ John said, empathy, not sympathy.
At the end of the day, if you’re still living in wooden houses in the middle of a plantation, and your job is threatened by the influx of foreign workers, legal or otherwise, into the country, where it seems that these workers have more rights than you eventhough you’ve been here for decades, when you and your kin have only been educated to Form 3 at most, and when you see changes happening so fast and it seems that no one is speaking on your behalf, I’d say that the last thing on your mind is unity and racial harmony.
It goes back to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, of you don’t have the basic necessities to live, that’s the thing you’re going to fight for. Who are we to say where, when and how they make their voices heard?
December 5, 2007 at 1:02 am
Najah- No problems looking at the rally through their perspective, for many they keep saying that HINDRAF woke them up, made them realise they had power to speak up. And I’m well aware that self esteem needs and actualization needs, far higher on the hierarchy is not their concern right now when they have mouths to feed. But, HINDRAF are the people I have an issue with, who I think are no different than anyone else in exploiting these very same Indians. These Indians need leadership as I highlighted, and I don’t think someone as reckless as Uthaya is it.