What people say about Hindraf

Read what various people have to say about the Hindraf rally held on Sunday 25 November 2007 in the following commentaries.

Bersih and Hindraf gatherings: An awakening of the marginalised - Anil Netto

"I believe what we are witnessing now is the awakening of the economically marginalised and disempowered who are rebelling against the system, which has seen Big Business profiting at the expense of the people. I doubt there were many rich Hindus from the posh neighbourhoods of, for instance, Damansara and Bangsar at the Hindraf protest today… just as you didn’t see the wealthy bumiputera elite at the Bersih gathering.

While it is heartening that the marginalised are stirring, it is important that we realise that their suffering cuts across ethnic barriers. Many have simply been pushed to the periphery by our model of development, which is relentlessly driven by Big Business tied closely to the vested interests of the political elite.

More Malaysians must wake up from their slumber - and join hands with one another!"


The Hindraf Campaign: A Critique – Dr. Kumar

"We should not forget that apart from racial discrimination, the majority of Indians face economic discrimination because they are workers in a system that favours the businessmen and the capitalists. About 70% of Malaysian Indians are workers. The problem they face as workers include

- low wages. In many factories the basic pay in RM 18 per day, which works out to RM 468 per month.
- There is no job security. Outsourcing, the widespread use of contract workers, and the easy availability of migrant workers all weaken the bargaining position of Malaysian labour.
- Labour laws are being tightened and being made more pro management;
- Low cost adequate housing is difficult to find.
- Prices of goods is rising faster than wages! Petrol, toll and now flour.
- Basic services – health care, education, roads, water - which used to be heavily subsidized are now becoming increasingly expensive;

The problems listed above are also experienced by workers of all races in Malaysia – even the Malays, who are the beneficiaries of the Bumiputra policies. Only about 20% of Malay workers have jobs in government. The remainder have to work in the private sector where they too experience economic discrimination as workers in a capitalist economy. Malays workers are not exempted from the problems of low wages, job insecurity, rising costs of basic services, etc."


Why I will walk this Sunday - Nat Tan

"If we were to wait for another mass rally that will take a more mature, universalistic approach to race relations while actually having an impact in calling attention to the horrific living conditions facing Indian Malaysians today, we will wait forever."
...

I don’t believe that an Indian-centric approach alone will solve the problems of the Indians, but I do believe that they have been screwed over like few others have ever been screwed over. I don’t believe in sacrificing a more embracing conceptualisation (“Malaysian rights”) for an increasingly narrow one (“Hindu Rights”), but I do believe that some – if not all – of the grouses are perfectly well founded."


Why I walked on Nov 25 - Geetha K

"I was gratified to learn that the protest was not about the money, the queen or even the world learning about their plight. It was simply an act of breaking the shackles, which was something the average Malaysian who had never experienced life as a marginalised, ignored, economically, educationally and socially deprived Indian, could understand.

Against the backdrop of the gleaming, iconic twin towers, thousands of Indians had gathered, a sight never witnessed by our nation’s capital before. The few women present were mostly middle-aged, dressed not in the least like the swanky Klites.

It was quite painful to stand there and watch these women being hauled up and pushed into police trucks, with a look of fear etched on their faces - not unlike stray dogs rounded-up by local council officers."

Samy Vellu has failed Indian Malaysians - Dr CK

"If all poor Indians are taken care of, as MIC claims, then who are the thousands of Indians who turned up? There should not be anyone there. Do you think people will leave their jobs and come from all over the country to face the FRU and police? Don’t they have anything better to do? What about the poor Indians and the ones who could not attend but supports it 100 percent?
...

The Indians have joined the mass peaceful march because they have no other avenue, they have nowhere else to turn to because all the channels have been exhausted. It has been a long, depressing and frustrating journey for the poor Indians and we stand in one voice. It is about time the government looks into this. Please don’t turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to this. We are only seeking your help for the poor Indians. If you are really a prime minister for all the races, please look into this. Ask yourself, why?"


The Personal Dignity Of HINDRAF Supporters - Malik Imtiaz Sarwar

"How does this rally, planned for a Sunday morning, differ from the one organized by UMNO Youth during Condoleeza Rice’s visit to Kuala Lumpur on a Friday afternoon? That demonstration took place in the same vicinity, also had fiery and inflammatory speeches and was directed to a person or organisation other than the Malaysian government. That demonstration was aggrandized by the local media, with photographs of a defiant Khairy Jamaluddin, in arm sling to boot, gracing the leading pages (if not the front pages) of the mainstream print media
....

The UMNO Youth demonstration was as much about personal dignity as the HINDRAF Rally is. For, at the heart of the HINDRAF cause is a serious complaint about the marginalizing of the Hindhu community and a plea for recognition of the plight of this particular marginalized community
....

I do not necessarily agree with the manner in which HINDRAF has decided to espouse its cause. Though I recognize the point HINDRAF is making, I believe that we should be fighting for the cause of all underprivileged and marginalized Malaysians. Having said that, the apparently inconsistent stance of the Police and the Government where rallies are concerned can only lead one to a conclusion that there may be some truth to what HINDRAF is saying."

Are we not Indian enough? - Ananthi

"It was about being neglected, about not having a seat at the table to bargain, about having a national and communal leadership that we do not trust and is utterly discreditable. It is about saying no to being the forgotten Indians, and not enough of us in our comfortable houses, those of us who managed to work the system to our benefit - stood with the other Indians, who are not so different from us."


A report from Ground Zero, Jalan Ampng: Post assembly

"Our Malaysian brothers were out there, merely asking for their rights, tired of being suppressed and left out of the economic race. In a way, they were voicing out their needs to be considered an integral part of the economy. For too long their cries went unheard by the leaders. Did not see any one behave in an unruly manner, while many fellow Indians had fears that the crowd may go overboard, cause at times Indians are well known for their fiery tempers! Nevertheless, their behaviour as what I saw was exemplary."


A SUNDAY WALK WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS - Bernard Khoo

I took the opportunity to engage my fellow-walkers. Palani, an electronic technician from Kedah volunteered, “We are here not for the money from the Queen. We are here my friends and I to ask for fair treatment and equal opportunities “ His friends echoed similar sentiments but the most vocal was Sundaraj from Sentul. “Our temples are torn down, our gods are bulldozed into pieces. Samy Velu did not protest for us, so we have to do it ourselves.”