As you have rightly pointed out the Indians have been crushed for decades. The tarred roads they laboured over have almost become a reflection of their marginalisation, while others have long passed that road to acheive their dreams. For decades the community, their children and peoples continue to face the same cycle of poverty, discrimination and disenfranchisement.

The Indians have often stood with others in the cause of fighting against injustices, often to the point of losing the little fincances they have. They have often walked championing the cause of emancipation for other minorities while they lost their own priveleges, often at the expsense of their own lives. Invariably, when Indians stand up for their own plight, they stand alone.This predicament after five decades of oppression will not get them any standing ovation, other than continued “Police prison lock up mystery deaths” and a stoic establishment silence and refusal to prosecute those who perpetrated brutal killings of their families in slums such as Kampong Medan.

Selective journalism has been with us long before the oldest profession. And it does exhibit its “assets” for maximum appeal. It amuses me to varying degrees of hilarity and sorrow as to how far some would go to legitamize their prejudice and religous bigotry against Indians. Feeding off the crumbs of Umno Printing Press Act table can have an adverse effect on institutionalised loyalty and allegiance. Rice bowl journalism however does create a dependence that is hard to disenggage.

It is interesting to observe that none of the goverment-controlled media has dared to break ranks from the establishment leash to feature an independent non-biased interviewwith Uthayakumar. His view or version of the Hindraf march has instead been portrayed as one that is seditious and militant. The issue of multiple deaths of Indians in prison or the Kampong Medan killings has been deliberately concealed.

I have yet to see Rocky or any of the BN concubine media take Umno Youth keris waving jihadists to task for inciting racial or religous sentiment. The simple fact is that threats of ethnic cleansing by keris waving politician according to these media concubines are to be condoned, the less influential minorities with little economic clout must be coerced to apologize for using their voices, in other words, the marginalised Malaysian Indians is only qualified to be the nation’s top candidate reseverved for the heaviest possible crush.

After all, are not the marginalised Malaysian Indians and other minorities not to smile and politely nod and sing praises to the goverment’s ketuanan Melayu concept? We are being constantly lectured about the “intrinsic value” of ketuanan Melayu to the point any protest may result a quick confrontation from the boys at Kamunting. Perhaps it is a silencing we will ulitmately get used to? Umno Youth hopes is passionately convinced we will.

The legitimate issues brought up by Hindraf should not be eclipsed by selective journalism, nor Umno jihadist propaganda. As Malaysians witnessed, none of the goverment-controlled media dared to state how the Police and FRU bulldozed the Batu Caves temple and shot chemical-laced water jets and tear gas into captive crowds. After all, as far as the goverment-controlled media is concerned, the BBC and other foreign media are all united against Umno putras and on a conspisary to “fabricate” news of what happened on the Sunday March. How dare any institution challenge the almighty Barisan controlled-media!

The local Press went on a rampage to feature a tirade of fabricated “scoops” like the allegation that Hindraf members allegedly attacked an Indian restaurant in Brickfields(Paandi). Even in their retraction (when the restaurant owner himself exposed the blatant lies), the Star failed to print a retraction. Sri Paandi Restaurant boss Mr Thomas and Mr Kumar denies making any allegation against Hindraf or to indicate that they were responsible for an attack by thugs at his restaurant. Nevertheless, Tv1, Tv2, Tv3 or NTV7, Bernama and The Malay Mail quoted that he did. Such media control and manuevering by the Umno-controlled goverment rivals any coup de tat.

In my opinion, Indians of various religous background and persuasions will stand with Hindraf for the following reasons:

Firstly, Hindraf has a legitimate right to speak out against the systematic ethnic cleansing of poor and marginalised Indians that has manifested over the past three decades. There is irrefutable evidence of this in the aspect of multiple deaths or “Police related lock-up deaths” and the involment of goverment in carrying out such dastardly attacks. Uthayakumar himself has documented death threats against him and the destruction to his car and property in retaliation to his determination to defend Indians from these injustices.

Secondly, Indians of other religous and ethnic persuasions have witnessed similar violations against them, the destruction of churches and property including the demolition of crosses and statues in Christian schools and Convents and to the Orang Asli in the interior has been carried out systematically. There is documented evidence of these and other violations and the goverment must demonstrate sincerity in its claim to openess to executing justice for these oppressed groups.

Thirdly, the current MIC leadership has failed to bring economic, social or cultural emancipation to the community. There needs to be a new impetus and reformation in seeking development and breakthrough for the community.
The continued propaganda and demonization of Hindraf is counterproductive and serves only to promote the narrow racist policies of Umno and its Barisan agents. It is pivotal that other communities stand with Hindraf in their struggle liberate the Indian community from its captive status. When one chooses to remains silent when a minority is being crushed, it may reap silence when if falls on them.