Sunday, December 02, 2007

Hindraf H-bomb blasted veneer off opposition multiracial mask

What was and has been amazing about the Hindraf rally on 25 November 2007?

What was amazing?

… the response of 30,000 uncles, aunties, aneh’s, aka’s, tambi’s and tangachee’s to the call by Hindraf to march to the British High Commission to hand over a petition. Such numbers in the response by a minority group despite police road blocks and other obstacles couldn't be anything but just amazing!

The frustration, pain and anger (at the arrogant and wanton destruction of a 100 year old temple on Divali’s eve) provided the plutonium, deuterium and tritium for its historic march of 25 November 2007.

Hindraf got its socio-economic-political H-bomb all primed up!

The unnecessary brutal actions by the Police to prevent the march provided the trigger that brought about the fusion, a mega thermonuclear blast felt around the world, and most certainly across the Indian Ocean. Locally, the radiation effect continues in devastating fashion ... I will discuss the unpleasant effect of the Hindraf H-radiation shortly.

The results of the Hindraf march exceeded the organisers’ expectation by a zillion times, thanks to the over-the-top heavy-handed treatment by the AAB government, a regrettable but predictable response.

The incompetent advisors have unwittingly magnified the government ethnocentric marginalisation of the Indian Malaysians instead of neutralising it – see Police helps Hindraf gain local & international attention.

Allowing Hindraf to conduct the march would have made it into nothing more than a peaceful ‘protest campaign organised by ‘fringe elements’ supposedly for a minority group in democratic tolerant Malaysia’ – alas, that was not to be, no, not in Boleh Land where clowns wear the crowns.

As for those ‘fringe elements’ who did a magnificent job marshalling supporters from the ranks of ‘mums and dads’, note that there was no high profile flamboyant personality involved or indeed required at all, not one who would only arrive when the arduous march through the intimidating phalanx of frowning FRU had concluded, so as to grab the spotlight and grandstand for political gains.

What has been amazing?

… I mentioned earlier that the Hindraf socio-economic-political H-bomb continues its devastating radiation effect locally.

I have to admit that what happened just before and after the Hindraf march had been totally unexpected.

Firstly, Malaysiakini reported that Anwar Ibrahim “… urged the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) to direct its grievances towards the ‘corrupt’ Umno-led Barisan Nasional government” but not Article 153 of the Constitution.

He also told Hindraf “to consider a more balanced and responsible approach to address its grievances”.

How would Hindraf be not balanced and not responsible in its approach of campaigning against Article 153?

Puzzled and annoyed by what I saw as his apparent protection of the ethnocentric marginalizing apartheid-ish Article 153, I question his sincerity in his recent (PKR) policy on the NEP.

Please see Anwar Ibrahim, Article 153 & Hindraf and Is Anwar Ibrahim backtracking on his policy on NEP?

Then I saw just prior to the march some so-called activists and staunch supporters of the Bersih rally just two weeks earlier, criticizing the Hindraf march as ‘chauvinistic’.

The kindest I can say of these so-called activists would be they couldn’t see the woods for the trees – yes, they couldn’t see the cruel poverty, unjust marginalization and intolerant and contemptuous* treatment of the Hindu religion suffered by a segment of Malaysians, for their silly selfish pedantic criticism of Hindraf being not ethnic-inclusive in its campaign against poverty. See Hindraf stabbed in back!

*even the top MIC Minister, mind you, a cabinet minister was given a contemptuous 'flick' by mere city hall enforcers

Then Norman Fernandez wrote a letter to Malaysiakini showing the hypocrisy of ABIM. What Fernandez said of the Islamic Youth NGO’s double standards was “...Dalam menuding jari terhadap Hindraf, Abim seolah-olah sengaja melupa perhimpunan agung Umno 2006” meaning ... ABIM pointing a finger at Hindraf [for racist seditious statements] but (as if deliberately) forgetting such racist seditious utterances at the UMNO General Assembly in 2006.


ABIM uttered not a word about the UMNO racist comments during the political party's 2006 general assembly.

Read Fernandez letter to Malaysiakini titled Abim tegur Hindraf, tapi tidak perwakilan Umno

Kaytee also did a wee canvassing on my own re the Berish-Hindraf dichotomy, and was shocked by one response which actually laid the blame for the violence on the Indians.

I have read yet another blogger condemning the Indians’ so-called violence in the Hindraf march while he had condemned the police violence in the Bersih rally.

I don’t know whether it’s appropriate to compare the police treatment of Bersih against that of Hindraf, but dear readers, you work it out yourself.

My conclusion is that Hindraf has achieved many things, one of which was to strip the veneer off the ‘face’ of opposition/NGO so-called multiracial fraternity.

The Hindraf H-mega-blast has shown that it was a wafer-thin veneer where beneath, all the old prejudices probably still lurk in silence, waiting eagerly to re-emerge.

While I still support the declared aims of Bersih, namely for a fair and clean election process, I now believe it was hijacked by certain politicians for their own interests, and in that, the Hindraf rally was a more sincere campaign, and because it was untainted, more to be supported.

See what I wrote in
25 November 2007 where its last paragraph reads:

The explosion of our H-synergy
Tore away masks of hypocrisy
Ripping to shreds the snow white
Fleece of ethnic wolves, howling
At black sheep not cukup Bersih
Not even of de facto human status
To merit the march in messianic
Footsteps to the Arc de Triomphe


As a blogger friend said in despair of Bersih: “Many in the opposition are just as rotten as the BN people.”

13 comments:

  1. Repression of Malaysian Hindus unacceptable: Anwar Ibrahim

    Mumbai (PTI): Anwar Ibrahim, former Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, on Saturday condemned Kuala Lumpur's crackdown on protests by ethnic Hindu citizens last week describing it as "unacceptable".

    Talking to the media at the Islamic Peace Conference here, Ibrahim also defended reactions in India, saying that "every country has a right to express its views diplomatically."

    http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200712012067.htm

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  2. Long time no comment in your blog. You still write in a way I could never write. So nice.

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  3. If you followed the news over the last year (and not just picked out one particular sentence from Anwar's response), the party has been right up there condemning the wanton destruction of Hindu temples , and calling for social justice for all in Malaysia.
    They are just being consistent in advocating a non-race-based approach to Malaysian society.

    I had similar reservations about Hindraf's approach, even as I supported their protest against the blatant discrimination against Malaysian Indians. Just being a mirror image opposition to BN's race-based policies isn't going to help us get to a progressive society.

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  4. We are promised mass death at every opportunity – every year the UMNO Youth Leader raises his dagger and kisses it to sow fear in the hearts of the minorities during UMNO annual assembly. This is cheered loudly by the participants of this annual hate festival with enquiries from the floor as to when the dagger will bathe minorities’ blood go unchecked. This is further reinforced by open threats issues by UMNO ministers via the print media promising the same, only sometimes in a more circumspect manner but carrying the same threat of a repeat of “May 13”. Published news articles support this statement.

    We are asked to leave Malaysia regularly – almost every other week one UMNO individual or another finds it necessary to call the minorities to “pack up and leave” Malaysia, despite these minorities being full-fledged Malaysian citizens. Published news articles support this statement.
    http://deaconsx.multiply.com/journal/item/18/Malaysia_Ethnic_Cleansing_Genocide_etc.

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  5. quote: "Then I saw just prior to the march some so-called activists and staunch supporters of the Bersih rally just two weeks earlier, criticizing the Hindraf march as ‘chauvinistic’.

    The kindest I can say of these so-called activists would be they couldn’t see the woods for the trees – yes, they couldn’t see the cruel poverty, unjust marginalization and intolerant and contemptuous* treatment of the Hindu religion suffered by a segment of Malaysians, for their silly selfish pedantic criticism of Hindraf being not ethnic-inclusive in its campaign against poverty. See Hindraf stabbed in back!"

    agree with you on this part. sad to note some bloggers (and popular prominent ones too) critcising the march as racial, communal, chauvinist and so on.

    also i find it strange they can say it is not only the indians are marginalised, the malays, chinese are too, so that's why they do not want to support the hindraf march, because if they do, meaning they will support only one race - the indians (while other races are marginalised too). sound like a silly logic to me.

    mental jog

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  6. Ooooh, I'm bored already. Any more protests rallies coming up in kl wknds? That's my spa days, facial, massage, pampering. So enuff alredy!

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  7. Good article. Yes, certainly we prefer Hindraf to be Malaysian-centric then Hindu-centric, but the point of the march, as you noted, concerns the marginalization of Indians in this country. And that's why, whatever the reservations, we should support the march. What's worse than not supporting the march is the attempt by people in the opposition to, for e.g., compare the plight of the Indians with the "plight of the Malays" in Pulau Pinang!!! Such comparison merely trivialized the sufferings of a community whose members were treated particularly harshly by the security forces, a community which, though at the bottomest rung of the economic food chain, has no claim to the government's "affirmative action" programs. We can go on with the situation facing Malaysian Indians, but I guess my message is, if you cannot help, at least don't undermine the cause of the downtrodden in the name of rationality or "multiracial approach."

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  8. hey hey chewxy, welcome back, long time no hear ;-)

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  9. Why DPM worry. He got plenty money. Mebbe he instigated violent police reaction to scuttle Khairy`s plans to be next PM.
    DPM could be trying to undermine Bodowee.

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  10. beauty mate beauty, well written.

    Who will stand up for the Indians? MIC, ptuiiiii, BN ptuiiiii.nobody, so the Indians will stand up for themselves. and that rally on 25/11, showed the Malaysia and rest of the world the power of unity.

    now to those who always say not happy leave the country, kiss my sweet brown a55, we are here to stay-tanah tumpahnya negaraku but we will not be bullied anymore, NO more.

    I am Msian of indian parentage and have brought as Malaysian . I speak no indian language,not a Hindu by faith and never bothered to learn one but that doesn't stop me from understanding the cries of the Msian Indians. My brown skin(or black for the res tof non-Indian Msians) glistens in warm sun and is proud of it.

    Regards

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  11. Black is beautiful.

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  12. KTemoc, you da man! You're right, the HINDRAF rally may be in-your-face, politically incorrect and occasionally bumbling, but at least they're sincere and consistent.

    I really don't know what to say if in the name of rationality over sympathy, the plight of Indians should be ignored until further notice.

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  13. why don't we fight for malaysia for malaysian ... no bumi, no malay, no india, no cina,etc

    all malaysian will get equal benefit ... No SMJK - no that no that ...

    NO political party that based on race ... No movement or organisation that based on race

    all bahasa being learn in one school

    i'm malay - i also want to know about tamil and mandarin.

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