The Union Government is very enthusiastic about holding the Pravasi Bharatiya International Conference with great fanfare as it is an occasion to canvass for increased NRI investments and win encomiums from the powerful non-resident Indian community abroad, but unfortunately, it takes little or no interest in addressing the problems of the less privileged Indian community which is looking for support and intervention in the face of near racial annihilation in countries like Malaysia.
For the last many years groups of Indian origin people from Malaysia have been petitioning the Indian government of the serious racial discrimination and ethnic cleansing going on in that country. There are some two million people of Indian origin living there, majority of them are Tamil speaking Hindus. They are a proud, hard working, law abiding and tradition bound community. They look to India for cultural and spiritual inspiration. Now, they are seeking political initiatives also.
A delegation of the oppressed Indian community in Malaysia under the leadership of Mr Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy, chairman of HINDRAF, Malaysia, who was detained for two years for organising a protest meet of oppressed Indian community in that country in 2007, is in India attending the Pravasi Bharatiya Conference (January 7 to 9), and he submitted a memorandum to the participants narrating the heart-wrenching condition of his people. The inhuman suffering into which the religious persecution and ethnic discrimination have driven the Indian community deserves world wide condemnation and immediate intervention of the Government of India and the United Nations. So far, the US is the only country that has taken note of the situation in Malaysia and made a reference to the violations of Human Rights with that government.
The HINDRAF, according to Ponnusamy, who is a barrister at law from Lincoln’s Inn, has already approached the UN Human Rights citing the grave danger facing this Indian origin minority community in Malaysia.
This journal has on a number of earlier occasions reported about the state sponsored atrocities and discriminations, wanton destruction of thousands of temples, forced occupation of temple property, crematorium and religious intolerance in that country. But if what Ponnusamy has narrated in his 60-page long report is any indication then the eight per cent strong Indian origin community in Malaysia is facing a near annihilation. They face not just religious persecution, but their basic human rights and rights as citizens of the land of their forefathers is being systematically denied under the Wahabi Islamist racist regime. The victims are third, fourth and fifth generation Malaysians of Indian origin. They are descendants of the migrants from India whom the British had taken as labourers for the plantations there over two hundred years ago. The government has robbed these people of their fundamental rights, and denied equal opportunities in every segment of human activity. By explicit state policies the vast majority of Malaysian Indians are excluded from the national mainstream. These people are not given a chance to get better education, health care, drinking water, ration, social congregation, equal opportunity to compete, bank loans, licence to set up even small eateries and grocery shops. They are denied admission to higher education institutions and are condemned to remain daily wage poor unskilled labourers. Majority of them live in huts and temporary shelters as land and housing rights are denied by the state. Even the low income unskilled jobs are taken away on religious grounds. The community is, as part of the pursuit of ethnic cleansing and Islamisation, are not given birth and marriage certificates. Conversion is made mandatory for getting admission to better educational institutions, government jobs, industry licence or bank loan. The Indian origin community is barred, according to this report, from economic and social development programmes, cultural and recreational activities, social functions and festivals. For raising these issues and organising a massive protest a number of Malaysian lawyers including Mr P Udaykumar and Mr M Manoharan were arrested and detained without trial under the draconian Internal Security Act for 514 days. A large number of people were arrested in the midst of police firing and many injured and maimed for life as a result of the police atrocities. These two lawyers who were released recently attended the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and pleaded their case before the large audience from all over the world. These people are appalled by the studied indifference and silence of the Government of India. They also charge the Indian Missions abroad of callous indifference if not hostility to plea for help of the plight of Indian origin peoples abroad.
The Government of India can play a proactive role in redressing the situation. India traditionally has cordial relations with Malaysian Government. India has large areas of mutual cooperation and trade relations with that country. The Indian Government with its record of excessive pandering to Indian minorities can canvass and convince its counterpart in Malaysia to be more humane, at least be mindful of the UN Declaration of Human Rights which in itself will go a long way in helping the Indian community lead a life of dignity. It can also open a special wing in the Ministry of External Affairs to register and follow-up on Human Rights violations and religious freedom of Indian origin overseas communities. This is the least the Government of India can do as it hosts such self-serving jamborees year after year in the name of Pravasi Bharatiyas.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
India should be concerned about human rights issues of Pravasi Bharatiyas
Selangor PKR Mandore visits Nik Aziz
Selangor PKR Indian Mandore’s wayang kulit visit to PASs’ Nik Aziz( ref MN 26/1/10 at page 18) . Why couldn’t this PKR Indian mandores secure Nik Aziz who is the Mursyidul Am PAS (spiritual leader) to issue a fatwa stopping all hindu temples and crematorium demolishments in Malaysia on the occasion of this visit. The least favour this PKR Indian mandore could have done on this visit is to ask Nik Aziz to advise the Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan not to further demolish the 200 year old Ladang Batu Pekaka, Kuala Ketil, Kedah, Hindu cemetery but retain, maintain and preserve this Hindu cemetery within the compound of Kedah’s University Insamiah as has been preserved/done for a Chinese cemetery within the compound of University Pertanian Malaysia and the muslim tomb inside Waterfall Penang Hindu temple compound.
We recollect that immediately after the year 2000 general elections a group of excited PKR Indians led by one Malai Krishnan took a bus load of unassuming Indians to call on Nik Aziz but who has since done zero for the ethnic minority Indian in Malaysia which incidentally a muslim leader is duty bound to protect.
And now history repeats itself with this new PKR Indian Mandore’s blind devotion to PAS’s Nik Aziz vis a vis Anwar Ibrahim who cares a damn about even the critical Indian problems and Lim Guan Eng, the destroyer of Kg. Buah Pala .
Posted by Admin
Hero’s burial for Ghazali Shafie
National Hero’s burial for Ghazali Shafie. What about National hero’s burial for the late Tun V.T. Sambanthan, Tan Sri Manicka, V. David, John Thivy, Bhud Singh, Ganaapathy (a labour rights leader who was hanged by the british) etc. Is this the One Malay-sia?
P. Uthayakumar
Desperate for Indian votes, PM to grace Thaipusam
Najib creates history as first Prime Minister to attend the Thaipusam festival (MM 25/1/10 at page 10). Last week Najib was in India desperately calling on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and the Central Indian leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
This is UMNO’s miscalculation! The (95%) tamil minority in Malaysia have not forgotten or forgiven Mr. Manmohan Singh and Mr. Karunanidhi as they both enabled and watched silently the killings and atrocities by the majority Singhalese in just across the straits against the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.
Even P. Uthayakumar and his delegation and earlier P. Waytha Moorthy refused to meet Mr. Karunanithi for his sole reason.
UMNO and Najib would have done better by visiting the graves of the Kg. Medan ethnic cleansing victims and make amends!
UMNO denied agri land to 7 poor Indian families toiling land for 50 years
SETIAWAN 26 Januari – Tujuh keluarga masyarakat India yang menyara hidup mereka dengan mengusahakan pertanian di atas tanah kerajaan selama 50 tahun terkilan apabila mendapat tahu bahawa tanah tersebut telah dijual kepada seorang individu yang bergelar ‘Datuk’. Sejurus itu mereka telah berjumpa dengan Ahli Parlimen Pangkalan Baru, Dato Haji Hamdi Abu Bakar di pejabatnya. Sejak dahulu lagi, keluarga keturunan India ini bersusah payah membersihkan kawasan hutan dan mengusahakan pertanian untuk menyara kehidupan mereka. Selepas berjumpa dengan seorang pegawai tanah daerah Manjong, beliau berkata bahawa tanah tersebut telah didaftar sebagai ‘tanah simpanan Melayu’. (Tamil Nesan 26/01/10 di muka surat 4).
HRP: Had these seven families been Malay Muslims the UMNO led Malay-sian government would have a long time ago converted this land into Rancangan Kampung Tersusun (RKT) and made these seven poor families land owners with a permanent and lasting solution.
In the alternative these malay muslims would have been given the ten acre land ownership schemes for the poor in Felda, Felcra, Risda, Fama, Agropolitan etc.
This plight of these seven (7) Malaysian Indian minority is just the tip of the iceberg under the racist, religious extremist and supremacist UMNO regime. This wolf in sheeps’ clothes making it out to be one Malay-sia under their UMNO Prime Minister Najib Razak.
PKR: MB Selangor enggan jumpa masyarakat India tiada berumah
SHAH ALAM, 26 Januari - Penduduk Petaling Utama PPR Lembah Subang, telah membuat keputusan untuk berjumpa dan berbincang dengan Menteri Besar Selangor. Berhubung perkara ini mereka telah berhimpun di pejabat Menteri Besar Selangor dan telah menyerahkan surat tentang permintaan mereka kepada ketua setiausaha peribadi Menteri Besar, Norsaton Aini Mohd Kasim. Rancangan pembangunan yang dijalankan di Kampung Muniyandi serta Kampung Kanagampuram yang dahulunya terletak di Petaling Utama telah menyebabkan segelintir daripada penduduk kampung tersebut dipindah ke rumah panjang yang dibina bersebelahan untuk beberapa tahun. Kini kerajaan memerlukan tanah yang didirikan rumah panjang tersebut untuk membina sekolah rendah kebangsaan. Jadi kerajaan membuat keputusan untuk memindahkan penduduk rumah panjang ini ke Blok E yang dibina bersebelahan dengan rumah panjang.
Tetapi pembinaan blok E tergendala dan para penduduk diminta untuk berpindah ke rumah pangsa Lembah Subang PPR yang terletak sejauh 7km dari tempat asal mereka. Mereka tidak bersetuju dengan keputusan ini kerana sebelum ini terdapat banyak keluarga yang dipindah dengan janji sementara ke rumah pangsa tersebut tetapi sudah 11 tahun mereka tinggal di sana tanpa mendapat rumah sendiri. Jadi 29 keluarga yang masih tinggal di rumah panjang ini ingin meyelesaikan masalah perumahan mereka dengan menemui Menteri Besar Selangor tanpa ada pihak tengah dan hanya akan berpindah ke blok F yang dibina untuk mereka sekiranya pihak pemaju dan MPS Petaling Jaya berjanji agar mereka diberi sewa rumah serta wang pampasan ganti rugi. Tiada penyelesaian sehingga kini menyebabkan mereka ingin berjumpa dengan Menteri Besar. (Malaysia Nanban 26/01/10 di muka surat 1).
Tanah Sekolah Tamil dicuri UMNO dan PKR
Tanah Sekolah Tamil dicuri UMNO dan PKR
Dengkil, Januari 24- Tanah seluas 3.25 ekar yang telah diberi kepada Sekolah Tamil Dengkil Taman Permata kini telah bertukar menjadi 2.25 ekar. Isu ini membangkitkan pertanyaan orang ramai tentang bagaimana sebahagian dari tanah seluas 3.25 ekar yang telah diberi khususnya untuk Sekolah Tamil, Dengkil, Taman Permata boleh digunakan untuk pembinaan lebuhraya dan juga kuil hindu berdekatan dengan sekolah tersebut. Sekolah ini telah dibina dengan menyatukan sekolah –sekolah tamil yang telah terlibat dalam Rancangan Pembangunan Putrajaya. Sewaktu membangunkan kawasan ladang, para pekerjanya telah dipindahkan ke kawasan berhampiran bandar Dengkil dan ditempatkan di rumah pangsa yang terletak di sana. Anak- anak mereka sedang belajar di sekolah ini. Sekolah dan kuil tersebut di bina di atas tanah kepunyaan kerajaan dan ia terletak jauh dari tempat tinggal mereka. Padang sekolah yang dahulunya berbentuk segiempat sekarang telah bertukar menjadi segitiga akibat pengambilan tanah untuk pembinaan lebuhraya ke Putrajaya besebelahan dengan lapangan terbang KLIA. Akibat pengambilan semula sebahagian dari tanah, sekolah bakal menghadapi masalah untuk pembinaan bangunan tambahan. Lokasi sekolah serta kuil ini dapat mengundang bahaya kepada pelajar serta pengunjungnya kerana ia didirikan berhampiran dengan saluran gas/ bahan pembakaran. Sekiranya berlaku kemalangan meletup ia boleh membahayakan nyawa pelajar. (Makkal Osai 24/01/10 di muka surat 5)
HRP: Seperti biasa tiada sebarang surat bertulis atau geran diberikan kepada tanah sekolah tamil ini dan beratus- ratus lagi sekolah di mana pihak yang terlibat dan / atau menjadi mangsa ialah orang keturunan India. Jadi ia membolehkan kedua- dua kerajaan UMNO dan juga Kerajaan Negeri PKR, DAP dan PAS mencuri semula tanah sekolah tamil, kuil hindu, kubur hindu dan sebagainya sesuka mereka. Bagaimana saluran gas/ bahan bakar selalunya dibenarkan untuk berfungsi berhampiran dengan hanya sekolah- sekolah tamil sahaja. Kami telah mendapat tahu tentang wap petrol yang menyebabkan pelajar sekolah tamil di Shah Alam dimasukkan dalam wad di hospital. Malah Sekolah Tamil Jalan Sibilin dan juga Sekolah Tamil Saraswathy di Jalan Klang Lama berada dalam kawasan likungan empat stesen petrol yang bersebelahan. Kenapa masyarakat India sahaja yang menjadi mangsa kepada penganiyaan- penganiyaan sedemikian.
Yang Benar,
____________________
P.Uthayakumar
Setiausaha Agong (penaja)
