Online newsreports and the Tamil media have in the last three days reported on whether Anwar Ibrahim will engage Hindraf in the next general elections.
For 50 long years an Indian mandore political party for personal gains sold out the Indian community to UMNO and gave on a silver platter for “free” some 90% of the Indian votes to UMNO/ B.N of which Anwar Ibrahim had once upon a time served as the No 2.
In the aftermath of the 25th November 2007 100,000 people Hindraf Rally, believing that PKR, DAP and PAS would “save” the Indian poor, Hindraf gave unconditional political directions and some 90% of the Malaysian Indians broke the 50 year pro B.N loyalist mindset, “turned turtle” and voted for PKR, DAP and PAS when P.R unprecedentedly won in five West Coast states (including Wilayah Persekutuan of Kuala Lumpur where P.R. won ten out of the 11 Parliamentary seats) and broke UMNO/BNs’ 50 year monopoly on their two thirds majority in Parliament.
But alas P.R was very little different from UMNO in particular in the three P.R. states of Kedah, Penang and Selangor and in their role vis a vis the Opposition benches at the Federal level.
Having come to power, P.R. refused to even address the land for all Hindu temples and cemeteries, all 58, 28 and 98 Tamil schools in Kedah, Penang and Selangor and Indian villages/settlements deemed squatters problem all in one go which they have 100% powers to deliver. This would in effect have solved half the Indian poor problems in at least Kedah, Penang and Selangor.
In a blatant act of betrayal, within months of coming to power the DAP Penang state government “ethnically cleansed” the defenseless Kg Buah Pala Indian poor, the last Indian traditional village in Penang.
What we regretfully saw in the post March 8th 2008 General Elections was in effect a continuation of the UMNO agenda of especially using the P.R. Indian mandores to circumvent addressing even the most pressing Indian poor problems. Thus HRP’s Project 15/38 as per P.Uthayakumar’s book “Indian Political Empowerment strategy – the way forward” which was launched on 19/7/2009.
For the records Hindraf and HRP had from the word go never asked from P.R. and neither were we offered any appointed positions like Senators, Directors of state G.LCs’, Councillors, Village Heads etc. Because our struggle ab initio was in the public interest Hindrafs’ 18 point demands and never the aforesaid showcase and showpiece Indian mandore positions or anything for personal gain.
And when P.R refuses to fulfill at least even one of Hindrafs’ 18 point demands in at least the three P.R ruled states are they going to do so when they get to Putrajaya? ….. is plain and obvious!
It is our unwavering political agenda to end UMNOs’ racist and supremacist 54 year old continuous grip of power. In the present circumstances we would very much like to support P.R. taking over the seat of power at Putrajaya and for Anwar Ibrahim to be the next Prime Minister. But we are not prepared to trust Anwar Ibrahim, PKR, DAP, PAS or PR with a “blank cheque” or a “rain cheque” for that matter to Putrajaya.
Neither will we take up the Indian mandores role in P.R a la MIC vis a vis UMNO/B.N. We want to be an empowered part of the decision making process at Putrajaya with the view to spearhead policy changes at the highest political level and to do so without fear or favour to at the very least undo the injustices having been inflicted on especially the Indian poor in over the last 54 years.
If Anwar Ibrahim rejects this our political agenda, we will be left with no alternative but to go solo with HRP’s Project 15/38. The least we ask is for P.R. not to be spoilers in these 15/38 seats but to make way for HRP in our common political agenda to oust UMNO out of the seat of power at Putrajaya.
Rights not Mercy.
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P.Uthayakumar
Secretary General (Pro tem)
