by P Ramasamy

Last Sunday, more than 10,000 Indian Malaysians converged in the heart of Kuala Lumpur to raise concerns about their religious, ethnic and democratic rights.

The gathering organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) was meant to draw the attention of the government to their socio-economic plight.

There have been demonstrations by Indians in the past. Workers in plantations and urban areas have periodically demonstrated against employers over living and working conditions.

However, demonstrations against the government were hardly seen until last Sunday – and it was the biggest every organised by Indians.

The fact that Hindraf, a coalition of more than 30 Indian groupings, could mobilise so many Indians from all over the country is testimony to the general unhappiness and frustration among the community.

They demanded an end to ethnic discrimination, for better employment prospects and for respect of their religious institutions.

Since political independence in 1957, Indians whose forefathers came from south India as labourers in plantations and urban centres have felt that they have been marginalised by the policies and programmes of the Umno-controlled government. Indian marginalisation and discrimination became a big issue after the New Economic Policy (NEP) was introduced in the 1970s to address Malay socio-economic grievances in the aftermath of the 1969 racial riots.

Over the last two decades or so, the government’s vigorous implementation of the NEP has invariably resulted in Indians not getting decent employment in the public sector. It has resulted in a lack of opportunities in the private sector and, with growing emphasis on Islam, has affected the religious and cultural practices of Indians, the majority of whom are Hindus.

The demolition of temples on grounds of these are illegal structures has contributed to alienating the community. Indians think this is related to over-zealousness on the part of state Muslim officials to emphasise the Islamic aspect of the administration.

It is on record that some of the temples that were removed or destroyed were built more than 50 years ago. Earlier this year, two days before Deepavali, a Hindu temple in Shah Alam, Selangor, was destroyed by the combined force of the police and city officials [as part of a wider exercise that saw a settlement and a surau also torn down]. Even the MIC’s intervention could not save the temple.

Watershed reached

While the Indian community’s complaints stretch back a few decades, it was the removal of temples by state authorities in recent years that have inflamed ethnic and religious sentiments. Moreover, the MIC’s inability to articulate and rectify the grouses has meant that Indians have sought to support other Indian-based organisations such as Hindraf.

The formation of Hindraf was basically to address the community’s plight. To attract wide publicity for the cause, the coalition filed a US$4 trillion legal suit against the British government for abandoning the interests of the community in the aftermath of political independence.

Hindraf might not think it possible to win the legal suit, but is using it as a grand strategy to raise the profile of Indians and to embarrass the Malaysian government.

In essence, this demonstration by Indians was an expression of pent-up frustration over ethnic and religious discrimination. The general sense of alienation needed just a trigger and the destruction of the Shah Alam temple, two days before Deepavali, galvanised Indians to express their dissatisfaction in the form of a mammoth demonstration.

This indicates that Indians have reached the stage where they are not prepared to listen to the MIC leadership. The party has lost some of its credibility as the voice of the community. By being too dependent on Umno, it has strayed from articulating the serious political, economic, social and cultural concerns of Indians.

Indians seem to have sent a message to the government that they are prepared to defend their rights. During the demonstration, many of them carried pictures of Mahatma Gandhi to emphasise the peaceful nature of their struggle.

While demonstrations in the past centered around the struggle of the working class, Sunday’s rally was composed of Indians from all classes – the working class, petty middle class, professionals and business community.

It appears therefore that Indians Malaysians have finally awoken from their long slumber. Unless and until the government genuinely addresses some of their grievances, Indians might be inclined to further their agitation.