Interlok is not demeaning, says Chandra

An academician takes a look at the controversial school textbook and comes up with another interpretation.

PETALING JAYA: The controversial textbook “Interlok” does not demean or derogate the Indian community, chairman of Yayasan 1Malaysia’s board of trustees, Chandra Muzaffar, said today.

According to him, the book merely attempts to relate through fiction the challenges of the Indian community in interacting with the Malays and Chinese during the early 20th century.

“In its own way the novel seeks to foster inter-ethnic understanding and solidarity, especially among the deprived and disadvantaged from the Malay, Chinese and Indian communities,” he said in a press statement.

The textbook, authored by national laureate Abdullah Hussein, is used as a literature piece for Form 5 students this year. It recently sparked outrage within the Indian community over the inclusion of derogatory words like “black people” and “pariah” to describe them.

Chandra, however, advised Interlok’s critics to view the use of the word “pariah” within the context of the larger themes that run through the book.

According to him, the word was used to explain why the mostly Tamil-speaking passengers on the Malaya- bound ship were able to relate to each other with ease.

“They were all ‘pariah’ within the caste system,” he said. “Whether this was factually true or not is another matter.”

“There are of course other inaccuracies about ethnography and geography in the novel, compounded by simplistic assumptions about ethnic characteristics, which diminish its value as a social commentary.”

Chandra also pointed out that the Indian anger against Interlok revolved around that singular word and not around its worth as a social commentary.

“That word has always had a pejorative connotation,” he stated. “Whatever the context of its usage, it would be perceived as negative.”

“And because ‘pariah’ is inherently pejorative, Mahatma Gandhi replaced it with ‘harijan’ ( children of God) in the midst of the Indian struggle for independence from British rule.”

Despite his stand on the issue, he nevertheless suggested that the word “pariah” be removed in the best interest of the country and expressed confidence that its removal would not alter the author’s intent.

“I am sure Abdullah Hussein would be able to appreciate the significance of this slight modification at a time like this,” he said.

“The Education Ministry officials are no doubt conscious of how serious ethnic sensitivities have become in today’s Malaysia which in this specific instance has a profound socio-historical root that has generated strong emotions for millennia.”

Chandra conveyed Yayasan 1Malaysia’s support of the proposed dialogue between the ministry and representatives of the Indian community on the controversy and advised them to approach it with an open mind.

“All of us should try to view issues like Interlok against this backdrop,” he said. “In recent years, the Malaysian community has become overly sensitive to ethnic slurs and insults, real or imagined.”

“This is partly because the level of inter-ethnic trust has declined considerably. Though some attempts are being made to address the underlying causes of this deterioration in ethnic relations, we have a long way to go before we arrive at a new equilibrium.”

“In the meantime, we must all learn to compromise and concede, adjust and accommodate. For Malaysia, one of the most multi-ethnic societies in the world, it is a matter of survival. One pejorative word should not be allowed to destroy our future.” - FMT