Hindraf Makkal Sakthi will never give in to Umno despite 'persecution'

Despite its leaders being prosecuted by the government, Hindraf Makkal Sakthi will continue to fight for the Indian community and speak out against the alleged racism practiced by Umno, according to its coordinator S Jayathas.

“No way, we will never give in or give up no matter what ways they use to try and persecute us,” Jayathas told Malaysia Chronicle in an interview on Wednesday.

“The Umno government is using all ways and means to demoralize us and through us the Malaysian Indians. But we know what they are up to and we will continue to fight them as long as we have breath in our bodies and until the discrimination against us ceases.”

Jayathas and 4 others were charged at the Selayang Sessions Court on Tuesday for taking part in a protest organized by the outlawed Hindu Rights Action Force or Hindraf.

More arrests soon

But Jayathas said the Sunday rally to protest perceived Umno racism against the other ethnic groups and its refusal to acknowledge that the controversial book Interlok was sensitive to the Indians had been organized by Hindraf Makkal Sakthi and not Hindraf.

Hindraf Makkal Sakthi is a new NGO whose application for registration was still pending with the Registrar of Societies, he explained.

“It is clear the police are not being neutral. They have something against us and our community. We are expecting more arrests to be made soon. You can be sure of that,” Jayathas (pic, right) said.

On Sunday, police arrested 109 people including Human Rights Party chief P Uthayakumar. The high-handed action sparked a huge public outcry and the detainees were released the next day.

But later in the week, Jayathas and four of his colleagues were rounded up in a bid to nip in the bud any further protests.

However, the scare tactics are unlikely to work. Jayathas and his group have pledged to raise even greater "awareness" among Malaysians and also the outside world on the plight of their community.

As an example, he pointed to how Interlok was placed on the reading syllabus of Fifth Form students even though it described Indians as pariah.

“How can Umno deosn’t understand Interlok is sensitive to the Indians? Be frank, Umno doesn’t want to remove the book from the reading list because it was written by a Malay and it dares not to antagonize the Malays even though such a decision might hurt the rest of the Indian community,” said Jayathas.

Malaysian citizens only in name but not rights

He also hit out at the lack of government programs for the Indians, their social and economic development. The majority of Malaysian Indians are still trapped in the lower-income groups, he said.

“Why all these are happening to the Indians? Why we always been pushed a side for everything? For years, MIC was the only organization for the Indians, but after 53 years that the Indians were in Malaysia, the government only gave them the name as Malaysian citizens, but not the rights as Malaysian citizens,” said Jayathas.

He was referring to MIC, the Indian component party in the ruling BN coalition, which has lost tremendous voter support from the community for allegedly failing to stand up to Umno and fight for the community's rights.

Jayathas also warned the authorities not to go after Uthayakumar, who was among the first to be arrested outside his own home on Sunday.

“If they do it, it would be a stupid move. The Indians still look up to him and if you arrest him, you are only asking for trouble. It shows the BN government still doesn’t understand the pride and thinking of the Indian community even after ruling it for more than 5 decades,” said Jayathas.

The Hindraf Makkal Sakthi coordinator also minced no words in castigating MIC and its new president G Palanivel.

““The only reason all these things are happening to us is because nobody in Malaysia can ask for their rights and if we do so, we have to face certain circumstances. As for MIC, it is only cheating the Indian community by not doing anything. They are not fighting for our rights and they always listen to Umno,” said Jayathas. - Malaysia Chronicle