‘Apologise to Indians for racist policies’

The Hindraf legal advisor stands firm that the movement should not meet the prime minister at all.

GEORGE TOWN: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should acknowledge, apologise and compensate for Umno’s racist policies against the Indian community for past 55 years.

Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan said that only then should Hindraf Makkal Sakti consider whether to accept Najib’s open call to meet up with civil rights movement to address pressing Indian issues.

He said Najib must admit that Umno had systematically sidelined the once hardworking and economically vibrant Indians into a “forgotten community” through its ethnic and religious policies.

“As prime minister and Umno president, Najib must make an immediate unconditional apology and pay monetary compensation to all Indians for Umno’s 55 years of racist policies.

“Otherwise, Hindraf should reject his offer to meet.

“Najib should have known by now what are the Indian problems in the country,” said the Hindraf lawyer who was formerly detained without trial under the now repealed Internal Security Act.

However Manoharan, who is also Hindraf’s legal advisor, stood firm on his stand that Hindraf should not meet Najib.

Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz recently said that Najib was keen to meet with Hindraf leaders to address Indian issues.

Drawing similarities with neo-colonialism, Manoharan said Umno’s racist policies had pushed the Indian community to the wayside of nation-building since independence.

Hence, he said Indians were denied their rights in citizenship, public education, civil employment, business, agriculture, housing, religious and cultural freedom and land ownership.

He also blamed the same racist policies for the constant police killings of Indians in cells and shootout encounters on mere criminal suspicion.

Manoharan reminded Indians that Umno-racist policies were to blame for police atrocities committed on the community on the eve and during Hindraf mammoth rally on Nov 25, 2007.

He said the police showed disrespect to the Hindu religion by assaulting and detaining youths in the Batu Caves Hindu temple compound on the night of the rally.

He also slammed Umno for being a vicious federal government by pressing murder charges on arrested youths for merely gathering at their place of worship.

“The police tarnished and mocked the sanctity of a Hindu temple considered by many Hindus as their holy site.

“The youths were actually victims of police racist brutality; they were branded as criminals by the Umno government.

“Many lost their jobs and livelihoods afterwards,” said Manoharan, who also urged Najib to apologise for this atrocity too.