Hindraf insists on full Pakatan endorsement of blueprint

Despite assurance by Anwar Ibrahim that specific Indian concerns will be listed in the Pakatan Rakyat manifesto, the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has not warmed up to the opposition coalition.

It's adviser N Ganesan said although the opposition leader deserves "a pat on his back for the courage to admit this large error of omission after so much argument on principle", the pledges to be listed merely aims to "mollify the Indian electorate".

"These latest Pakatan manifesto pledges do not add up to even a fraction of the proposals in Hindraf's five-year blueprint for the upliftment of Indian poor.

"In that sense, the pledges are not comprehensive and they will not solve the problems of the Indian poor and marginalised in any permanent way," Ganesan said in a statement issued yesterday.

He accused Pakatan of "force-fitting" specific concerns into its manifesto - that which will garner it more votes.

Instead he said Hindraf seeks a comprehensive programme to permanently resolve the socio-economic woes of Indian Malaysians and "get the Indian poor on a better footing to participate more productively in the life of the nation".

"Endorse our five-year blue print in a binding way and our total support is yours, there just to be taken," he declared.

Binding endorsement sought

Ganesan explained that Hindraf is forced to seek such a binding endorsement in view of various incidences in the past in which pre-election promises are not kept by both sides of the political divide.

He cited the current court battle involving the Selangor government's alleged failure to abide by its 2008 election pledges as among the examples.

Yesterday, Anwar had stated that Pakatan will detail specific concerns expressed by the Indian community in its ‘Manifesto Rakyat'.

The PKR de facto leader said this is despite many of the concerns already being covered in the manifesto as they were part of the need-based policies built by Pakatan, such as resolving the stateless issue, increase job opportunities, improvement of Tamil schools, and the construction of affordable homes for ex-estate workers.

However, in his statement yesterday, Ganesan made no mention of Hindraf's request for seats to contest in the upcoming election, which is expected to be held in weeks.

Malaysiakini reported last month that the Indian rights group had requested Pakatan for the right to contest in a seven parliamentary and 10 state seats, in exchange for its support for the opposition pact in the general election.

In his response, Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy explained he had asked for Hindraf to contest in all MIC-held seats.