A symbol against oppression… Hindraf lives

The fire ignited by Hindraf still burns in the hearts of all who abhor injustice and no one, including its leaders, can extinguish that.

COMMENT

With P Waythamoorthy inking a deal with Barisan Nasional chief Najib Tun Razak, many have said the move effectively renders Hindraf irrelevent.

Realising brand Hindraf may be heading towards its doom, former Hindraf leader S Jayathas established an interim committee to handle the movement’s affairs and distanced themselves from Waythamoorthy and his faction.

P Uthayakumar, being the firebrand he is, came out with guns blazing over his brother’s decision to support BN.

The lawyer-politician also declared himself as the de facto leader of Hindraf and announced he would not be supporting BN or Pakatan Rakyat.

No doubt, the trio are part and parcel of Hindraf’s establishment and the writer is not in the position to judge any of their decision.

But there is one question that must be asked: does Hindraf belong to these leaders alone?

The answer depends on how a person views Hindraf.

Do you see Hindraf as a structured organisation, with a set of visions and missions, and led by several leaders who you believe will work hard to realise its aspirations?

Or do you see Hindraf as a symbol against injustice? An idea of restoring human dignity and getting every Malaysian to be treated as equals?

If your answer is option one, then yes. Hindraf is long dead and buried six feet under. But if your answer is option two, then Hindraf will live on for a long time.

Hindraf is a movement that did something many thought was impossible: uniting the fragmanted Indian community under one umbrella.

The Tamils, the Malayalees, the Telugus and whatnot united themselves for the first time not to defy the inept MIC, but to demand something more than political change.

It was about restoring human dignity. It was about fighting for the rights of the Indian community who were left out of the mainstream development since Merdeka.

Even the rich Indians marched along with their middle class and poor Indian brethren on Nov 25, 2007, after suffering utter humilitation and degradation under BN’s divide-and-rule policy.

Hindraf is bigger than its leaders

No doubt, leaders such as Waythamoorthy, Uthayakumar and others brought Indians of all walks of life together for the cause and we must give them credit for that.

But Hindraf has grown beyond these leaders. Plus, it also has a sentimental value among Indians where for the first time, the government trembled in the show of strength by the Indian community.

Take, for example, the Reformasi movement. Although it was sparked off by the sacking of the former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, the clarion call itself has grown beyond Anwar.

So for the thousands who braved the heavy-handed police action in November 2007, do not let the politics extinguish the fire called Hindraf from your hearts.

You may not be part of its organisational structure but that does not mean you need to do away with the Hindraf in you.

And those of you who believe in its ideals, there is still much work to be done to restore the rule of law and human rights in Malaysia.

Be the Hindraf that you believe in and be the change you want to be. At the same time, empower the community around you, irrespective of their racial and religious background.

As for the leaders, let them be. An empowered community would ensure politicians fear the electorate and not the other way around.