"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win."
- Mahatma Gandhi
- Mahatma Gandhi
COMMENT I do not feel sorry for my friend P Uthayakumar. Uthayakumar never needed anyone's pity but he was never afraid to ask for help even from the hands that fed him even though he often times bit those very same hands. He never shied away from expressing his cause in the most provocative language possible; to ensure that there would be no ambiguity from where he was coming from.
His attempt at downplaying the schism within Hindraf was perhaps the only time Uthayakumar paid homage to the political game and the result was catastrophic to his cause and him.
Uthayakumar always knew what he was up against. He was battling on two fronts. The first against Umno and the second against the oppositional forces in this country, which he believed were only slightly better than the regime in power. However, his anything but Umno stance has always been clear except to those crypto racists who were afraid of his stance on racial politics only because it revealed the lie of their own ideologies.
As someone who is supportive of the agendas of the opposition, we had long arguments on the nature of ‘ubah' and his own goals as to how to help the disenfranchised of the Indian community. For him there was no compromise on Hindraf's agenda even though I pointed out the flaws in the 18-point agreement.
What I wanted was for Uthayakumar to have a platform to express his views and the interviews I did on him allowed him the space to disseminate his ideas. For better or worse, those interviews clearly articulate Uthaya's positions even though many would disagree with him. However, what I admire about this man is his willingness to put himself out there, even if it meant that a bull's eye would be painted on his back because of his polemics.
He is routinely mocked and demonised in the alternative media by some supporters of Pakatan Rakyat that got worse when his brother Waythamoorthy joined the establishment. It is perhaps the blackest humour that his brother is elevated to position of influence in the very regime that he has declared as oppressive and at war with the Indian community, while Uthayakumar, the lone crusader is back where it all started for him, in jail.
Disparity of treatment
Uthayakumar was very aware that he would lose when he contested in the recently concluded general elections but he still had faith in that he would not lose his deposit. When he did eventually lose his deposit, he bore no malice to those (and there were many) who came up to him and said that they voted for change and that they did not want to split the vote.
As he said in his post-election interview about the "point" of standing for election - "Be that as it may we have no regrets and had to complete the cycle by contesting and also had to send the strong message nationwide that as much as we want change and want to see the end of Umno rule of Putrajaya, we simultaneously do not want Pakatan to become another BN."
It is pointless discussing the legalese of the whole "sedition" charge. The issue has always been of the disparity of treatment between those who support the establishment and those who want reform.
Nothing Uthayakumar has said is any different from what the propaganda organs and the politicians of Umno have said about the various "other" communities here in Malaysia. The only difference is that the system is used against someone like Uthayakumar while those rabid proponents of the establishment are allowed to riot in the hopes that they would cow any who oppose them.
By choosing not to respond to the charges, Uthayakumar was merely saying that he would cease to play the game. The game that he believed was rigged. We talked for hours on end of his frustrations about his court case. Of how he felt that he was fighting with one hand tied behind his back.
Well-meaning people that consoled compromise constantly surrounded him, but he feared that any form of compromise would dilute the potency of his message. In previous interviews with him, he had clearly stated the police intimidation and the bureaucratic hassles that he faced.
Moreover, what troubled him the most was the perception that he was bought over by Umno. When his brother joined the Umno establishment, he knew that he and the Hindraf he claims to represent would suffer the fallout. The last time I interviewed him, he was relieved to be given the opportunity to speak his peace. The shadow of this court case was present and he knew that things would probably not go well for him.
Making a point by going to jail
Uthayakumar has never been afraid of speaking out for the cause he believes in. Although what he says and the antagonisms he inadvertently fosters with his polemics has made him a polarising figure, we should always remember that this man lit the fuse for a movement that captured the imagination of many Malaysians and invigorated a civil rights movement that was a factor in the change we see now in the political landscape.
I have no idea how this will play out. Knowing Uthayakumar, he will not bow down to any pressure from the establishment or from his own people to reach any kind of compromise by either appealing the 30 months' jail sentence or making an expression of contrition.
I may be wrong but I think Uthaya would want his incarceration to make a point about the system he has been battling, alone most times, all these years even at great cost to his physical and emotional well-being.
In the end, Uthayakumar will be paying a price for speaking without fear or favour and this is something that Malaysians, should take heed and demand from the people they entrust to govern this country.
His attempt at downplaying the schism within Hindraf was perhaps the only time Uthayakumar paid homage to the political game and the result was catastrophic to his cause and him.
Uthayakumar always knew what he was up against. He was battling on two fronts. The first against Umno and the second against the oppositional forces in this country, which he believed were only slightly better than the regime in power. However, his anything but Umno stance has always been clear except to those crypto racists who were afraid of his stance on racial politics only because it revealed the lie of their own ideologies.As someone who is supportive of the agendas of the opposition, we had long arguments on the nature of ‘ubah' and his own goals as to how to help the disenfranchised of the Indian community. For him there was no compromise on Hindraf's agenda even though I pointed out the flaws in the 18-point agreement.
What I wanted was for Uthayakumar to have a platform to express his views and the interviews I did on him allowed him the space to disseminate his ideas. For better or worse, those interviews clearly articulate Uthaya's positions even though many would disagree with him. However, what I admire about this man is his willingness to put himself out there, even if it meant that a bull's eye would be painted on his back because of his polemics.
He is routinely mocked and demonised in the alternative media by some supporters of Pakatan Rakyat that got worse when his brother Waythamoorthy joined the establishment. It is perhaps the blackest humour that his brother is elevated to position of influence in the very regime that he has declared as oppressive and at war with the Indian community, while Uthayakumar, the lone crusader is back where it all started for him, in jail.
Disparity of treatment
Uthayakumar was very aware that he would lose when he contested in the recently concluded general elections but he still had faith in that he would not lose his deposit. When he did eventually lose his deposit, he bore no malice to those (and there were many) who came up to him and said that they voted for change and that they did not want to split the vote.
As he said in his post-election interview about the "point" of standing for election - "Be that as it may we have no regrets and had to complete the cycle by contesting and also had to send the strong message nationwide that as much as we want change and want to see the end of Umno rule of Putrajaya, we simultaneously do not want Pakatan to become another BN."It is pointless discussing the legalese of the whole "sedition" charge. The issue has always been of the disparity of treatment between those who support the establishment and those who want reform.
Nothing Uthayakumar has said is any different from what the propaganda organs and the politicians of Umno have said about the various "other" communities here in Malaysia. The only difference is that the system is used against someone like Uthayakumar while those rabid proponents of the establishment are allowed to riot in the hopes that they would cow any who oppose them.
By choosing not to respond to the charges, Uthayakumar was merely saying that he would cease to play the game. The game that he believed was rigged. We talked for hours on end of his frustrations about his court case. Of how he felt that he was fighting with one hand tied behind his back.
Well-meaning people that consoled compromise constantly surrounded him, but he feared that any form of compromise would dilute the potency of his message. In previous interviews with him, he had clearly stated the police intimidation and the bureaucratic hassles that he faced.
Moreover, what troubled him the most was the perception that he was bought over by Umno. When his brother joined the Umno establishment, he knew that he and the Hindraf he claims to represent would suffer the fallout. The last time I interviewed him, he was relieved to be given the opportunity to speak his peace. The shadow of this court case was present and he knew that things would probably not go well for him.
Making a point by going to jail
Uthayakumar has never been afraid of speaking out for the cause he believes in. Although what he says and the antagonisms he inadvertently fosters with his polemics has made him a polarising figure, we should always remember that this man lit the fuse for a movement that captured the imagination of many Malaysians and invigorated a civil rights movement that was a factor in the change we see now in the political landscape.
I have no idea how this will play out. Knowing Uthayakumar, he will not bow down to any pressure from the establishment or from his own people to reach any kind of compromise by either appealing the 30 months' jail sentence or making an expression of contrition.I may be wrong but I think Uthaya would want his incarceration to make a point about the system he has been battling, alone most times, all these years even at great cost to his physical and emotional well-being.
In the end, Uthayakumar will be paying a price for speaking without fear or favour and this is something that Malaysians, should take heed and demand from the people they entrust to govern this country.
S THAYAPARAN is Commander (rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy.
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