Je suis Indien

I plan to blog a bit more on the gross insults to Indians by UTM, our so-called institute of higher learning, but for today, this short piece will have to do.

As Meera Badmanaban, a reader of MM Online wrote in to the newspaper on the issue, said: Granted, people make mistakes. We are human. But if you are teaching a particular module, you ought to be at least aware of basic facts. Such negligence and incompetence cannot be condoned anywhere; let alone in a public university, where we invest in our children’s future.

Indeed, and I could personally give you examples of personal mistakes by so-called Malay intellectuals who made silly comments on other religions and culture, but I won't today.

More importantly, Meera also said: UTM has recently issued an apology over the “erroneous” slides. It was a “mistake” according to the UTM Vice Chancellor, in a statement made yesterday. Apparently an investigation is ongoing, and that “due action will be taken”. What exactly constitutes that due course of action was not elaborated upon.

Soon the whole incident may be conveniently buried. Or another scandal may rise; perhaps more idiotic or ridiculous than this one. And the Rakyat will be forced to move on. After all, it is about rules of survival. And one of the most basic rules of the jungle is that only the fittest will survive.

Same old same old, the teflonized 'member kita' will be protected and hopefully with time, people will forget his vile wicked deed.

But no, we must not allowed that; we must insist the perpetrator has to be punished for wicked falsification (not mere mistakes) in insulting someone's race and religion.

The insults, hurts and gross discriminations have been so vile that it led Selva Mookiah, the MIC legal adviser, to resign from the Indian-based party, stating: “I am unable, under any circumstances, to serve a leadership that does not vigorously uphold the sanctity of my religion and race.”

Selva Mookiah has also said that the time has come for MIC to reexamine its role and relationship with Barisan Nasional.

But his most poignant parting words, which moved me deeply, might have been removed from the news article since publication (for whatever reasons).

To the best of my recollection I read him saying as a parting shot to his party: "We are politicians but we are also Indians."

I say Bravo to you, sir.