We should embark on a crusade to preach inter-racial unity to propagate basic rights for all, says former ISA detainee R Kengadharan.
KUALA LUMPUR: Fifty four years after independence and we still find it extremely difficult to divorce ourselves from the politics of race.
Why? The communal feeling is still deeprooted and for most of the time, such uncontrolled feelings go overboard creating nightmares.
We often hear racist remarks and comments that create hatred and communal dissatisfaction and this has effectively caused national unity to suffer and deteriorate seriously.
These ruthless and unscrupulous methods employed thus far have created anxiety and unrest among Malaysians.
While most of the statements, comments and remarks were flagrant falsehoods, some however have succeeded in fanning the communal sensitivities purely for personal gains and political mileage.
When there is intense racial agitation and emotions are uncontrollably fanned, this could lead the country through a mischievous and dangerous path.
But these are clearly the works of influential political leaders who use the media in the pursuit of their deplorable communal political propaganda of destruction.
On this independence day, let us re-visit our national obligations and responsibilities, and learn completely to restrain from indulging in inflammatory racist propaganda.
No citizen of this country should feel persecuted and look at another with apprehension and suspicion.
No one should be vulnerable and should seek refuge elsewhere. This would be terribly disheartening and may be a negation of everything our forefathers had believed in and worked for.
While it would be quite impossible to dispel or overcome the deepseated communal feeling, much is however depended upon our faith and trust.
As a country we bear the main burden of responsibility to ensure that communal sensitivities are kept at bay at all times.
Our ultimate goal this independence day would be to embark on a crusade to preach inter-racial unity to propagate basic rights of all races forming our multi racial society.
R Kengadharan is a lawyer and a former ISA detainee.
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