By : P.S.Suryanarayana
SINGAPORE: The Hindu Rights Action Force, which has been spearheading a campaign for the betterment of the lot of Malaysia’s ethnic Indian minority, is planning to publicise its “peaceful” intentions by bringing out shirts sporting the “embroidered” image of Mahatma Gandhi.
Indicating this, Hindraf National Coordinator Thanenthiran Ramankutty said over the telephone from Kuala Lumpur on Monday that the idea was to display and sell these shirts on ‘Thaipoosam’ which would fall on Wednesday.
Poster-pictures of Mahatma Gandhi were prominently carried by protesters during a mass rally organised by Hindraf in Kuala Lumpur on November 25 last year to focus attention on the alleged “marginalisation” of the community.
The government of Muslim-majority Malaysia has consistently denied allegations that the ethnic Indians, most of whom are Hindus, are being treated as second-class citizens. Malays, almost all of whom are Muslims, form the majority group, followed by ethnic Chinese and the people of Indian origin.
Interim committee
Mr. Thanenthiran, who would continue to lead Hindraf under a newly-formed Interim Committee, said the group had not given any call for the “boycott” of ‘Thaipoosam’ festivities at the Batu Cave temple outside Kuala Lumpur. A “boycott” call had been given under the banner of “Makkal Sakthi” (“People Power”), which Hindraf was using as its rallying cry. However, Hindraf itself had nothing whatsoever to do with the “boycott” call, Mr. Thanenthiran said.
He said the call was perhaps issued by those dissatisfied with the administrators of the Batu Cave temple over their handling of matters relating to the arrest of 31 ethnic Indians for “illegal assembly” and alleged rioting in and near the temple premises on the eve of the November 25 Hindraf rally.
The five detained Hindraf leaders continued their fast for a second day, Mr. Thanenthiran said. They are in detention without charges and trial under Malaysia’s Internal Security Act.
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