Hindraf En Bloc: UMNO Wins hands down
As far as Hindraf is concerned, consider that UMNO neutralised it even before ‘The Game’ started. It was a knockout by default. Holding the Hindraf5 under ISA really did the trick.
Written James Menon
I refer to RPK’s aritcle where he showed us that there were two ways to go about doing things. It’s an excellent article as I believe RPK is sharing his life experiences.
As far as Hindraf is concerned, consider that UMNO neutralised it even before ‘The Game’ started. It was a knockout by default. Holding the Hindraf5 under ISA really did the trick.
Today the Hindraf is in tatters. While under ISA, UMNO successfully split up the Hindraf detained leaders, turning some Hindraf leaders to UMNO’s side. They demonised Hindraf, making it lame, tame and powerless and even managed to get them to go against Pakatan causing it to lose the community’s support. It was even rumoured one of the Hindraf5 is a undercover Special Branch agent. UMNO’s tricks are boundless. Where UMNO is concerned, it has achieved what it wanted. MIC’s win in Hulu Selangor gave UMNO the credibility it needed.
Hindraf burst into the scene at a time when Indians were frustrated with their lot after 50 years of neglect. This included the Indians in estates (the lower income and the less fortunate), University graduates, middle-class and also many professionals. In the past 30 years, they have had only ONE Indian leader, Samy Vellu who is both despised by many but worshipped by some who readily sit at his feet.
During the 1980’s, the Indians woke up because of many NGOs and social activists. Many of them began to question the sincerity of Barisan Nasional and in particular, UMNO. Nevertheless, few dared to even vote against BN hence the successful 2004 results during Badawi’s regime.
From the 1990s, many individuals, groups and network of NGOs have been airing their frustration with regards to the insensitive Muslim conversion, lack of education opportunities (especially the allotment of scholarships), the poverty level, the unjust and forced eviction from estates and lands, the high rate of street crimes within their communities and the manner in which they were thrust into hostile and congested city slums from a quiet, rustic estate environment. These social ills and economic frustrations were never addressed by MIC, who is their political spokesman.
Since the 1990s, MIC has won every single seat it was allotted except during the Lunas by-election, giving it a winning rate of almost 100% for its candidates. However, the grovelling and kissing up to UMNO, its thuggish behaviour and their callous disregard for its people, has made Indians begin to see beyond the veil and smokescreen of MIC-UMNO wayang.
You can read the article below, in which a whole village was without electricity and water for over 50 years.
http://www.aliran.com/oldsite/monthly/2002/1c.html
The advent of Hindraf gave the Indians a venue to vent their pent-up frustrations and anger. If Uthaya had said, ‘Let’s march and burn down Samy Vellu’s home”, the crowd would have responded readily. By sending the memorandum to the British Embassy in a strategic move, Hindraf got UMNO’s attention. UMNO took immediate action on the 30,000-strong crowd in the street, creating a war-like zone with tear gas canisters, batons and heavily armed FRU and PDRM presence to beat them back into their hovels.
It is my intention to inform you that there were ‘hundreds’ if not ‘thousands’ of professionals and businessmen at the Hindraf Rally. You could even spot some ‘millionaires’ among the crowd gathered to hear the speeches in the Utube videos of Nov 25th. The Indian community solidly supported Hindarf en masse which never happened previously.
UMNO responded quickly. On 13th December, UMNO, fed-up and not wanting to drag Hindraf through a messy trail, made its move. Badawi dumped them into Kamunting instead and the rest is history. Everything happened accordingly to UMNO’s plan.
There were no plans to get appropriate people to work for the community on a social, economic and political level. The Indians had no other choice but to run into the arms of Pakatan Rakyat. Socially, many individual bodies and networks were created with no links to Hindraf. Economically, many wanted to help but once UMNO got Hindraf banned (smart move), the rich did not want their names in the limelight..
All we wanted was to rid the shackles under UMNO and to start rebuilding a progressive community after 50 years but we are back to square one, returning to pre-2007, where a puny team is fighting everyone. Uthaya is a Leader who could have been a Legend..
As far as Hindraf is concerned, consider that UMNO neutralised it even before ‘The Game’ started. It was a knockout by default. Holding the Hindraf5 under ISA really did the trick.
Today the Hindraf is in tatters. While under ISA, UMNO successfully split up the Hindraf detained leaders, turning some Hindraf leaders to UMNO’s side. They demonised Hindraf, making it lame, tame and powerless and even managed to get them to go against Pakatan causing it to lose the community’s support. It was even rumoured one of the Hindraf5 is a undercover Special Branch agent. UMNO’s tricks are boundless. Where UMNO is concerned, it has achieved what it wanted. MIC’s win in Hulu Selangor gave UMNO the credibility it needed.
Hindraf burst into the scene at a time when Indians were frustrated with their lot after 50 years of neglect. This included the Indians in estates (the lower income and the less fortunate), University graduates, middle-class and also many professionals. In the past 30 years, they have had only ONE Indian leader, Samy Vellu who is both despised by many but worshipped by some who readily sit at his feet.
During the 1980’s, the Indians woke up because of many NGOs and social activists. Many of them began to question the sincerity of Barisan Nasional and in particular, UMNO. Nevertheless, few dared to even vote against BN hence the successful 2004 results during Badawi’s regime.
From the 1990s, many individuals, groups and network of NGOs have been airing their frustration with regards to the insensitive Muslim conversion, lack of education opportunities (especially the allotment of scholarships), the poverty level, the unjust and forced eviction from estates and lands, the high rate of street crimes within their communities and the manner in which they were thrust into hostile and congested city slums from a quiet, rustic estate environment. These social ills and economic frustrations were never addressed by MIC, who is their political spokesman.
Since the 1990s, MIC has won every single seat it was allotted except during the Lunas by-election, giving it a winning rate of almost 100% for its candidates. However, the grovelling and kissing up to UMNO, its thuggish behaviour and their callous disregard for its people, has made Indians begin to see beyond the veil and smokescreen of MIC-UMNO wayang.
You can read the article below, in which a whole village was without electricity and water for over 50 years.
http://www.aliran.com/oldsite/monthly/2002/1c.html
The advent of Hindraf gave the Indians a venue to vent their pent-up frustrations and anger. If Uthaya had said, ‘Let’s march and burn down Samy Vellu’s home”, the crowd would have responded readily. By sending the memorandum to the British Embassy in a strategic move, Hindraf got UMNO’s attention. UMNO took immediate action on the 30,000-strong crowd in the street, creating a war-like zone with tear gas canisters, batons and heavily armed FRU and PDRM presence to beat them back into their hovels.
It is my intention to inform you that there were ‘hundreds’ if not ‘thousands’ of professionals and businessmen at the Hindraf Rally. You could even spot some ‘millionaires’ among the crowd gathered to hear the speeches in the Utube videos of Nov 25th. The Indian community solidly supported Hindarf en masse which never happened previously.
UMNO responded quickly. On 13th December, UMNO, fed-up and not wanting to drag Hindraf through a messy trail, made its move. Badawi dumped them into Kamunting instead and the rest is history. Everything happened accordingly to UMNO’s plan.
Since then, what has happened to these people? There was a lot of buzz on the ground, vigils, gatherings, prayers, numerous meetings and even campaigns that were initiated. Uthaya probably didn’t anticipate such a success. Maybe, that’s why there was no plan B to harness this energy that was created. Such energy that was not used, dissipated and thus wasted. With no proper plan B to take over the leadership mettle, it just could not compare with Samy Velu’s huge, organized political-structure – MIC.
There were no plans to get appropriate people to work for the community on a social, economic and political level. The Indians had no other choice but to run into the arms of Pakatan Rakyat. Socially, many individual bodies and networks were created with no links to Hindraf. Economically, many wanted to help but once UMNO got Hindraf banned (smart move), the rich did not want their names in the limelight..
All we wanted was to rid the shackles under UMNO and to start rebuilding a progressive community after 50 years but we are back to square one, returning to pre-2007, where a puny team is fighting everyone. Uthaya is a Leader who could have been a Legend..
