Ethnic hue gets air in Malaysia
NI Wire
New Delhi
Thu, 06 Dec 2007:
Dec 06: 31 ethnic Indian imprisoned in Malaysia on the charge of attempt to murder
Ethnic Indians who are linked historically to colonial past are facing problems everyere in the world, the resistance seems to have broken, plight of such people who neither belong to India nor accepted in their adopted nation has become a debatable issue.
The protest by ethnic Indians in Malaysia become a recent account where people came out on the street to protest the discrimination shown against them.
Like any other protest it too was brutally suppressed.
Today a Malaysian Court shorn of bail to 31 Indians accused of attempt to murder of a policeman during the demonstration. The accused were taken to jail after the denial of the bail and will remain in jail until their trial begins on January 14 next year.
The Session Court Judge Asima Omar denied the bail on the ground that the matter was a grave concern to the national security and she clarified the same as not being racially coloured.
Defence lawyer G K Ganesan said, “We will try to secure bail so that they can be freed pending the trial and we will do everything possible to get them free. I am personally unhappy with the court’s decision.”
The ethnic Indians in minority over there were protesting against discrimination by Malay people dominating the political scene.
Around 250 people have been imprisoned and some of the organisations are charged with treason.
An NGO called HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force) organised a rally earlier to hand over a memorandum to the British High Commission complaining against the problems meted out by ethnic Indians.
This was the biggest ever protest in Malaysia when thousands of Tamil came on street to voice their concern where they face discrimination due to an affirmative action policy which favours Malays, the native of Malaysia.
This system which has prevented ethnic Indians from getting decent jobs and education to their children is the main cause of resentment among them, who came here as indentured labourers and settled after the contact finished.
Meanwhile India has raised concern over the plight of Indian ethnics in Malaysia, the matter considers to be discussed with Malaysian High commission.
The economic policies in Malaysia give preferential treatment to Malaysians only.
As a result the people of Chinese and Indian origin suffered in due course of time with deteriorating basic rights including basic education and health facilities.
Recently there was a diplomatic brawl over the concern shown by Indian leader from Tamil Nadu who was told to mind his own business by a minister from Malaysia.
But this is also a matter of agony that echoed in Tamil Nadu only as the people suppressed there were mainly of Tamil origin; people here in other parts of India remained a silent spectator.
A Bengali, an Assamese, a Bihari, a Punjabi, an Andhrite, a Maharashtrian and people from other states will yell only when the people of same state is meted out with such situation. This is India, which boast of unity and diversity.