A sad Deepavali

OCT 27 — It is a sad Deepavali for members and supporters of the Hindu Rights Action Force. Their organisation has just been outlawed and their leaders are still detained without trial under the Internal Security Act.

They have recently heard Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar's decree that their organisation was detrimental to peace, public order, security and the moral values of Malaysia

They have also heard Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan's claim that Hindraf's status was akin to a secret society.

And like many Malaysians, they are wondering why their organisation was banned just a couple of weeks after they attended a Hari Raya open house at the PWTC in Kuala Lumpur to present a card to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi asking him to release their leaders detained under the ISA.

Many of them are still puzzled on how they could be accused of gate-crashing an "open house".

Even those who don't support Hindraf — some Malaysians think the group exaggerated claims of the Indian community being marginalised — thought it was just "rude" of them to ask the five-year-old daughter of exiled Hindraf leader P. Waythamoorthy to deliver the card — deemed political by some people — to the Prime Minister at such an event.

But they didn't expect that such an out-of-protocol act — which also included some supporters of blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, also detained under the ISA, who wore T-shirts bearing the slogans "Free RPK" and "No to ISA" at the same Aidilfitri open house — would result in the banning of Hindraf.

Waythamoorthy has said that the ban would not banish the spirit and idea that created it.

"Hindraf represents the Indian commoner, the hard-working oily-faced man who is made fun of in the streets, and the man who people step on, the man who walks past you yet you notice him not."

As no one can kill off the spirit of perjuangan Melayu in Umno, it is almost impossible to destroy the idea of Makkal Sakthi (people's power) brought about by Hindraf that helped the opposition to wrest power from four states and deny the Barisan Nasional's two-thirds majority in Parliament in the last general election.

Just days before Deepavali, a group of Indian Malaysians were arrested when they tried to send a letter to the Prime Minister's office. Among those brought to the police station was a six-year-old girl.

Earlier, Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had described the Hindraf members' presence at the Cabinet's Hari Raya open house as part and parcel of democracy.

"I don't think it was rude. That's democracy. In the United States, people demonstrate in front of the White House," he said recently.

Hindraf members did exactly the same thing at opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's Hari Raya open house in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, and instead of harassment from the organisers or the police, they were welcomed with open arms.

The opposition Pakatan Rakyat has criticised the ban on Hindraf.

"For the past few years, there were many coalition bodies, NGOs and concerned groups that have come up to champion various issues. We are surprised why only Hindraf is targeted.

"We are worried that this action to restrict civil rights will only anger the Indian community and add to more racial tension," said its spokesman Pas secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Jaffar.

However, the Dewan Rakyat Speaker recently rejected an emergency motion to debate the ban, citing "no urgency" to discuss the matter brought up by DAP vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran.

In his argument, the Ipoh Barat MP said: "Instead of using harsh, terror tactics, the authorities should engage Hindraf and resolve the fundamental problems of poverty and lack of opportunity that the Indian community faces. The ham-fisted move to ban Hindraf will only aggravate the disaffection of the Indian community towards the BN".

Many Indian Malaysians were loyal supporters of BN but Hindraf opened their eyes to problems of discrimination and neglect. Some joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat while others the DAP but many more have remained non-partisan

For many Indian Malaysians, they hope the spirit of Deepavali — the triumph of good over evil — will prevail. The Malays too might want to remember the wayang kulit epic about the triumphant return of Seri Rama and Sita Dewi after the hero rescued his wife who was kidnapped by the demon king Rawana, and that the couple later lived happily ever after.

It may be a myth to many but it is still an inspiring story despite the current sad mood for some people in celebrating this year's festival of lights.