I refer to the Malaysiakini report Makkal Sakthi: 'How blind are you, Thanenthiran?'

Now, almost everyday, we can see RS Thanenthiran of the Makkal Sakthi Party getting verbally bashed up by various quarters and al those who fear they have got something to lose from Thanenthiran’s political move.

But who is this Thanenthiran in the first place? He was the national coordinator for Hindraf. The man who led Hindraf for more than 514 days when its chairperson P Wathymoorthy ran to London and the movement’s secretary-general ran to India. The rest of the committee members went ‘underground’.

The four Hindraf lawyers and leaders plus the then national coordinator K Vasanthakumar got arrested under the ISA. Thanenthiran - who was the most trusted lieutenant of P Uthayakumar - was asked to ensure that the light and spirit of Hindraf lived on.

So he was the ‘brave heart ‘who stood his ground while the rest went into hiding. He was the man who got kicked, beaten, dragged, arrested and detained in full public view when he fought for the rights of ISA detainees and the Indians. He was the man who marched to police stations to protest and got sprayed with chemicals.

Because of his continue ‘harassment’ there was change in the Umno leadership. He is the reason that Hindraf‘s name still stands until now. So my question is - where was our civil society and all the critics when he was championing the rights of the public or when he got arrested? When Thanenthiran and his team were fighting at the front line, who supported them?

I know for a fact that they were using they own funds. When he was traveling all around Malaysia, galvanising support for the Indians’ cause and then for Pakatan in the general election, who cared about him and his team? When he slept by the roadside in his car, why did nobody comment? He and his team worked selflessly.

And isn’t meeting the prime minister and telling him the predicament of the Indians the original reason for the all the Hindraf rallies? So what is so wrong in Thanenthiran meeting the PM and getting something done for the Indians? What if former prime minister Abdullah Ahamad Badawi had agreed to meet Thanenthiran then? Should he have said no? Then why have the Hindraf memorandum?

I see the government is doing something for the Indians directly after the Makkal Sakthi Party was formed. For example, the Indian identity card problems are being looked into seriously. This is the same issue that Thanenthiran was working on.

On the other hand what has Pakatan done so far? Whenever you ask them what they didn’t do, they keep on saying that they will do it upon getting the federal government seat. But what about at the state level? Surely they can do something at the state level. But even at this level, there is hanky-panky. Pakatan should prove itself at the state-level first before it asks for the federal seat.

Some alleged that Thanenthiran is causing a split among the Indians by forming the Makkal Sakthi Party but have they forgotten that it was Thanenthiran who had asked all the five Hindraf ex-ISA detainees to take on the leadership of this party. Why didn’t they take up the offer?

The Indians were united during Nov 25, 2007 rally because they all agreed to work as a team but when Wathyamoorthy and his brother Uthaya decided to hijack Hindraf from the committee, then that was when things split. The Hindraf fund should have been held in trust under the supervision of a committee. When it goes under one person’s name and is supervised by family members, that is when credibility goes flying.

Recently, Vasanthakumar said that Thanenthiran had ‘hijacked’ Hindraf. Which Hindraf? Hindraf Enterprise is still his and that of two female comrades whom Hindraf’s Waytha and Vasanthakumar left to die on the battlefield.

The new Hindraf/Paham (Parti Hak Asasi Manusia ) lead by brothers Uthaya and Waytha are among the most vocal critics of Thanenthiran. Ironically, they can join hands with MIC on many issues like Kampung Buah Pala and bash up Thanenthiran. Thanenthiran, a former fellow comrade, nowseems to be their arch enemy for working with the government for the betterment of the Indians. Why?

The MIC’s attack against Thanenthiran is because they were worried that after all the attempts to unseat S Samy Vellu (who still holding on to the power), he may finally be bought down by Thanenthiran through his cooperation with the government.

Thanenthiran has repeatedly asked the people to give him a chance to prove himself. If he can’t deliver then he will without saying ‘close shop’ himself. Give the man a chance.