Today, the three ethnic groups in the Indian Malaysian community that is the Indians, the Malayalees and the Sikhs celebrate their New Year namely, the Tamil New Year; Vishu and Vaisakhi.

And, again, Indian Malaysians enter a new year with great anxiety about their respective futures in a land they have called home for generations.

This paradox is made more complex when those who claim to represent them and their community delve on political polemics and urge the community to 'change mindsets' instead of providing a blue print that is honest about uplifting this marginalised and disadvantaged community.

The pertinent questions that remain to be asked are as follows:

1. Is the government playing a major and proactive role in addressing the socio-economic position of the marginalised Indian community by creating a conducive economic climate for all forms of participation as equal partners and children of the land?

2. Are the politicians who claim to represent the said community working towards addressing and fulfilling the rights and needs of the community instead of indulging in their own political self-preservation, accumulation of wealth and self-interests?

Both questions need accountable and honest answers. More so, when Indians who are mysteriously supposed to have outperformed bumiputera by 27 percent as stated in the 9th Malaysia Plan!