I refer to the letter Be proud you're Hindraf 5 wife .

I would like to record my utter disgust with certain quarters for their attempts to mow down a woman who is already down and out.

All this because Vickneswary said that she had not received any support – both moral and financial – from Hindraf.

In the above letter, the writer says, ‘The Hindraf wives and families are very much in the same shoes as her, some even worse with their elderly parents seriously ill and others having to close down their legal firms’.

I wonder where the writer got her facts from. None of the 'Hindraf 5 wives' are in a situation worse off the Vickneswary as claimed. Both M. Manoharan and R Kengadharan's firms are still running as they were established lawyers even before Hindraf took root.

Kengadharan's wife is a doctor and earns a reasonably good income of her own whilst Manoharan's wife draws his salary as an elected representative as well as his monthly remuneration from his legal firm.

Ganabathirau's wife lives as part of an extended family with her in-laws and gets good support from them as well as her from own family which takes care of her children.

Where does that leave Vickneswary, whose siblings are all in Johor Bahru? Her husband Vasantha Kumar's only sibling, a sister, has her hands full with their aged mother.

The writer must also realise that the other four, being lawyers, also receives support from the Bar Council as opposed to Vasantha Kumar who is left out as he does not belong to the legal fraternity.

The writer also said, ‘What is this attitude of some of the wives waiting for those from Hindraf to visit them and keep them informed? There is a lack of communication between some of the wives and Hindraf, however, it must be remembered the circumstances and events that contributed to this division’.

Surely it is known by now that Hindraf - being an unregistered entity - does not actually have a 'face' to it? And all the so-called current coordinators came into the picture well after the Hindraf 5 were detained under the ISA.

So wouldn't it have been apt for the coordinators to have visited the wives to inform them that they were now the ones taking up the struggle left by the women's husbands? This could also be the reason why the wives had made their 'own deals' to free their husbands. They did not know whom to go to in Hindraf.

The writer calls the wives of the five detainees to be proud of being a 'Hindraf 5 wife', but are the current frontline representatives of Hindraf giving these women due respect? I don't think so going by the criticisms hurled at Vickneswary who is currently going through a hard time in her husband's absence.

As far as I am concerned, Vickneswary's grouses are justified as Hindraf only had revolved around two persons – P Waythamoorthy and P Uthayakumar.

For some quarters to abuse her instead of offering her help is indeed brutal and does not auger well for Hindraf. Do not also forget that all the five leaders detained under the ISA had denied that they had appointed anyone to manage Hindraf in their absence with the exception of Waythamorrthy.

They said no one should assume a ‘self-proclaimed acting leadership of Hindraf’ and that the statements they made to the media did not represent the movement.

In addition to this, the Hindraf leadership should acknowledge Vasantha Kumar's sacrifices and do what is right for his wife and daughters.

To the likes of these people, back off and stop bullying Vickneswary. You should instead be helping her. Isn't she an Indian woman in need?