A week prior to Deepavalli 2007, can you remember how the Indian community was greeted by their BN leaders? Their adored place of worship, the Padang Jawa Temple in Klang was cruelly demolished.

I wonder if it was a decision that the previous Selangor menteri besar regrets? Many Indians believe that it was 'divine wrath and punishment' that gave a thrashing defeat to BN in Selangor on March 8.

Now fast forward to October 2008. This year, the community got a ‘wonderful’ present for their Deepavalli festival. Our government has banned and declared Hindraf illegal!

None can say it better than FE Smith: ‘There is more credit in being abused by fools than being praised by rogues’.

One wonders if all this came about because the ‘big boys’ were not happy that Indian families went to the prime minister’s Hari Raya open house in their orange T-shirts. The delegation was led by a little six-year old girl who handed over a greeting card and a teddy bear to the PM.

By any stretch of the imagination, would the Malaysian population consider a little stuffed toy as a threat to national security??

What is Hindraf then if not the surge of years of Indian Malaysian pent-up frustration at being marginalised in education and by the government – the biggest employer in the country. Yet, the world over, the Indian diaspora does better economically than most other nationalities.

So a question that Indians and others ask is that how come in Malaysia, the Indians are left behind?

Frankly, do the big bosses realise that Hindraf is not a mere ‘society’ that they can close down? Can you curb the pent up emotions of a people, of generations who worked for this country and are now faced with difficulties?

These simple people would have been happy to meet up with the PM and would have been his most ardent fan for life. Hey, I thought governments are elected by the people, for the people and of the people so its hard to phantom how come our leaders do not engage in dialogue. Not only that, see how these simple Indian people have been demonised.

Actually, if the media had given an accurate report on the Sept 27 candlelight vigil , those big bullies in high places would have understood the spirit of a people united. That vigil was a true example of the Hindraf spirit and was organised for the release of the ISA detainees, most of whom are Malays.

It was a call sent out before Hari Raya in hope that the Muslim brothers will get released prior to their festival. Many who led the Hindraf procession and those who led the chants of Makkal Shakti! and Hindraf Valger! were Chinese youth who came in full support for the Indian cause. If it wasn't for Ramdhan, for sure we would have seen many more of our Malay families there.

So then how can the spirit, the emotion, the soul, the inner force, the oneness, the unity, the very essence of Malaysian life be stilled by a mere government declaring it illegal? Never - and we loudly say never - can the spirit of Bangsa Malaysia be snuffed out.

Now like never before we Malaysians are bound together in one spirit - Malay, Chinese, Indian and others have come together as one. You see it at the courts in solidarity with Raja Petra Kamruddin, you see it on the blogs and websites, you see it at the vigils and we saw on the March 8 elections.

Yes, my brothers and sisters, we are all bound together in one spirit. The spirit of unity cannot be declared illegal and cannot be banned. This time, the wave of change is bigger than a tsunami and it is sweeping our beautiful country.

It's a call for change, a call to wipe out all forms of racism that are being raised for political hegemony. It's a call against corruption and against scamming and cheating the rakyat .

Let me jog your memory a bit to what our RPK said in one of his last few messages to us before he got interned, albeit unfairly. I think briefly it meant that we Malaysians should give our lives to protect one another so that not one drop of Malaysian blood is shed. We have to ensure that no one can divide us and protect the sprit of unity that binds us.

Maybe this Hindraf ban is indeed is a blessing for look back at what happened after last year's Deepavalli ‘present’ - it resulted in the March 8 tsunami with five states landing in the opposition’s hands!

It was the refusal of the leaders to heed the voices of their own citizenry that gave them this defeat. This time, one wonders what's in store for the ‘big boys’ in high places.

We the people of Malaysia are called together to ensure that we and future generations will live in peace, in harmony, entrusting our country to the good governance of honest leaders called to be accountable by a rakyat united.

The spirit of Hindraf and Bangsa Malaysia will always live.