A large group of Indian Malaysians gathered in the compound of the Sri Maha Mariaman Temple in Batu Caves o­n Sunday to protest, burn and kick the effigy of PPP president M Kayveas.

This protest was launched by the newly formed Indian Consultative Council of Malaysia (ICCM) to show its displeasure towards the politician's calling for the removal of Tamils schools in the country.

The protest against Kayveas, who is also deputy housing and local government minister, was meant to be peaceful o­ne. However, the combined action of the temple committee and the police force rendered it quite chaotic.

Even before the protest started, the police ordered the protestors to disperse or face the consequences.

However, the group that was gathered refused to budge and in the end achieved the objective of burning and kicking the effigy of Kayveas.

The police personnel under the charge of o­ne Supt Abu Bakar Johar, of the Selayang district police headquarters, without giving a warning charged the protestors with their batons and shields.

In the scuffle, two people were arrested and subsequently taken to the police station. The panicky behaviour of this officer and the attacks launched by the police against innocent protestors went to show that the police force in Malaysia relies o­n brutality to achieve its aims.

Fed-up

The ICCM was formally launched a few months ago. It came about to meet the following requirements:

First, there is growing realisation among certain segments of the Indian community that a strong and determined alternative political forum is needed to address and articulate the varied problems faced by the community.

Second, despite the existence of formal and non-formal organisations, it felt that a macro-organisation is necessary to combine the talents and skills of many individuals to advance and protect the rights of the members of the community.

Third, Indians in general are basically fed up with the existing representation provided by political parties such as the MIC, IPF and PPP; these organisations do not really represent the community, but function to provide legitimacy for Umno.

Fourth, it is hoped that ICC will be able to raise issues that have been long neglected by the present regime.

Although the formation of the ICCM is new, its members are old hands in championing the plight of the community. In this respect, the ICCM hopes to bring progressive Indians individuals together, irrespective of their political beliefs, so that they could combine and provide effective representation for the community.

Thus, the working committee of the ICCM consists of leaders from the DAP, Parti Keadilan Nasional, PRIM, Seremban Action Group and other non-governmental organisations in the country.

Racist policies

In order to struggle and promote the democratic cause of the Indian community, the ICC intends to do the following.

First, to expose and lay bare the racist policies of the regime that seem to benefit o­ne group.

Second, question the nature of development policies that have benefitted Indians and other nationalities.

Third, exposing the myth of political representation provided by the MIC, PPP, IPF and other organisations that are dependent o­n Umno.

The issues and matters that will be taken up by the ICCM might not be new, but the outfit will provide focus and how best to resolve issues within the larger democratic framework of Malaysia. The outfit will fight for the just cause of Indians without fear or favour.

It will take part in protests and demonstrations in a peaceful so as to restore the dignity and status of the community. It will expose the fallacies and misdeeds of those who purport to represent the community.

It is the general feeling of the members of the ICCM that the Indian Malaysian community that has contributed so much in blood and tears for the development of this country have been sidelined in the overall developmental process.

Today there is a general feeling among Indian Malaysians in the country that they are not even accepted as bona fide citizens in their own country. The ICCM is fully aware the struggle to uplift the political, social and economic status of the community will be time consuming, hazardous and full of challenges.

The recent protest should not be interpreted as simply directed against Kayveas.

Strong force

The ICCM is fully aware that there is strong force within and outside the government that is bent o­n removing the vernacular schools in the country. The PPP president is o­ne of the spokespersons for this force.

ICCM feels that it is the right of the Indian community to perpetuate the existence of Tamils schools. Furthermore, it thinks that more Tamil schools should be built in urban areas to cater for the increasing migration of Indians from estates to urban areas.

ICCM will vehemently oppose any body or organisation that seeks to dilute the language and educations rights of the Indian community.

The behaviour of the Sri Maha Mariamman temple committee and its leader was sad and disappointing. He actively participated in the process that led the police to launch their attack against the peaceful protestors.

As far as ICCM is concerned, more actions will be planned in the future in the temple compound. The temple is not the property of the committee, it belongs to the Malaysian Hindus.

Perhaps is about time that ICCM acting o­n behalf of Malaysians Indians asks the committee to show proper accounts of the funds collected for a number of decades.

If the temple committee can give permission to other non-governmental organisations to use the temple premises, why should it deny ICCM and other bodies.

As long as the temple funds are not properly accounted for, the temple premises will be used for the purpose of waging protests and struggles for the benefit of the Indian Malaysian community.

Police brutality

Meanwhile, the police in Malaysia will never learn their lesson. Police brutality and inhumane treatment of ordinary citizens continues unabated.

There was no reason for the police to attack the innocent protestors o­n Sunday. But the officer-in-charge was full of furry and antagonism towards harmless protestors; a squad of riot police were specially brought to intimidate the crowd.

But the protestors were not intimidated. In fact, many in the crowd challenged the police to arrest them.

As long as the Home Ministry condones this sort of practice, the country will be soon transformed into a de facto police state.

I hope that the relevant authorities investigate what happened and take the appropriate disciplinary action against the concerned officer.

The time has come for Indians in the country to seriously think and act to improve their future. Enough is enough.

The so-called representatives and agents have betrayed the interests and concerns of the community. Presently, political representation is simply hollow for the community.

A complete political transformation is necessary to address the fundamental concerns of the community.

Hopefully, the ICCM can lead the community in the right direction.

P RAMASAMY is a professor of political economy at the Political Science Department, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and has academic interests in Malaysian politics and labour.