I would like to announce that from next year onwards during Thaipusam, the Penang Hindu Endowment Board (PHEB), a statutory body of the Penang government, would be organising the silver chariot procession, currently being organised by the Nattukotai Chettiar temple, Waterfall Rd, situated opposite the Hilltop Murugan temple.

The Chettiars have been organising the silver chariot procession for the last 130 years, although Thaipusam has been celebrated in Penang for about 230 years.

Before the takeover of the silver chariot by the Chettiars - a small moneylending community amongst the Tamils - the procession was organised by Indian workers.

So, the Chettiars cannot use the 130-year history to say that they are the ones who first organised the chariot procession held on the eve of Thaipusam in Penang.

Although the PHEB is the organiser of Thaipusam, unfortunately due to historical reasons it is not in a position to organise this important chariot procession.

This issue of a private temple - the Chettiar temple - organising the chariot procession and keeping the proceeds or the public donations for themselves is a sore point with the larger Indian community in Penang.

The Chettiars, even though they are considered Tamils both ethnically and linguistically, have never considered themselves part of the larger Tamil population.

In fact, in their temples, both in Penang and in other places, only the Chettiars are given priority in terms of religious services.

In Penang, during the chariot procession, only the Chettiars are allowed to sit on top of the chariot while ordinary Tamils are given secondary roles.

'Private' proceeds

Grievances of Tamils against Chettiars have been building over the years.

Early attempts to bring the chariot procession under the PHEB have failed for various reasons.

Hundreds of thousands are collected during the chariot procession. The public, both Indians and non-Indians, contribute generously during the procession.

But nobody knows how much is collected and what the Chettiars do with the money.

A major portion of the proceeds from the chariot procession are (allegedly) sent to the Chettiar community in South India, in the state of Tamil Nadu.

Even though funds are collected from the public, however, they are never revealed to the public.

The PHEB submits fully audited accounts to parliament every year without fail.

Simmering discontent

While the Indian public are not after the assets and properties of the Chettiars in Penang, there is strong and growing resentment that they should cease organising the chariot procession and hand it over to the PHEB.

Given the repeated requests from the Indian public in Penang, the PHEB has no choice but to fulfil the longstanding wishes of the Hindus in Penang.

Repeated requests by the PHEB to the Chettiars to discuss and resolve the issue of the chariot procession have fallen on deaf ears.

Money collected (during Thaipusam) by the PHEB will go towards the larger and poorer Indian community.

The Chettiars cannot use the 130-year history to justify not giving up the chariot procession. The time has come for them to be realistic and hand this over to the PHEB.

Obstinance will only further aggravate the deteriorating relationship between the Chettiars and the larger Tamil community.

P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the state assemblyperson for Perai. He is also chairperson of the Penang Hindu Endowment Board.