Professor P Ramasamy's article, [#1] Indian representation in Barisan Alternatif [/#] (Jan 11), is more of an academic analysis of the Indian Malaysian situation. Being an academician, it is only natural for him to present his version of the Indian Malaysian situation. However, his perception of the scenario lacks practical substance. Almost devoid of practical realities, his views and analysis will remain only as an academic polemic, unable to be translated into workable realities.

By and large the majority of Malaysian Indians who come from the Dravidian stock are from the menial working class, usually communalised in estates and illegal urban squatter kampung . The mindset of these Indians are entrenched in the feudal capitalistic system where they have been "fated" to be the servant of the feudal lord.

For generations these Indian worker class has been "culturalised" to obey orders, follow instructions of their bosses or leaders. This traditional attitude of subordinating to the zamindar (feudal landlords or barons) either in colonial estates or factories, subsequently owned by local political aristocrats who inherited the system from the colonialists, have remained intact in the mind of these "entrapped" Indians. It is this mindset which MIC/Barisan Nasional exploited to the brim, for preserving the loyalty of these "serf"-like Indians.

With political power in their hands, MIC and its allies in BN who were the "rightful bosses" provided selective information to these groups to keep them subservient to them. The average Indian worker still believes the Tamil newspapers, radio and TV news as the "gospel" truth. They are kept in darkness, deprived of vital balanced facts which would have changed their perception of their traditional leaders.

MIC and BN intimidated Indians with threats of racial violence, religious suppression and withdawal of "government" aids if they voted for PAS and the opposition. The MIC media and their propaganda machine misled the Indians into believing that only BN can rule and help them. Most simple Indians succumbed to this continuous propaganda and indoctrination, resulting in their support for BN.

DAP, which the writer claims to be the best party for Indians in the opposition, at one time had a few good leaders. However, the writer failed to state that DAP survived primarily on the opposition spirit and never evolved into a credible alternative for MIC as far as the Indians were concerned. It also failed to attract Malays into its fold and with time it degenerated into a weaker Chinese-based opposition rather than a credible challenger to MCA, MIC or Umno.

The reason Indians still vote for BN stems from the fact that they have been and still are deliberately starved from the vital balanced information. As it is said that people are "suckers" for truth and they will change if the truth is presented to them. But alas, they only got half-truths and distorted information. So the ignorant Indians had no choice but to support leaders whom they think are the right ones.

Recent experience has shown that an Indian in an estate will be shocked if someone criticises Dr Mahathir Mohamad or S Samy Vellu - such acts are perceived as "sins" from their myopic worldview created by MIC-BN. This is typified in the Indian Progressive Front (IPF), a party that has to a large extent , used the pernicious Arya Brahmin caste system for its "inspiration" and survival. In MIC, Samy is the virtually deified through an effective network, where well-created sycophants aided by gangsters guard jealously the minds of the Indians from any "poisoning" by the opposition.

The majoroty of Indians are kept in "half light" by Tamil media; in such a situation they are maintained in a perpetual state of semi-blindness and fear. This has made them weak spiritually, politically, academically and economically. This weakness manifests itself in their community life.

Barisan Alternatif's task is to free the Indians from the MIC's "political pukau (trance)" and open their minds to the truth; only then one can expect an exodus of Indians to the opposition, particularly to a Malay-based multiethnic party where they can intermingle, share and learn from fellow Malaysians of Malay and Chinese origin. Until and unless this paradigm shift takes place, Indians will be "bond slaves" to MIC and BN's feudal leaders.

Only with the help of the Malays can this "mighty" evil spell be broken, and until the Indians are made to understand this, they will be no ray of hope for them. This fact has been well illustrated in the Lunas political upheaval where MIC's "mercenaries" and "special force" were unable to execute their " undi hantu" (phantom voters) project to deliver the deciding votes for BN.

It is precisely for this reason that Indians must champion a Malay-based multiethnic party, where the threats of racial riots, gangsters and fear tactics can be eliminated, their minds nourished with truth instead of propaganda, so that they will become mentally strong and brave enough to bring down an oppressive feudal system that has "enslaved" them for decades.

An academic presentation which will only reach the elite and the educated small fraction of Indians, and remain empty words with hardly any significant practical value. Prim, with P Uthayakumar's leadership, will only enlarge the flame of fallacious racism that has kept the minority Indians in captivity - he seems to be unable to transcend the narrow confines of outmoded racism. Besides, the party is making no headway, nor is it attracting the Indians to any significant extent.

Indians must release themselves form the fetters of racism which has been totally rejected in the teachings of their Holy Book the Thirukkural . Indians must learn that their civilisation was highly advanced (Mohenjo Dara - Harrappa) and the Thirukkural is the repository of that civilisational knowledge which must be the ultimate reference for individual and community life of the Indian Malaysians.

We urge the Indians to respond to the call for multiethnic politics and seize the present opportunity that has been laid before them. They have nothing to lose but much to gain.

The time is ripe, the moment of truth is at hand. The Malays who were once thought to espouse radical racism have opened a new political horizon, particularly the Keadilan youths who have embarked on a long-term programme to educate the Malaysians to move towards multiethnic politics.

We call upon people like the writer to play their role in this civilisational process that will propel Malaysia into totally new political culture where justice and fairness must rule supreme.