The class action suit by human rights group Hindraf against the British government, which is set to begin soon at the London High Court, is proof of the group’s “seriousness” on the matter.

Hindraf national adviser N Ganesan, when announcing the date of the first hearing of the suit, set to begin on March 30, said the hearing should answer to “all our sceptics and detractors about the seriousness of our words and actions”.

“Our detractors in both the coalition political parties should now recall all they had uttered in this interim about this suit and about our roles and eat all of that,” said Ganesan in the press conference today.

“They have been questioning whether the case is real or otherwise. This press conference is held to answer that this is for real.”

Hindraf had re-filed the class action suit on July 2, 2012 on behalf of the ‘descendants of indentured Indian labour in Malaysia’ for the British government’s failure to show duty of care.

The class action suit calls into account the British government for its role in the current “marginalised socio-economic status of the country’s Indian community”.

The first suit, filed on Aug 30, 2007, had lapsed as Hindraf did not get the necessary assistance and due to the lack of resources.

The group will be represented by a leading British law firm, Imran Khan and Partners.

Among Hindraf’s claims in the case is that the British government was negligent in its failure to appreciate and have regard of the vulnerable and peculiar position of the then Malayan Indians.

“The British government was also negligent in its failure to protect and preserve the rights and interests of the Malayan Indians who remained in Malaya after independence.”

Meanwhile, asked on the source of resources Hindraf had received to bring the suit to the hearing stage, Ganesan said the group had used the personal resources of its members.

“We did not seek any funding. We are able to come to this stage using our intellectual abilities, networks and limited financial resources,” he said.

‘Implications for all Malaysians’

Questioned on the next step to be taken, Ganesan declined to speculate, saying that the fact the group had managed to set the first hearing for the suit was a major step and had implications for all Malaysians.

“I think it will have a significant implication to the Malaysian political system as well,” he said.

Nevertheless, the group expects to prevail in the suit, in spite of the group taking on the entire British establishment.

“(This is) as we are calling into question the doings of their great empire over a period of at least 180 years. The documentary evidence we have collated is overwhelming.

“Small as we are... We expect to overcome ongoing hurdles in this suit, and there will be many hurdles to overcome for an action of this scope and nature.”

Stressing that they were committed to bringing about changes to the lives of the Indian poor and marginalised, Ganesan said “no amount of falsehoods or belittlement of the group’s actions” by “these deceitful and selfish detractors will stop us from powering ahead”.