COMMENT Whether one admits it or not, the main problem with MIC and other political parties in BN is the lack of effective, dynamic and progressive leadership.

It is the absence of this crucial leadership component that has prevented the party as a whole from championing and articulating the problems of the Indian community since its formation about 70 years ago.

The current leadership crisis in the party between the president, G Palanivel, and his deputy S Subramaniam has nothing to do with the need to resolve the myriad problems faced by Indians.

Indians in the country are fed-up and tired with the antics and drama of the so-called MIC leaders.

In fact, more and more Indians are leaving the party to the folds of the opposition parties like the DAP and PKR.

The MIC suffered most under the leadership of S Samy Vellu, its former president, who helmed the party for more than 20 years.

It was during his tenure that the party was reduced to being a ‘slave’ to Umno.

His supporters were for all intents and purposes were sycophants.

The earlier two MIC presidents, VT Sambanthan and his successor V Manickavasagam, had a good following in the party. Both had amicable but at times uneasy relationship with Umno leaders.

Sambanthan’s major contribution to the Indian community was the formation of the National Land Finance Cooperative Society (NLFCS) that purchased plantations to prevent land fragmentation and unemployment of thousands of Indian plantation workers.

The present leadership crisis in the MIC would not have emanated if Palanivel had followed the dictates of Samy Vellu, his former boss.

It was this failure that is mainly responsible for the present crisis leading to legal challenges, emergence of ‘two presidents’ and recent public gatherings.

Samy Vellu might be the former president, but he still holds a powerful sway over some sections within the MIC, especially those groomed by him.

MIC’s leadership squabbles has nothing to do with the welfare and well-being of the Indian community.

Community in dire straits

The community is in dire straits after more than 58 years of political independence.

Indians are in an unenviable position compared to Chinese and Malays.

There is a high degree of unemployment amongst Indians.

Public sector job openings are closed for Indians due to racial policies and even in the private sector, there is discrimination against Indians.

Indians are now competing with foreign workers for employment in both the public and private sectors.

Indian students are doing well in the pre-university courses. But they can hardly obtain places in strategic disciplines such as medicine, computer science and engineering in public universities.

Scholarships and loans are beyond the reach of many ordinary poor Indian students.

The number of Indian students enrolled in skills training programmes are few and far between. Many are not even aware of the existence of these programmes. Government allocations for these programmes have been hijacked by politicians in the MIC.

Tamil schools are in a pathetic shape.

Hundreds of schools are without land and proper buildings. Government allocations for Tamil schools are not sufficient to address the problem in a comprehensive and systematic manner.

Indian contractors and entrepreneurs face difficulty if not outright hostility when it comes to bidding for contracts or projects. Very few Indians businessmen obtain these contracts.

And those who obtain these contracts are invariably persons who use bumiputra licences.

The Indian community, despite its contribution in building this nation, is a community that is being terribly neglected and marginalised. No MIC president to date has boldly taken up the sad and serious plight of the community.

It is sad that greed and selfishness have taken precedence in the MIC over the herculean problems faced by the Indian community.

P RAMASAMY is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang and the assemblyperson for Perai.