Hindraf advisor N Ganesan has called on the Indian rights movement to throw its support behind the Bersih 4 rally which it sees as an opportunity for a new and re-aligned progressive force to institute change in the country.
He said the ongoing political crisis today, which had sparked the Bersih 4 rally, had likewise impacted the already oppressed Indian poor.
"Being right at the bottom, the marginalised Indian poor today are hit extremely hard by the rot at the top - of the corrupt, oppressive and utterly self-serving policies of the ruling elite.
"They are most in need of basic policy changes," he said in a statement today.
Ganesan ( photo ) believes that the Bersih 4 rally will be an opportunity to change this.
"A people’s movement such as the planned Bersih 4 rally, pushing for such change does have the potential for improving the lives of these people in spite of the risks of being made use of by other sections of the elite.
"We have to, however, keep clear in mind that after a rally of this nature the current political elite will not immediately be relieved of their power.
"What this rally provides, therefore, is the possibility for new alliances to create the force capable of bringing about that ultimate outcome," he said.
In the wilderness
Hindraf had been in the wilderness despite its rise to prominence in 2007 when it mobilised tens of thousands of Indian Malaysians to protest against ethnic discrimination.
The movement was credited with contributing to the massive swing against the ruling coalition in the 2008 general election.
However, the movement had since been plagued by infighting and its move to ally itself with the opposition and ruling coalition at different times to further its cause were unsuccessful.
This is also amid the demise of Pakatan Rakyat and calls for a bi-partisan movement to oust Prime Minsiter Najib Abdul Razak who is being plagued by scandals including the deposits of RM2.6 billion into his personal bank accounts.
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