MIC today urged Indian Malaysians not to attend a mass gathering, to be organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) outside the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur this weekend.

The call was made by MIC secretary-general S Subramaniam and Youth chief S Vigneswaran at a press conference at the Parliament lobby.

In August, Hindraf filed a class-action suit against the British government for its alleged failure to protect the rights of the minority Indian community when it drafted the Constitution of Malaysia 50 years ago.

The suit stated that the British government's failure had caused the Indians to remain a permanently colonialised community under the Malaysian government.

The gathering, which the organiser claims will bring together some 100,000 people, will also witness the submission of a petition to Queen Elizabeth II.

The petition is to seek Her Majesty's help to ensure that Hindraf obtains legal representation in the United Kingdom to enable it to present its case fairly in the British courts.

Vigneswaran urged Indians to "think clearly before deciding" to attend the gathering, details of which are being circulated via the short messaging service (SMS).

'May cause unrest'

The MIC Youth chief said Hindraf was being "very irresponsible" by telling the public not to be concerned about the police or the need to obtain a permit.

"We are worried that the gathering may result in unrest. The public will become victims of this illegal gathering. So we hope that the people will reject all the negative suggestions and stick to the positive," he said.

"The British High Commission is closed on Sunday and Hindraf claims that they want to show the high commission that the Indians are united in fighting for their plight. It's a lie. And their claim that each Indian will receive money should they win the case is also a lie," he added.

According to Vigneswaran, the gathering is just a "disguise" to shore up support for the opposition.

"What is the point of the gathering? No other country can take action against Malaysia as it is a sovereign country. And as to their pledge to bring changes for the Indians, no one can bring changes other than the government," he said.

Clear vision needed

He also urged Indians not to forget the government's contribution to the community in the past.

"We believe that problems can be solved using the existing platforms in our system. Where was Hindraf all this while? Just because the elections are around the corner, they try to raise issues now," he added.

Meanwhile, Subramaniam said the planned gathering is nothing more than an attempt to confuse the people and to garner support for the opposition.

"MIC is also concerned that it (the gathering) is (being) done in a very irresponsible manner. Hindraf is not thinking of the consequences. They can fuel things but not stop it," he said, adding that he's not sure who would stop the "avalanche" started by Hindraf.

On that note, Vigneswaran said the government is not against social activism but urged activists to be more responsible.

"They need to have a clear vision and mission of what they plan to do. We're worried that Hindraf lacks the vision," he added.