Hindraf has launched its five-year blueprint today, which calls for a Ministry of Minority Affairs headed by the movement.Its national advisor N Ganesan (left) said whichever political coalition endorses it in a “formal treaty” would receive its support.”The trickle-down approach to solving these kinds of problems just doesn’t work. What we need is targeted, focused and pointed efforts like what we are suggesting.“We believe there needs to be adequate political will to carry this through… and we believe that Hindraf is the only organisation in the country that would be see through a programme for the minorities,” he told a press conference today in Kuala Lumpur.
He explained that Hindraf should head the ministry because people have grown distrustful of politicians for making promises they cannot keep.
Six problem areas
Ganesan said the blueprint identifies six problem areas that the Indian Malaysian community faces that needs to be resolved in the next five years and proposes some solutions.
The six are: Displaced estate workers, stateless persons, lack of access to education and job opportunities, police brutality including deaths in custody, and institutionalised racism.
Some of the proposed solutions include providing adequate compensation and skill training for displaced estate workers, implementing the Independent Police Misconduct and Complaints Commission (IPCMC), and ratifying the UN’s International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
When asked what if neither Pakatan Rakyat nor BN would endorse the blueprint, Ganesan pointed at the crowd leaving the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall where the press conference was held and said the matter would be left to the people.
The blueprint’s unveiling was held in conjunction with the 5th anniversary of its 2007 protest, and was attended by some 1,500 supporters.
Some of them had to watch the event from TV screens outside the venue, due to the full-house crowd.
However, the movement’s de facto leader and Human Rights Party chairperson P Uthayakumar was absent from the event.
When asked, Uthaya’s brother and Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoorthy (right) said it is “because he has gone and formed the Human Rights Party. We are running a people’s movement here.”
Earlier at the conclusion of the anniversary rally, the audience recited a declaration supporting the blueprint and called for the ban on Hindraf to be lifted.
“We, the representatives of 1.5 million Indian Malaysian poor, hereby accept and whole-heartedly support the blueprint to achieve a practical and comprehensive final solution to the tragedy that has fallen on the Indian Malaysian community for 200 years.
“We fully support Hindraf’s move to pressure the government to fully execute this plan.
“We also unanimously urge the Malaysian government with withdraw the ban on Hindraf and allow it to operate as a human rights organisation,” the enthusiastic crowd said.
