Hindraf leaders’ wives don’t want gathering

KLANG: The wives of four detained Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders do not want supporters and well-wishers to gather outside the Home Affairs Ministry tomorrow as a sign of protest against their husbands’ detention.

M. Manoharan’s wife S. Pushpaneela, V. Ganabatirau’s wife B. Buvaneswary, K. Vasantha Kumar’s wife K. Vikneswary and R. Kenghadaran’s wife Dr M. Kalaivani say they do not want their husbands to suffer the consequences of such an act.

“We would like to humbly request all Hindraf supporters not to participate in any demonstration or rally,” said Pushpaneela.

They were responding to an SMS being circulated asking Hindraf supporters to gather outside the Home Ministry in Putrajaya at 10.30am tomorrow.

Pushpaneela added that many elected leaders were currently working hard for their husbands’ release and it would be best to wait patiently for the outcome of their collective efforts.

The four men as well as P. Uthayakumar are currently detained under the Internal Security Act at the Kamunting detention centre in Taiping, Perak.

Dr Kalaivani said the proposed gathering might jeopardise their husbands’ chance of being released if it got out of hand and turned ugly.

Teacher Buvaneswary concurred and urged Hindraf supporters to remain calm and not aggravate the current situation.

Vikneswary said she appreciated the care and concern shown by Hindraf supporters but added that the best thing they could do now was to wait patiently.

“This is not the time to gather in big groups and protest,” she said.

Meanwhile, Hindraf National Event Coordinator Kannan Ramasamy said the event was merely a submission of a memo by Hindraf lawyers to Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

“Only a few of our lawyers and several immediate family members of the detainees would be there,” he said.

He said the memo was in protest of Syed Hamid’s recent remarks that he would not release the five Hindraf leaders.

“We are requesting Datuk Seri Syed Hamid to be more responsive as he is the one who has the authority to release them in his capacity as Home Minister,” said Kannan.

WANI MUTHIAH
Star online

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