PENANG DAP Government Harasses HRP - LGE, Dont play with Fire

The Penang Human Rights Party/Hindraf team was harassed by the Penang Waterfall Temple Committee today 18th january under the cold instruction of the DAP Penang State government!!!

The Penang HRP/Hindraf team, after going through all the procedures of applying for Thaipusam “Panthal” started erecting their panthal as usual late evening yesterday. At about 6.30 pm one of the members, Janarthanan was thuggishly told at the panthal to take down all our paraphernalia. Then, another member, Sathis was forced to provide a document of our community service activities which include:

1. Birth Certificates and Identity Card applications

2. Extending help on welfare issues for the needy

3. Help with basic human rights violation issues

4. Serving drinks to devotees

Not only that the people in the next panthal were also maliciously instructed not to give the HRP/Hindraf team the power connection causing the HRP/Hindraf panthal to plunge into darkness amidst all the lights and color and sounds of thaipusam all round. This is the democrarcy of DAP !

Mr. Kalay Selvam was asked to go to the temple committee’s office to collect the permit for the Panthal by the Temple committee. At the office he was told that HRP/Hindraf team was being denied the permit and NO permit will be issued to us. The reason given was Thaipusam is a religious festival and no political education to the public is allowed in any form. Oh, yeah, look around and you will know how much politicking is going on around on the Thaipusam ground! DAP and PKR booths in full view .

Meanwhile HRP/Hindraf HRP/Hindraf had lodged a police report on the matter and called for a press conference! There were representatives from both the mainstream media and the alternative media.

The HRP/Hindraf team, being true advocates of human rights, equality and justice for all, stood their ground and refused to give in to the temple committee’s unscrupulous demand! They were later called in to the temple committee’s office to talk and negotiate a deal. HRP/Hindraf was then told that the temple is acting under the cold bloody instruction of the DAP Penang state government! How cheap!

DAP and the opposition coalition has a serious issue here! The HRP/Hindraf team has been steadfast and very consistent in their cause of struggle from the very beginning! We, unlike DAP, PAS and Keadilan, have always been vigorously championing the poor Indian issues without fear or favour. We are the only party/organization in this country who struggle among others to stop the impune temple demolishment by the authorities as well as many other grave social issues including unlawful conversion of Hindus to Islam and consequently the Birth Certificate and Identity Card issues arising from such unlawful or forceful conversions! We have been battling for freedom of religion in this country all alone and DAP, despite their pretentious and unjustified claim of ‘multiracialism’ had never lifted even a finger to address the gross violation of religious rights of the Hindus! And if we are not religious enough or Hindus enough to put up a panthal at Thaipusam, then who is? Definitely not DAP and Keadilan who have been given the permits to put up their panthals! PDRM? Yeah, they are given double or triple the space to put up their panthal as they are indeed very religious in their conduct and execution of duties with hundreds and thousands and of Indian/Hindu youths shot dead like dogs or killed in police custodies.

When DAP, Keadilan and other political parties are so blatantly campaigning for their political parties through their Thaipusam panthals with huge banners and whatnot, why is HRP/Hindraf which is indeed championing the Indian cause in the country being denied our right to reach out to the Hindus who really are in dire need of help? HRP/Hindraf being so dear and so close to the hearts of the Indians and Hindus in this country, being denied a permit to put up a panthal for Thaipusam, could only conclude that the only reason for DAP to do so is their fear of HRP/Hindraf’s presence. HRP/Hindraf have been serving the community through Thaipusam panthals in Penang since the past four years. In 2008 there was no problem, in 2009 we were given space right inside the temple compound and everything was sponsored! In 2010 too, we didn’t have any problem with our panthal.

Nevertheless, why now? Because we are asking disturbing questions to DAP, PAS and Keadilan? This delicate sly cunningness of DAP in abusing their state powers to harass and obstruct HRP/Hindraf from reaching out to the Indians at Thaipusam only shows they are not after all as democratic or as great politicians/political party that they claim or portray themselves to be. Like we have mentioned many a time before, they are just leftovers of UMNO-BN, no better !!! DAP, PAS or Keadilan are never interested in good politics and welfare of the public, especially the Indians, but are rather mere slaves of money, power and fame!

If DAP and the opposition coalition is dreaming of getting the Indians votes in the next General Election, then we would like to advise them to take the Indians seriously, stop the wayang kulit Mandore politics and get into the serious business of addressing the Indian issues! If HRP/Hindraf’s presence is viewed as a threat to DAP’s survival in the next election, then it is only so because they are still playing the old politics trying to have a free ride on the Indians and win their votes en-bloc by just talking ‘kosong’ politics! Earn your votes from the Indian not by you cheap political ploy and abuse of power, but through sheer genuine hard work devoid of bi-racism and selfishness! Lim Guan Eng, be a gentleman and play fair, will ya?

It is so ironic that Anwar Ibrahim claims not to know which is the real Hindraf although Lim Guan Eng is all out to harass the real Hindraf! If we are blamed to play politics at a religious festival, then what are we to say about DAP abusing their state powers to harass and obstruct a genuine political party/NGO from reaching out to the public? Who is playing politics here! Is the temple committee being fair, unbias, without prejudice and impartial in issuing the permits? We have been doing what we are doing since the beginning, it was not a problem then, but is now! What and who have changed? Who is abusing the privileges given, the oppressor or the oppressed?

Come what may! No political party or powers that be can silence HRP/Hindraf from standing up for the Indians and human rights!