Indian leaders see silver lining in Hindraf washout
Organised to demonstrate against Umno’s alleged racism and the use of the “Interlok” novel in the secondary school syllabus, the protest fizzled out after only about 300 people turned up — well short of the 3,000 that the organisers had expected.
Sunday’s protest was a far cry from that of November 25, 2007, which altered the political landscape of the country.
Most Indian opposition leaders in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR), which has split ways with Hindraf founder P. Uthayakumar, were anxious over the size of the turnout as this would indicate if the lawyer still wielded influence among the Indian community.
They were ready to adjust their relationship with Uthayakumar according to the impact of the protest.
“If the turnout was big, we have to kowtow to him; if not, it indicates he is a spent force,” said a DAP MP who declined to be named. “While he has hardcore supporters but his influence over the Tamil masses generally has dramatically diminished.”
While key opposition Indian leaders like Penang’s Dr P. Ramasamy, Ipoh Barat MP S. Kulasegaran, Kapar MP S. Manicavasagam and Sungkai state assemblyman A. Sivanesan and many others had rode the Hindraf wave to victory in 2008, none turned up yesterday to support the protest.
DAP’s Kota Alam Shah state assemblyman M. Manoharan, a loyal friend of Uthayakumar and who had been incarcerated with the Hindraf founder in Kamunting, was the only one to show up.
He also gave a press conference condemning police action because all the other key Hindraf leaders — from Uthayakumar down like Information chief S. Jayathas and state chiefs — had all been arrested early morning, leaving the protest without a unifying leader.
Yesterday, it was apparent Uthayakumar’s calculated gamble to use the controversy surrounding the “Interlok” novel to recapture the political momentum had failed.
“At one time, he could gather up to 50,000 people to protest. Now he can only get about 300,” said one PKR Indian leader.
“This shows how much political ground he has lost since the 2007 protest,” the PKR leader said, adding that all the Indian NGOs that were protesting against the “Interlok” novel had also withdrawn from sight when Uthayakumar entered the picture.
“Except for his hardcore supporters, he has isolated himself... the mainstream opposition don’t want to touch him,” the PKR man said.
After watching from the sidelines, Uthayakumar waded into the “Interlok” controversy by announcing yesterday’s protest a month earlier.
A vehicle convoy he organised a last week as a precursor also did not draw the thousands they had expected.
Hindraf/Human Rights Party (HRP) hostility towards Pakatan Rakyat was also visible in an incident during the protest on Sunday.
An attempt by Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo to associate himself with the protest had been rebuffed by the protestors.
According to media reports, the protesters asked Gobind, who tried to give an impromptu press conference in Sentul, to leave — allegedly because they did not believe in the mainstream opposition anymore.
The mainstream opposition, seeking to win Malay support, had avoided becoming entangled in the “Interlok” issue — something that Hindraf supporters see as a “betrayal” of the Indian cause.
Uthayakumar has fallen out with nearly all of PR’s Indian leaders, calling them “mandores” working for the opposition pact’s de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He extended the same label to Indian leaders in the Barisan Nasional, leaving himself few allies to draw from.
In 2007, Uthayakumar and Hindraf enjoyed broad support of Indian NGOs, opposition politicians, and even MIC grassroots leaders — many of whom also joined in the historic protest in the city.
Yesterday, Uthayakumar stood only with his most faithful supporters.
An example of the alienation was a text message which DAP Senator S. Ramakrishnan had sent out before yesterday’s protest.
“Don’t fall for selfish people who are using you for their selfish aims. Go to Merlimau not KLCC,” the text read.
Since the success of 2007, the changing political landscape and Uthayakumar’s own erratic stance has left both the leader and his movement increasingly isolated.
With the next general election seen looming, he will soon have a hard choice to make. Press on with his diminishing hardcore support and risk slipping into irrelevance. Or renew his embrace of Pakatan to try and survive the onslaught.
mi1: The analysis was not done proper as the intimidation from government and police has caused a lot of concern among Indian communities. They also know that police will be hard on Indians compared to Malays, if they stage protest as they are majority. The issue here is how both BN and pakatan has treated Indians all the way after the Tsunami in 2007 triggered by Hindraf. Therefore Hindraf still stand strong among Indians especially middle class and come next election pakatan is going to be the sore loser if they fail to communicate with Hindraf. The NGO is very powerful and among one of the most powerful and named as political pressure group by CIA. How pakatan is going to deal with Hindraf is another issue but overall with Baradan analysis, i would say it is misleading and incorrect to judge based on yesterday's event and with pressure from government and police towards Indians.
baradan sold his mother and wife to umno for better lifestyle,mmmm! typical 8appan.
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