M' sian Hindu rally stirs passion in Tamil Nadu
According to news reports in Hindustan Times, The Hindu, Times of India and The Tribute, the chief minister of the Tamil Nadu state in India, M. Karunanidhi (pix above) has urged Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh " to take immediate and appropriate action on the 'sufferings and bad treatment' of Tamils in Malaysia". The last time passion was stirred in India with such emotive intensity by an event in Malaysia was probably the arrest, prosecution, 'conviction' and execution of martyr S.A. Ganapathy in 1949 when even Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), the first prime minister of independent India, had to made public statements pleading for justice and also decrying the "extreme folly" of the colonial authorities of British Malaya.Winning people's hearts, minds with tear gas
British introspection on Empire' s end in Asia
posted by James Wong Wing-On at 1:00 AM
6 Comments:
Nehru once visited Malaya during 1940s, and appeal Indian of Tanah Melayu to 'seek no help from India'. I can't produce citation of Nehru's text, it was mentioned in Tim Harper's 'Forgotten Wars'.
Firstly I ask Uncle James forgiveness before I go on....
We need attention from international communities alright. Just that I can't shake off the idea that only people living here can make real difference to bring about substantial degree of social reformation.
My argument is that, most if not all contemporary social reformation will not come into being without massive support and mobilization of its people, people whose living under one same roof, whose blood and sweat nurture our beloved land. This is especially true in our case, where we are virtually had been, and continue will be deprive from accessing our fundamental rights.
We cannot seek redness in court since Minister's decision is final, so legal mean is an dead end. Our government does not uphold the Constitution and eye for endless positive discriminatory policy albeit clear-cut social dissent, and our Parliament cannot prevent controversial law from being institutionalized and use by enforcer to justify the unjustifiable.
At least for this moment, I seriously believe that only by mean of civil disobedience and mass mobilization of people we can bring our endless discriminatory policy to its own grave. And for obvious reason, such movement will fail without participation from people whose still regard themselves as Malaysian, the Son of Soil*.
Even that, there is a big issue on how to keep the ball rolling after 'The First Kick'.
Big thank you for the support from India political leader I say. But I want to believe that we made up the main driving force to untie our problems.
I hope I made enough reasons to support my argument, and I beg your forgiveness if it appears as off-topic rambling. I realise and sadly I still respond to Mr M. Karunanidhi statement only from an narrow angle, a Malaysian perspective.
*I read an article penned by prominent chinese scholar Zhang Jin Yun (张景云) about reinventing our political language and possibly turn it into some kind of counter-offence against umnoputra supremacy. So here, in my opinion Son of Soil refer as citizen of Malaysia that royal to the Agong, contribute to nation-building, uphold the Constitution, so on and so forth. And Son of Soil means precisely what they are.
Please, don't stir things up. Foreigners, please do not interfere with "our family" matters!
Page what of Forgotten War? Please enlighten.
I am sorry Uncle James.
I wish I could but currently backpacking in Poland now and book isn't with me.
Perhaps other reader can help to verify my claim.
it's ok. let me know when you have the book. i'll check it myself too.
Forgotten Wars, page 520
Happy Chinese New Year :)
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