I refer to the Malaysiakini report Ramasamy: ‘Penang Indians sidelined' claims untrue .

Hindraf and Indian-based NGOs should not demand government-financed, race-based, ‘empowering’ bodies, because that will go back to the old racial politics, and may promote the ‘I scratch your back, you scratch my back’ political culture.

This will deteriorate into unethical, racist, politics. What if the Orang Asli and Chinese Hakka clan start to demand the same?

Race-based councils are also unreliable because council members can change stripes, and have split loyalty between the community and the political masters who appoint them.

What could be reasonable is to demand for temporary government committees on specific issues, such as education choices for Indian youths, survey of housing, survey of health needs, etc. But don't rely on them on a permanent basis.

Relying too much on the government or a political party will drag down even good people and their political party to become another MIC and MCA. That will be a sin against liberty and good governance.

How about Hindraf starting a privately-driven, action-oriented think tank?

It would be many times better if the activists can create their own privately-funded consolidated NGO, think tank, or lobby group to influence government policies, borrowing a page from the strategy of Chinese educators' group Dong Jiao Zhong (a consolidated NGO for Chinese school board of directors, principals and teachers).

The time may be right with the trust and grassroots momentum that Hindraf and related groups have gathered up so far. Lobby groups are a fundamental part of democracy, freedom of association, and free speech, even though they seem to only make the news when bad governance and briberies have been attempted by unethical consultants.

To ensure long-term success, such a think tank should have an independent board of directors (even independent from Hindraf), find its own focus, build grassroots and professional support, have private funding, a secretariat, a research and publication department, campaign and promotion capacities and regular meeting functions or conventions.

For staying power, any such group with a social-political mission should stay above partisan politics.

Its officials should strictly avoid party and government positions, whether elected or appointed (except when elected as independent candidates).

It should not restrict its membership by race or religion. Maintaining a cultural bias on Indian issues will naturally attract ethnic Indian supporters, who may include activists, academia, and spouses from other races.

We need such a group to last beyond governments and coalitions.