It is deeply regrettable that the Hindu Rights Actions Force (Hindraf) has been declared illegal by the government.

Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar has been misled into believing that Hindraf is an extremist religious organisation and its actions, if left unchecked, would pose a threat to public order, the security and sovereignty of the country as well as the prevailing racial harmony.

According to him, Hindraf ‘incites hatred towards the Malays’ which is a very serious allegation which itself is a greater threat to the security of the nation. If that is true why are PAS and PKR supportive of Hindraf?

Syed Alba must be na ï ve to believe that there is genuine racial harmony in the country. Absence of riots does not mean race relations are excellent. Even the prime minister has reiterated recently that our race relations have deteriorated to such an extent that it has become a serious concern for all.

The ordinary man-on-the-street will agree that our race relations are far from ideal. In fact, it has been fast deteriorating over the years. How can we develop genuine inter-racial ties if we segregate our children for various reasons from the moment they go to schools?

The main reason for the worsening inter-racial and inter-religious goodwill is due to the lackadaisical attitude of the government towards promoting racial unity and its inaction to check real extremist groups who incite racial hatred of other ethnic groups.

If only the government was impartial in checking these extremist tendencies fairly without bias, we would not be in the state we are in today. If only the government and the MIC had acted in the interests of all Malaysians and the Indians in particular, Hindraf would not exist today.

Hindraf was born as a result of years of frustration resulting from the negligence and marginalisation of the Indian community which the government denies till today. Although its name connotes a Hindu struggle, in actual fact it represents the sentiments of all Indians, whose socio-economic status is deplorable and far below par.

In fact, Hindraf has become a household name among the marginalised groups of all the races in the country, a name that stands for the fight against injustice, poverty and abuse of power. Its battle cry makkal sakthi , which simply means ‘the people’s power’, has become a rallying cry for unity and change by all races in the opposition during the last general election.

The Hindraf uprising that cumulated with the Nov 25 rally last year was an eye-opener for the poor and marginalised from all communities including the Malays. It helped to ignite the spirit for reformation, democratisation and eradication of race-based policies among Malaysians.

It might have been a cry for help by the impoverished and desperate Indian Malaysians but today Makkal Sakthi represents s call by all for a fairer distribution of the nation’s wealth and greater opportunities for all in jobs and education.

Unfortunately instead of heeding their pleas and engaging in dialogue to understand and solve their problems, the government and even the MIC have reacted with hostility. Hindraf was considered a extremist group trying to create chaos and racial riots in the country. It was accused of having links with foreign terrorist groups and therefore castigated, its leaders arrested under the ISA.

Instead of looking at the merits of their grouses, they were seen as a threat to national security. How can a minority group that comprise about 8% of the population with no economic or political clout be a significant threat to the security of the nation?

Will punitive measures and the banning of Hindraf stop the spirit of the Hindraf struggle? It is not the struggle of a few leaders detained under the ISA but that of the whole Indian community that is plagued with severe socio-economic problems including poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, gangsterism, poor living conditions and a high crime rate.

History has shown that repressive legislation and punitive actions can never permanently quell the anger and uprising of any community that is disadvantaged and marginalised.

You can persecute their leaders with imprisonment, torture and even death but you can never kill the spirit in them. In fact these high-handed measures will only encourage them fight on with greater zeal and vigour.

What is needed is not confrontation but sympathy and dialogue to solve the problems of a disadvantaged community that is crying out for help to the government it helped to elect to power and had remained loyal to all these years.

After more than 50 years of self-rule and in a country endowed with abundant natural resources there is no reason for any group to be in a state of hard core poverty, without a decent jobs, shelter, education and food.

The government must lift the ban on Hindraf and engage them in meaningful dialogue to overcome the various problems facing the Indian community. This instead of punishing them for voicing out their problems that are genuine.

In fact it should act likewise with all groups who are frustrated by the unfair policies of the government. Shutting all avenues for channelling their grouses would only push them to resort to unhealthy and unlawful means to attract attention.

There is a need to re-look at where we have gone wrong and formulate and implement policies to help all those in need regardless of race. If any one community, however small, is left behind everybody will suffer in the long run.

For lasting peace and harmony, every citizen regardless of race, social status and political ideology must be made to feel proud of being a Malaysian.