First and foremost, let me wish the family of the late A Kugan my deepest condolences. They have lost a son, in a way that no one should. Their loss is irreplaceable. Period.

Having said that, Kugan is not a hero. I think people should stop making him look like an innocent person victimised by police brutality.

I agree that a life has been brutally snatched away and probably by the police, but that is the only point of argument here. Not Kugan and not the Indian community.

I can't imagine why politicians and the Indian society at large must turn this whole sad episode to look like a hero of our community has been killed. Kugan was arrested as a suspected car thief, and according to reports in the media, he had a criminal record.

Can we take a moment to ask ourselves what crimes has he been involved in before? Or what crimes he could have been capable of?

I'm very sure, a lot of my Indian brothers and sisters who read this will be unhappy and agry with my opinions but I would like to stress that while we all fight for the equal rights of the minorities (Indian, Chinese and Malays included), I am not agreeable to the suggestion of putting up a fight for any criminal.

If Indians fail to shed their image of being involved in crime and other uncivilised activities, no one is going to take us seriously. Ask any rational person if he would rather listen to a guy with a 'colourful' track record or a normal, law-abiding person. The answer will most definitely will be the latter.

We must re-invent our image before fighting for our rights. This is vital now, especially with the rallying cry of Makkal Sakthi , growing louder by the day. Indian politicians and the Indian community are increasingly involved in this so-called 'fight against brutality'.

In our vigour to get our message across, are we also saying that criminals must be treated well? I, for one, will never back a criminal, be it Indian, Chinese or Malay, and I will not join the fight for them.

My comments may be harsh, but they are not directed at the late Kugan or his family. My comments are for those who have inadvertently absorbed the wrong message from this whole episode.