Saturday, December 15, 2007

MALAYSIA SIMMERING DISCONTMENT

Malaysia is a country which has progressed outwardly but has remained deeply conservative society. Current discontentment of ethnic Indian community brought to the fore the lack of understanding of diplomacy in political leaders of Malaysia. Mahatir Mohhamed stood like a giant in Asian politics and he stood like a rock, he could defy the Americans, but he did it diplomatically.

Indian are everywhere in the world, however for unknown reasons they have not grown in Malaysia, unlike elsewhere in the world where Indians are affluent and influential minorities in many countries. People are trying to profess that Malaysian government is trying to oppress the Indian ethnic community, something which no sensible person will buy.

If ethnic Indians voice their concerns in Malaysia, then it's definately an internal matter of Malaysia in which no one should interfere. Not Karunanidhi or anyone else. Every society has it's share of unsatisfied groups, we have many in India, and it's better to let the society itself find a solution for its problem. So any action that Malaysian government takes in face of unrest & protests, no one must make adverse comment on it.

The world is changing fast, closed societies are being forced open, anything and everything a society does becomes a matter of scrutiny. Thus the manner in which political leaders reacted to the unrest and unnecessary reaction from Karunanidi was deplorable. What it ultimately it achieved was to attract international attention on the diplomatic faux pax and suddenly the ethnic Indian issue was internationalised. Badawi was with his back to the wall and came out with emotional rhetoric which as much as it was true, it could have been done without.

Despite modernization of Malaysia, people tend to brand Malaysia as a regressive society, which I find totally untrue, even we have a conservative society in India, that doesn't mean we are regressive?

Finally, the protesters were asking for replies from Queen in UK! Why should anyone else answer? Why should Malaysian government give explanations as to their 'care' of the ethnic Indians, let the Queen answer!

Now everyone is asking, is Malaysia truly Asia? Are Malaysian politicians fundamentalists? My answer is, go to Malaysia and see, except for a few blunders on part of the politicos, Malaysia is a country with problems similar to the one's in our backyard, let's look in our backyard and not to worry about the society elsewhere, as for the politicians, the world will hold a mirror to them.




No comments: