A Batu Caves boycott?
I had written this article on Saturday. Personally I think that while there may be some shouts on the ground for the boycott, generally I guess people would still be heading towards Batu Caves come Jan 23. After all their fight is (should be) against Nadarajah (and his committee), not Muruga.
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Boycotting Batu Caves for Thaipusam?
K Kabilan | Jan 5, 08 4:23pm
A movement is fast gaining momentum on the ground to canvass support among the Indian community to boycott the Batu Caves temple for the Thaipusam festival which falls on Jan 23.
Short message services (SMSes) and emails are being circulated asking people not to fulfill their spiritual vows in Batu Caves following the temple committee’s role in allowing the police to violently disperse a gathered crowd in the early hours of Nov 25.
So far no one has claimed leadership or responsibility for the boycott call but the feedback from the ground seemed to indicate that it is a random act of protest propagated by unknown individuals.
“As mark of respect for all fellow brothers and sisters who were part of the Nov 25 rally, we will fulfill all our spiritual vows at other temples in Malaysia except Batu Caves during Thaipusam,” said one such SMS making its rounds in recent weeks. Other SMSes with similar messages have also been in circulation lately.
The SMSes refer to the violent dispersal by police of a large crowd who had gathered peacefully at the compound of the Batu Caves temple in the early hours of that day last year.
The crowd had arrived there prior to participating in the much-talked about Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) organised rally in Kuala Lumpur later that morning.
The police have said that they had acted only after they were called in by the Batu Caves temple management committee, headed by R Nadarajah.
Nadarajah had defended the temple’s actions by saying that the crowd had trespassed into the temple after closing hours and in the process had caused severe damages to the temple’s properties.
Thaipusam is one of the most important festivals for the Hindus. It is dedicated to Lord Muruga and celebrates the victory of good over evil. In Malaysia, Batu Caves has been the centre of the celebration for years, attracting about a million visitors on that day every year.
An angry community
One annual Batu Caves visitor, S Sivalingam from Pasir Penampang in Selangor said that the calls for the boycott was likely to be heeded in his area.
“Every year bus loads of devotees from this place and the surrounding estates will make the pilgrimage to Batu Caves. This year lots of people are asking us not to go after what the temple has done to the people who were there on Nov 25,” he said.
He said that calls for the boycott has come not just via the SMSes, but also from local community leaders and from fellow residents themselves.
“They talk openly about Hindraf and how Nadarajah and his committee members have failed to support the fight for Indian rights,” he added.
He admitted the local Indian population in his area and the surrounding areas - which have long been strong BN supporters - were angry with the manner Hindraf supporters and protesters were treated in both Batu Caves and Kuala Lumpur city centre on Nov 25.
“The feeling is that our political parties have failed us. Our temples have failed too. So why must we continue giving our support to them,” asked Sivalingam, a 43-year-old businessman.
Bloggers too have joined along in asking the people to boycott Batu Caves this year.
“Perhaps we should teach them (the Batu Caves committee) by going to Penang and Malacca for Thaipusam. Let them lose their revenue,” wrote a blogger.
“Public solidarity is paramount in this symbolic effort to achieve the objectives and show that it is not easily quelled. Let's hit them where it naturally hurts most - $$$,” wrote another blogger.
Hindraf denies involvement
A priest in a small temple in Kapar K Munian said that he was worried that devotees from his temple would take “their fight against the wrong party”.
“The anger should not be focussed at the deity in the temple. It is after all Lord Muruga’s day. We go there to pray to him. If the anger is against the temple committee, find some other way to show it. Let’s not ask people not to go to Batu Caves to pray,” he pleaded.
Hindraf coordinator RS Thanenthira, when contacted, denied that his organisation was the mover behind the call for the boycott.
“How can we ask people not to pray. Of course we at Hindraf are angry with the Batu Caves temple committee, but that doesn’t mean we can ask people to boycott Lord Muruga,” he said.
“It is a temple and we will not stop people from praying there. But if it is their choice to boycott, we can’t do anything about that,” he added.
Batu Caves temple officials when contacted said that they are aware of the calls to boycott the temple for Thaipusam.
“But we are not worried about this. We are sure the devotees will continue to come here to worship,” said an official.
Protest the right way
Similar strong sentiment was espoused by MIC vice president S Veerasingam, who was confident that devotees will not boycott Batu Caves for Thaipusam.
“As usual thousands will turn up at Batu Caves and other places to fulfill their vows. Do not bring negative thoughts into religious festivals,” he said.
A long time kavadi-bearer at Batu Caves, P Batu Malai said that he would surely fulfill his vows by carrying a kavadi this year too at Batu Caves, although he was angry with the manner the temple committee handled the crowd on Nov 25.
“I was in the crowd and I know how the temple committee worked hand in hand with the police in getting us out of the temple compound,” he claimed.
“But that will not stop me from going there for Thaipusam. However I will not pay a single sen to the temple for any of its projects and charity drives. Neither will I be standing around to hear MIC president S Samy Vellu’s annual speech for Thaipusam at Batu Caves,” he added.
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I say that people should go to fulfill their religious vows to Batu Caves but should not contribute any money for the temple - don’t even buy a drink. Just go and pray and return. No poojas, no donations, no tickets. The idea is to just send a message that we don't condone crooks who rob the community!
posted by Kabilan K at 1:20 PM
2 Comments:
Just read that it is actually a freeze on ALL non-skilled Indian workers. Since when did priests, musicians and sculptors become unskilled?
This is what AP reported:
By EILEEN NG,Associated Press Writer AP - 1 hour 4 minutes ago
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Malaysia, which relies heavily on foreigners for menial work, has frozen the recruitment of workers from India, an official said Tuesday, in a move apparently linked to unrest among the country's ethnic Indian citizens.
The decision, reportedly made by the Cabinet on Dec. 18, became public the day India's Defense Minister A.K. Antony ended a three-day visit, which both sides hailed as a boost to rapidly growing bilateral relations, including military links. Antony was not informed of the decision during his talks with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and other senior officials.
About 140,000 Indian migrants work in Malaysia, constituting the third largest group of foreign workers. Most take low-paying jobs as waiters, barbers and gardeners. however, some hold top professional posts in banks and information technology industries.
About 8 percent of the country's population is ethnic Indian, some of whose families have lived in Malaysia for at least two generations.
Malaysia had barred employers from recruiting any more Bangladeshi workers in October following problems sparked by labor agents who leave the migrants stranded on arrival. There are some 200,000 Bangladeshi workers now in Malaysia.
An official from the Home Ministry confirmed the latest decision _ which has not been officially announced _ when reporters called for comment on a statement by a religious group that Indian temple workers were being denied permission to work in Malaysia.
The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism said it was shocked by the policy change and urged the government to reconsider its decision, warning this was a sensitive issue to non-Muslims in the country.
An official at the Indian Embassy said the mission is in touch with the "authorities concerned on the reported circular." The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing protocol, did not elaborate.
The Home Ministry official said Indian workers who are already in the country will be allowed to stay until their permits expire, but they will not be renewed.
He said the ban is related to recent unrest among the country's minority ethnic Indians, who are demanding racial equality in the Muslim majority country. Another ministry official also confirmed the ban order. Both spoke on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.
In November, about 20,000 ethnic Indians, most of whom are Hindus, demonstrated on the streets, complaining of discrimination, in a rare and open challenge to the government. They say an affirmative action program that favors the majority Malay Muslims denies them equal access to jobs and education. The Indians also say their religious rights are being trampled by Islamic officials.
Subsequently, the government arrested the top five leaders of the group that organized the protest, the Hindu Rights Action Force. They are currently being held under a law that allows indefinite detention without trial.
Malays form about 60 percent of Malaysia's 27 million people. Ethnic Chinese account for a quarter.
One of the Home Ministry official said three categories of Hindu temple workers _ priests, sculptors and musicians _ were specifically mentioned in the order because some of them were believed to have fanned emotional anger in the local Indian community through their sermons and support.
The order did not specify whether other categories of workers, like professionals, would be included, but it is believed to cover all workers from India, the two officials said.
Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's top labor markets, with 2.2 million registered migrant workers out of its 11 million work force. Hundreds of thousands more work illegally in the country.
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