India should confront Malaysia on ethnic mess created by Malaysian Govt.

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Confront Malaysia

The Pioneer Edit Desk (Jan. 9, 2008)

The Government of Malaysia is rapidly taking its anti-Indian and anti-India bias -- which is really official policy to stamp out Hindu culture, faith and identity from that Muslim majority country -- to absurd limits. On Tuesday, the Malaysian Government has made public its offensive policy of imposing a ban on Indian workers, including temple priests. It is believed that the work permits of Indians who are working in Malaysia will not be renewed. A ban has also been imposed on employing "non-Malaysian" in airports. Curiously, this obnoxious decision was taken on December 18, but kept under wraps -- possibly because the Malaysian Government did not want to derail Defence Minister AK Antony's visit to Kuala Lumpur from which Malaysians stand to gain by way of India training their security forces. It stands to reason why Mr Antony's interlocutors in Kuala Lumpur should have slyly kept quiet on the ban order till the Defence Minister's official visit was over. Malaysia's Works Minister Samy Vellu, now in Delhi for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas jamboree, has sought to deflect attention from the outrageous decision of his Government by denying any such policy. Mr Vellu's politics is based on public demonstrations of loyalty to Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi. But why is Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vyalar Ravi so eager to jump to the defence of the patently anti-Indian Badawi Government's defence? That he did not have the foggiest idea about the decision to ban Indian workers is bad enough; it is worse that he should try to gloss over it now that it has been revealed. Rather than strive to give Mr Badawi's repugnant regime a clean chit, Mr Ravi should be incandescent with rage. And the Prime Minister should seek an explanation from the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur as to why it has been caught napping; it is not good enough for the mission to say it is "in touch with authorities". Much more is expected from diplomats posted abroad.

Meanwhile, the Government of India must urgently review the situation and take stock of the plight of people of Indian origin in Malaysia who are being victimised for no other reason than their faith. Hindu temples continue to be demolished, Hindus are being denied funerary rites, Hindus are excluded from jobs and welfare programmes, and Hindu protesters are brutalised in the most shocking manner. Now, Indians have been virtually banned from entering Malaysia, unless they are travelling to that country to sustain its tourism industry. There should be two responses to the appalling attitude of Mr Badawi and his Islamist colleagues. First, the Government of India must reconsider allowing Malaysian businesses access to the Indian market. Discrimination cannot be a one-way traffic. Nor is diplomacy about allowing an unfriendly Government to have its way. Of course, this calls for muscle-flexing, and it is anybody's guess as to whether the effete UPA Government can summon the courage to confront Malaysia and contest its sinister anti-Indian policies. In all probability, it will remain silent lest Islamists at home feel offended and 'secularists' are upset by the Government of India speaking up for Indians. Second, Indians must stand up as a nation and decide to boycott Malaysia as a tourist destination. This is about national pride and national interest. If the Government cannot do the right thing, let Indians take the lead.