via National Express by barred on 4/26/10
By Athi Shankar - Free Malaysia Today

BUKIT MERTAJAM: A group of Indian DAP members have called for the revival of the party's Indian bureau at national and state levels.

Bagan Luar DAP branch chief G Asoghan said the members felt that by reactivating the bureaus, the party could forge closer ties with the working-class Indians, who make up the bulk of the community's votes in the country.

He also said that by reviving the bureau, the DAP and Pakatan Rakyat could re-energise its policies and strategies to reach out to the Indians.

The resolution was passed unanimously by some 70 people at the end of a dialogue session between grassroots members and party Indian leaders at the service centre of Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng.

Present at the session were Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy and Bagan Dalam state assemblyman A Tanasekaran, DAP vice-chairman and Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran, and Bukit Mertajam parliamentary Indian affairs bureau head K Gunabalan.

The meeting also unanimously passed another resolution calling on all Pakatan state executive councillors in Penang, Kedah and Selangor to appoint a qualified Indian, preferably a Pakatan member with the grassroots touch, as a personal assistant to take charge of Indian affairs.

The members argued that all Pakatan excos should accept responsibility that each of them had a duty to take care of the rights, benefits and interests of the community.

"An Indian aide can help each Pakatan exco handle Indian affairs," he said.

At present, they claimed non-Indian Pakatan excos, state representatives and MPs have been pushing the buck to Indian excos such Ramasamy, S Manikumar (Kedah) and A Xavier Jayakumar (Selangor) to resolve Indian issues.

"Members despised this mandore politics. They have demanded for an end to mandorism ala BN in Pakatan.

"Members argued that Pakatan leaders should walk their talk of being a multiracial coalition representing all communities.

"They should not assign only Indian leaders to handle Indian affairs," Asoghan told FMT.

'Self-denial politically dangerous'

Kulasegaran said he had acknowledged at the meeting of the shortcomings of Pakatan state governments and elected representatives.

He said he understood that the expectations of the Indian community were high and that Pakatan had its limitations.

"But despite the limitations, has Pakatan delivered to the Indian community?" he asked.

He said he would prefer to call "a spade a spade" rather than sweep things under the carpet.

"It's politically dangerous to be in self-denial," said Kulasegaran, who is also a lawyer.

He added that the Pakatan governments could have done more to provide jobs in the civil service, especially in local councils and state-controlled statutory bodies, and creating business opportunities for Indians.

He admitted that Pakatan governments should have implemented permanent policies to resolve the landless status of many Hindu temples and Tamil schools.

Kulasegaram also acknowledged that since achieving an unprecedented electoral success in the 2008 general election, the party's Indian elected representatives, especially the newcomers, have discarded the Indian bureaus and the members.

"We cannot disregard the contributions and sacrifices made by long-serving Indian grassroots leaders and members.

"Elected representatives should mobilise these members and strengthen the Indian political standings within the party," said Kulasegaran.