The Donkey Ride at ‘Samy-land’

"We will give them the due respect and treat them like our brothers"
"The time has come for the Indians to unite as a strong force"
– Samy Vellu

It’s a lonely feeling when you are going nowhere and are clueless. And then you look behind you and see that most of those whom you thought were following you have given up on you. So you get desperate, try to put on a good face, and slowly start to seem like you’re something other than what you’ve been all along. You’ll say what ever it takes to prevent that which has become apparent – and seemingly inevitable – from happening.

Suddenly, your mortal political enemies become your “brothers” and you sugar- coat your rhetoric with hollow words. You still insist on pulling all the strings and calling all the shots, yet others are the ones who have to let bygones be bygones.

Why didn’t you treat them as “brothers” when they needed you most? Why was it not time for the Indians to unite when you thought you were invincible? Why was that not a good time to treat your “brothers” with “due respect”? What’s changed? What’s the urgency now?

Is it because the Indians are marginalised? Is it because the Indians are being mistreated and exploited by your UMNO masters? Is it because you find the situation of the average Indian having steadily deteriorated for the past three decades? No, at least not according to your MIC party line!

Then what’s the urgency to unite now? If the Indians have been doing just fine, what is it that is so different now – unlike the past – that makes it imperative “for the Indians to unite as a strong force”?

Actually, here’s some breaking news for you: the Indians are very united – and they’re especially united against the MIC!

The fact is, Samy, I have a feeling you knew this already. I think slowly but surely, the last 10 months especially must have been very eye-opening for you. I think you know that there are not many Indians bothered with your MIC. I think you’ve come to realise that hardly anyone is taking seriously what you have to say.

And you have the audacity to expect us to unite under the umbrella of the MIC? Oh, wonderful! So we should unite under your organisation and continue on the path of marvellous progress we have witnessed under your MIC? And we can continue to be united and subscribe to your party’s mantra that all is well – and will only get better - for Indians under the control of MIC and UMNO? The mere fact that you’re making such a suggestion is graphically revealing about your assessment of us Indians.

Postscript: Sounds like there’s a new ride at Samy-land: it’s a donkey ride and if you take this ride, you’ll have the distinction of being known as the jackass who took a ride on a jackass.

G. Krishnan