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Just got info that MIC Youth is organising a protest at the Sri Lankan embassy tomorrow (5th Nov) between 10am and 12pm. The embassy is at Jalan Keranji Dua, Off Jalan Kedondong, Ampang Hilir. They will hand over a memorandum urging to stop killing Tamil civilians in the name of war in Sri Lanka.

Yup, reason for protest is the killing of Tamils by Sri Lankan army during the escalating battle between Sri Lankan army and LTTE group.

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Not bad, MIC Youth manages to upstage Pakatan governmenti in Penang by providing help to the families. Not sure where the current state government reps are. Busy with Deepavali preparation? Or solving flood problems?

Anyway, one can wonder what the state MIC had been doing all this while. Well, better late than never.

Barely a day after their plight was highlighted, help has poured in for three hardcore poor families living in dilapidated pre-war houses in Kampung Minyak, Jalan Datuk Keramat, here.

At noon yesterday, Penang MIC Youth members led by treasurer J. Dhinagaran, brought cheer to the families by donating food to them for the Deepavali celebrations.

They gave packets of rice, oil, vegetables and muruku to the delighted families.

Dhinagaran also presented them with a contribution of RM200 each. The state MIC Youth also agreed to adopt two of the three families.

A good Samaritan who wished to be known only as “Sim” also donated RM200 to each of the families.
K. Pynthamilselvi, 27, who was photographed in tears in the New Straits Times yesterday, was all smiles when she received the gifts.

“I am so grateful to the state MIC Youth members as well as the good Samaritan who came to my aid.

“Deepavali celebrations this year will be meaningful for me and my children,” said the mother of three young children, whose husband is in prison.

At present, the Sadhu Vaswani Group is providing food for the family.

“I really don’t know how to thank those who helped me.

“Only God can repay your kindness,” she added.

R. Ravichandran, 42, said he would always cherish the kind gesture of the state MIC Youth and Sim.

Ravichandran, a father of six and whose wife, S. Selvarani, 36, is mentally ill, said his family would be receiving monthly food aid from the state MIC Youth.

S. Kananghambal, 42, will also receive monthly food aid from state MIC Youth.

Dhinagaran said he was moved by the families’ plight and decided to lend a hand.

He said he hoped the state government would do all it could to assist the three families, especially to obtain low-cost housing.

Did you realise that the words “MIC Youth” appeared 6 times in the article? PR kaw kaw la!. Well done!

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I agree with the demand by MIC Youth. What were Nanban editors thinking of when they allowed the advertisement to be published? Which company did the advertisement? The MIC Youth should make formal complaint to the AAAA (if I’m not mistaken).

MIC Youth demands an apology from Indian daily
Tamil Nanban and a beer company for an insensitive Deepavali
advertisement that appeared in the newspaper yesterday.

They also lodged a police report against the
newspaper and the Skol beer company claiming it was insulting to the
Indian community.

Its secretary, C. Shivarraj, said the advertisement by Skol printed on
page 5 could lead to misperception on the Indian community as well as
convey a wrong message to Indian youth.

“They are insulting the
Hindus’ Rangoli kolam by putting the beer bottles in the middle and
stating that the Deepavali celebration will be more enjoyable with Skol
beer,” said Shivarraj at the Sentul police station here yesterday.

He said members of the public who saw the advertisement might get the wrong idea that Indians were fond of drinking.

Shivarraj added that Indian youth might also get the wrong idea that it was a norm to get drunk when they were adults. “This misperception and wrong message of the Indian community must stop,” said Shivarraj.

He called for an apology from the newspaper and the beer company before Deepavali on Oct 27.

The report was lodged by MIC Youth, Culture and Religion Bureau chief, K. Sathasivam, who was accompanied by Shivarraj.

The guilty parties are the advertising firm, the alcohol selling company, and the newspaper. But I think there are another two culprits as well. Do readers remember that alcohol advertisements were once banned from print media? When and who allowed it again? Did you recall reading about it anywhere? I can’t. So is it legal for such advertisements to be published or not? We can even see alcohol advertisements in cinemas.

The other culprit is the community itself. Alcohol has forged deeply in our festivals and daily lives - in the name of socialising, modern lifestyle, and stress reducer. We can find minibars in affluent and middle-income Hindu houses nowadays, while restaurants and samsu shops still cater for those who are in lower income category and outskirts of towns. We hear our politicians given names related to alcohol - such is the level of humilitation we bring onto ourselves.

We console ourselves by saying that some pubs and alcohol outlets are run by our Indian brothers - must give them business. Well, did anyone point a knife in their backs and force them to sell alcohol?

So, I think we deserve being given such a “gift” in the Nanban paper. Yeah, laugh about it. “Small matter” - yup, I can hear some saying that. Well, wait till your 13-year old kid comes home drunk  (what’s the big deal when his dad drinks?) or your loved one ending up in the hospital after being hit by a drunk 18-year old car driver, then we’ll see how small the matter is.

SAY NO TO ALCOHOL.

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