Hindu Rights Action Force chairperson P Waythamoorthy has been making news in India in the past few weeks.

He has been visiting top political leaders not just in Tamil Nadu but also those in New Delhi.

He has been invited to give talks at locally arranged forums and symposiums and he has been continuously haunted by the Indian media.

Just as his organisation Hindraf is coming under severe pressure from the government here for playing up racial sentiments, he is on a lobby trip to India to seek support to ensure the Indian community here are not “continued to be marginalised”.

“I have met up with the Tami Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi. I have also held discussions with other leaders from the state. I explained to them why Hindraf was fighting for the rights of the community,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted in Chennai yesterday.

Waythamoorthy, a 41-year-old lawyer, added that he had also had meetings with national-level leaders in India to highlight the problems of the community in Malaysia.

“We want them to be aware of our situation in Malaysia. And we want them to tell our government that the Indians here should be treated equally,” he said.

Terrorist links

Waythamoorthy said he was happy with the response he has received in India.

“The media in India has been behind my back all the time. They all want to know why we (Hindraf) are doing this. Why the Indian community in Malaysia is sidelined?” he said.

He added that there had been an increased interest in Hindraf ever since Inspector General of Police Musa Hassan announced on Thursday that the movement had links with terrorists group.

“I am having a tough time trying to dispel the IGP’s baseless accusation. I am trying to tell them that our struggle for the Indian community in Malaysia and that we don’t need any terrorist groups to help us to achieve that,” added Waythamoorthy.

He has been in India since the end of November to “lobby for support for Hindraf’s struggle in Malaysia”.

“As I was reported in Indian newspapers today, maybe the Indian government can pressure our government to look into providing equality for the Indian community. Perhaps even push for some economic sanctions so that we are stopped for being". marginalised.” 

Off to London next

Waythamoorthy added that his next stop in his international lobby was London – he was to fly off to London just hours after talking to Malaysiakini yesterday.

“I hope to meet some government officials as well as some non-government organisations to garner support for our cause in Malaysia,” he said, adding that there were also plans afoot to travel to Geneva to the visit the United Nation’s Centre for Human Rights.

“Some NGOs in London have also made plans for talks and forums for me to explain the situation in Malaysia. I hope to take this opportunity to explain what Hindraf has been doing and wipe away the slur put on us by the Malaysian government.”

Waythamoorthy also said that he planned to seek medical treatment for a heart ailment in London.

“It has not been easy. My health is not too good but I have to do this. I see it as my struggle for the community.

‘While my fellow Hindraf brothers face arrest and persecution back home, I can only do what I can to garner support for our cause,” he said.