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Painful

It is painful to read about the plight of ethnic Indians in Malaysia. India has every right to internationalise the issue. I hope all political parties will appeal to the Malaysian government to accord at least the basic rights of freedom of speech and assembly to the ethnic Indians. The Hindu deserves praise for providing an objective analysis of the issue.

K. Ram,

New York

It is hoped that one will not be accused of taking sides in the issue by recalling the dismal record of the government in attending to the grievances of the people of Indian origin in neighbouring countries such as erstwhile Ceylon and Burma. A vast majority of the people of Indian origin hailed from south India. When they were practically driven out of Rangoon and the British regime was indifferent to their plight, C. Rajagopalachari took it up at the highest levels to no avail. Similarly, decades earlier, poet Subramania Bharati bemoaned the fate of Tamil coolies working in the tea estates of Ceylon.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister should persuade New Delhi to address the issue to help our brethren in Malaysia. The issue is basically humanitarian in character. Rights advocates should join hands to alleviate the suffering of the unfortunate people of Indian origin in our neighbouring countries.

K. Vedamurthy,

Chennai

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