New Delhi: At the 8th India-EU summit in New Delhi on Friday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed the concerns of the people of Indian origin in Malaysia, saying that whenever Indians run into difficulties “it is a matter of concerns to us”.
Prime Minister's statement comes a day after a Malaysian minister asked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Karunanidhi to "lay off" the country's affairs. Karunanidhi had asked Manmohan Singh to intervene in the matter.
Indians in Malaysia have been protesting the Malaysian government’s affirmative-action policies that favour majority ethnic Malays.
“There is concern whenever Indians or people of Indian origins are affected. I won’t say more because Parliament is in session,” said Singh.
External Affairs Minister, Pranab Mukherjee, on his part, said the Government remains deeply solicited for the welfare of people of Indian origin living abroad. Speaking in Rajya Sabha on Friday afternoon he added, “There is a large community of Indians living in Malaysia who are citizens of that country. We have friendly relations with India and are in touch with the authority there. We are aware of remarks made by a Malaysian minister against the respected Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.”
A Malaysian minister in Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's government had earlier asked Karunanidhi to mind his own business and stay away from the issue.
Thousands of ethnic Indians are taking to the streets across the Malacca strait against the Malaysian government’s affirmative-action policies that favour majority ethnic Malays.
In India, members of Parliament gave voice to their cries of protests with the PM’s key ally, the DMK, demanding that their Tamil brothers, who form the largest group among Malaysia's 1.8 million ethnic Indians, be saved.
“We are sure the Central Government will do something,” DMK MP Kanimozhi said earlier.
And it wasn’t just parties from Tamil Nadu urging the Central Government to break its silence. After sparring over the Ram Setu, the BJP and DMK have found common cause in the Malaysian Tamils. But the Dravidian party points out there’s a qualitative difference, as the BJP is calling the issue an “attack on Hindus.”
“Temples have been razed. The Hindus are being treated in such an inhuman fashion, the Government must go to the Commonwealth,” BJP MP VK Malhotra said.
But it’s a Catch 22 situation for the ruling Congress. Kula Lumpur is key for India's Look East Policy but there is growing pressure from DMK, which has its own political compulsions to meet.
“There is a certain procedure the Government has to follow. They know how to take it up,” Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.
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