Activities undertaken by the Hindu Rights Action Force have allowed the opposition to exploit the situation by causing confusion among the Indians, charged MIC Youth chief SA Vigneswaran.

He said that the opposition’s exploitation of the situation was solely to fish for votes in the coming general election.

The Indian community must realise that Hindraf’s activities, including organising a series of illegal assemblies, have allowed them to be exploited, he added.

To counter this, Vigneswaran said that all divisional MIC Youth leaders need to go to the ground and get involved more proactively in controlling the situation.

"They must study the unsolved problems of the Indian community and hold discussions with Indian groups in their respective areas,” Bernama quoted Vigneswaran, who is also parliamentary secretary to the youth and sports ministry, as saying.

“I want a more aggressive and effective network of cooperation in the MIC Youth," he said.

Earlier he had had a special meeting with Selangor MIC Youth in Klang last night.

Bernama reported that the two-hour meeting was attended by about 200 MIC Youth members, including their leaders in the 19 divisions in the state.

MIC Youth is also undertaking a nationwide tour to explain to the Indians the current issues affecting them and to study problems faced by the community. The tour started in Selangor yesterday.

Vigneswaran also said that said the government did not practice favouritism and would strive to maintain racial cooperation and unity in the country.

"The prime minister has said that all problems should be resolved through discussions in the BN spirit and based on its struggle," he said.

Samy on telly again

Meanwhile, MIC president S Samy Vellu will once again go on the air tonight to talk on the plight of the Indian community.

The Works Minister would be appearing in the Tamil talk-show "Karuthu Kalam" or "Opinion Forum" between 6pm and 7pm over RTM's Channel 2, discussing on a topic titled "Malaysian Indian Community - Then and Now".

On Wednesday, Samy Vellu appeared live on RTM's "60 Minit Bersama Menteri" (60 Minutes with the Minister) programme, defending himself and his party for the role they have played in uplifting the community.

In the recorded interview today, the MIC president would speak on, among others, the achievements of the Indian community and the challenges they had to face to be on par with the other communities.

Samy Vellu would also dwell on MIC's programmes and projects as well as the government's intervention and assistance towards building a resilient and modern Indian community.

Silenced under ISA

MIC and Samy Vellu have come under tremendous pressure in recent months after Hindraf had managed to gather 30,000 people in Kuala Lumpur as a sign of protest against the marginalisation of the community in this country.

The community, feeling helpless, has thrown its weight behind Hindraf in the calls made to the government to immediately look into the woes of the Indians here.

As a result of their hardline campaign, five Hindraf leaders have been detained under the Internal Security Act which provides for detention without trial.

To regain the losing support, Samy Vellu and the MIC have been embarking on a series of programmes to convince the community that only MIC can help them.