I admire the audacity of Prof P Ramasamy for his recent comments in his article [#1]OPP3's tasty morsel to fatten the Indian elite[/#] (April 7). Truth will bear ample testimony to this platitude, I cannot but agree to his logical argument, particularly on the plight of the Indian Malaysians and the effect of capitalistic approaches on the socio-economic status of the marginalised predominantly labour community.

Capitalists, to a large extent, can survive if there is an exploitable, subservient working labour class. Colonial imperialists created this large pool of menial workers by importing South Indians of the Dravidian origin, reputed for their servility, a by-product of the pernicious caste system of the Arya Brahmin clergy.

These Indians were the preferred 'commodity' to maximise profit and minimise labour cost. Notable among the characteristics of this group were: unquestioned loyalty to the capitalistic feudal barons, willing obedience to the orders of the boss, content with what they earn and non-rebellious nature against the authorities even if the latter are wrong! Hence the Indians were the perfect models of a working class.

Silenced, oppressed and ignored , these Indians were trapped in their own niche, relying only on the news and information dished out by the colonialist, who guarded the precious servility with undiminished vigour. The British feudal barons ensured these labourers did not change for the better.

After independence in 1957, the power changed hands from the British to the Alliance, also led by elites. Capitalism continued unabated, now controlled by the Umno Alliance feudal barons.

MIC, which became a party to the Alliance, derived its seminal inspiration from the Indian Congress, a party created largely by the Indian Aryans (Gandhi was from the Kashtriya class, next to the all-powerful Brahmin clergy class). MIC's early leaders were from the professional and business class, hence MIC inherited the feudal-like class and caste-based culture; even today this culture is discreetly preserved by the MIC leaders.

There was very little chance for the Indian labour class to break out from the fetters of feudalism: They did not have the education, the audacity, or the spirit. Only when labour unions started to become a potent force, thanks to communism, that the Indians started to demand for better deals with their feudal barons.

But they were never successful: The RM325 per month minimum salary for estate workers of the new third millennium bears ample testimony to this misery.

Racism, feudalism and capitalism were the triple curses that kept the Indians in darkness. Misled by the fallacy of the high per capita income of Malaysia, with a few Indian tycoons blowing their trumpets, the lay Indians remained mesmerised, unable to mount a struggle against the mighty capitalistic giants who, having tasted the pleasures of worldly riches and power, never wanted to lose their heaven on earth.

Until now there is hardly any reasonable avenue for the majority of the Indians to emancipate from the clutches of economic tyranny of the oppressed culture.

Unless racism in politics is abandoned and there is fair distribution of the nation's wealth to all races, it will be a bleak future for the Indians.

A three percent stake for the Indians in the OPP3, as what Prof Ramasamy says, will be a political rhetoric, just to excite and silence the Indians, giving them the usual false hope, which the Umno-Barisan Nasional coalition has been doing since independence.

A new worldview, which transcends the primitive limitations of race and creed, must be created, nurtured and established.

Only when the Malays interact with the Indians, without prejudice, bring them into the mainstream of politics, will we be able to see a change.

The Malays hold the trump card for the Indians, they must shed all negative feelings and fear, mingle and mix, share power, and engage in the decision-making process with the Indians.

This can only be made possible by a multiethnic Malay-based party. Thank God the Malays took the bold step to create Keadilan, a ray of hope for the Indians.

Let the Indians seize the opportunity, strike when the iron is hot, move in with the new age Malays, build a new multiethnic political culture and claim their rights, and forge ahead with their urge to emancipate from the fetters of feudal dominion.

The civilising process supports the cohesion of the peoples of the world. Racism becomes an evil force in this process. Indians must discard narrow racism which has hindered their progress and step ahead with the new age Malays who have decided to embark on the road to a more advanced multiethnic politics.