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New Delhi: India said on Friday it was concerned about the treatment of ethnic Indians in Malaysia and had taken up with Kuala Lumpur accusations that protesters from the community had been harassed there this week.
On November 25, more than 10,000 Malaysian Indians staged the community's biggest anti-government protest, sparked by anger over policies they say prevent them from getting decent jobs or a good education for their children.
Police used tear gas and water canons to disperse the protesters, many of them Tamils with their roots in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, sparking outrage and demands from Tamil politicians that New Delhi intervene.
"The government remains deeply solicitous for the welfare of people of Indian origin living abroad," Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told parliament.
"We have friendly relations with Malaysia and we are in touch with the Malaysian authorities in the related matter." Indian TV channels have shown graphic images of police action on the protesters and newspapers splashed comments from a Malaysian minister who asked a prominent Indian Tamil leader to "lay off" after he complained about the incident.
Denial
The issue even dominated a news conference Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed yesterday with Portugal Prime Minister and European Union President Jose Socrates. "Whenever Indian citizens abroad or people of Indian origin living abroad are adversely affected, that naturally is a source of concern to us," Singh said in response to repeated questions. "This is a matter that does concern us."
Multiracial Malaysia has denied claims it mistreated ethnic Indians, saying that they were better off than those in India. Ethnic Indians form 7 per cent of Malaysia's 26 million people.
The Hindu rights group leader has left for India before heading to London, Geneva, Brussels and Washington to lobby support.
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