Malaysian Indians mark Hindu festival amid boycott call

KUALA LUMPUR: Ethnic Indians in Malaysia on Wednesday marked the annual Hindu festival of Thaipusam, declared as a national holiday here for the first time, but a boycott call linked to alleged discrimination against the community and fears of violence kept many away from the celebrations.

Worshippers, some with small hooks and spears pierced through their bodies, thronged Hindu temples across the country since early morning while more than 40,000 climbed the famous Batu Caves in the outskirts of here which houses the Sri Subramaniar temple of Lord Murugan (Kartik).

Every year at least one million Hindus visit Batu Caves on this day, but this year the crowd seemed to be much lesser in number. Other than the boycott call by Indian activists, rumours that violence could break out also kept people away, shopkeepers at the temple premises and pilgrims said.
   
Some worshippers said that devotees were asked to attend prayers at other temples instead of Batu Caves, which is controlled by the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), a component of the ruling Barisan Party.

Indian activists accuse the MIC of not doing enough for the community and SMS text messages slamming the party did rounds before the festival.

MIC president Samy Vellu, however, did not see any drop in the crowds visiting Batu Caves, saying that at least one million had come. "The crowd is the usual crowd. I have come to Thaipusam for 60 years ... I am very very happy," he said.