October 28, 2014

MIC Youth says ashram is pride of Indian community and Hindu organisation leaders must be consulted.

PETALING JAYA: MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh said the Vivekananda Ashram trustees had a moral obligation to consult the Indian community first before redeveloping the 100-year-old landmark in Brickfields.

Sivarraajh said the trustees must consult leaders of the Indian community, NGOs, temples and Tamil institutions like the Hindu Sangam as well as political leaders.

They cannot just sell or redevelop an ashram that is the pride of the Indian community who see Vivekananda and his guru Ramakrishna as giants of the Indian community, he said.

Swami Vivekananda was one of Indias top religious philosophers who visited Malaya in 1893.

He was also a disciple of the Indian mystic Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa who founded the Ramakrishna Mission.

The Vivekananda trust also manages four schools SJK (T) Vivekananda, Brickfields, the Vivekananda primary and secondary schools in Kuala Lumpur and SJK (T) Thamboosamy Pillai in Sentul.

This is the trustees third attempt in the last two years to sell the land. The first two attempts were met by strong public opposition, said Sivarraajh.

He also highlighted that a Facebook page dedicated to protesting the redevelopment plans had already garnered 10,000 likes.

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Get feedback before redeveloping ashram