Latest news with #Silambam
Focus Malaysia
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
Ramasamy takes a swipe at RSN Rayer for riding on Silambam to pursue politics of credit-grabbing
DAP lawmaker RSN Rayer recently claimed that the federal government is prepared to address matters even if they are not raised or debated in Parliament. He cited the example of the Indian martial art Silambam which was initially excluded from the 2026 SUKMA Games but later reinstated following protests from the Indian community. The Jelutong MP known for his boisterous behaviour in Parliament took Indian opposition leaders to task for 'making a mountain out of a molehill' by arguing that Indian Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders were unfairly criticised for not championing Silambam's cause. Yet, Rayer knows well that without the hue and cry from the Indian community, Silambam would have remained excluded from the 2026 Sukma Games to be hosted by Selangor. What is there to credit both the federal and state governments for reinstating the event when their action came only after public outrage? 'Bootlicking gesture' Instead of advising the Selangor state government to include Silambam, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh chastised critics for racialising the issue. Strangely, she passed the buck to the Selangor SUKMA committee when – as SUKMA chairperson – she could have prevented the exclusion in the first place. While quick to rebuke the critics, she lacked the courage to admonish the state organisers. Rayer's comments give the impression that the federal government ensures effective representation for the Indian community. In reality, aside from regularly praising Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the 'Gandhi-Mandela' of Malaysia, he rarely speaks on behalf of Indian Malaysians. If he truly believed in championing the cause, he could have raised Silambam's omission in Parliament – but he didn't. Although DAP has shed much of its pretence of being a multi-racial party, Rayer keeps the appearance of multi-racialism alive by avoiding Indian issues altogether. Most of the time, he seems to forget he is an Indian MP – likely because speaking up might displease his party bosses. The reinstatement of Silambam in the 2026 Sukma Games was won not by federal or state benevolence but by the persistent and trenchant criticisms of the Indian public. Meanwhile, Indian leaders in PH appeared more focused on their sycophantic roles than on community advocacy. It is no wonder Indian support for the PH-led coalition has dwindled over the past two years. – Aug 12, 2025 Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image credit: Bernama
Malaysiakini
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
Yeoh must address racism in sports
COMMENT | Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh must be living in a dream world to ask critics of the 2026 Sukma Games not to 'racialise' the exclusion of Silambam, the Indian art of self-defence, from the event hosted by Selangor. As the minister responsible, Yeoh should not deflect criticism by accusing others of racialising the issue. What is truly baffling is her apparent acceptance of Selangor's decision, as if her ministry is powerless to intervene. If the host state can include and exclude sports at its whims and fancies, then why do we even have a Youth and Sports Ministry headed by a federal minister?
Free Malaysia Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- Free Malaysia Today
Don't racialise Silambam's exclusion from 2026 Sukma, says Yeoh
While youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh acknowledged the disappointment over silambam's exclusion, she noted there were also other sports that had not been selected. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : Youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh has urged the public not to racialise the exclusion of the traditional Indian martial art, Silambam, from the upcoming 2026 Malaysia Games (Sukma), saying the decision lies entirely with the host state. 'The Sukma committee has convened, and Selangor as the host state has made its own decision to select the sports it considers important. 'This is not unique to Selangor. In every Sukma edition, the host state is free to choose the sports they want,' she told reporters. Yeoh said this has been consistent with past editions of Sukma, and urged critics to avoid injecting racial sentiments into decisions made in the sporting arena. 'Let's not racialise the issue when we talk about sports,' she said. Yeoh acknowledged the disappointment over silambam's exclusion, but noted there were other sports that had also not been selected. 'What we can do at the National Sports Council (NSC) is to consider hosting non-Sukma games. As you know, it's not only silambam that was not chosen – Muay Thai was also not selected. But no racial issue has been raised over that,' she said. On Tuesday, Yeoh said the 2026 Sukma in Selangor would include e-sports, chess, cricket and kabaddi. She said the four sports were approved at the Sukma supreme council meeting she chaired, during which boxing and softball were also selected as mandatory Sukma sports effective 2026. 'This brings the number of mandatory sports to 30. With the four additional sports approved for Sukma 2026, 34 sports will be contested,' she said, adding the decision was final and no additional appeals would be entertained. PKR Youth arts and culture exco Gopiraj Nair today criticised silambam's exclusion from the games, saying it dismisses the importance of Malaysian legacy sports. In a statement, he rejected the idea that Indians have adequate representation in other sports such as kabaddi and karate, saying silambam is an Indian martial art with a strong Malaysian grassroots development structure. Reviewing the Sukma format Yeoh said today that the government is reviewing Sukma's format to ensure better continuity and consistency in athlete development moving forward. 'We currently have 103 types of sports. We want to explore a different Sukma model. After Selangor, Kelantan will be the next host. Once Kelantan completes its turn, the full cycle of state hosts will be completed. 'After that, the committee is considering having Putrajaya or the NSC as the permanent host, so states will no longer host the games. 'This will help ensure consistency in the selection of sports, and give us space to review and ensure continuity in the athlete development pathway,' she said.
The Star
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Silambam's exclusion from Sukma deemed unfair
Compiled by C. ARUNO, SHYAFIQ DZULKIFLI and R. ARAVINTHAN THE exclusion of the traditional Indian martial art of Silambam from Sukma Games 2026 has left the sport's exponents disappointed, Malaysia Nanban reported. Silambam has long been part of Indian and Tamil identity, Malaysia Silamban Association president Dr M. Suresh said. The association is worried that the decision to omit the important sport was based on unproven accusations against the association by unidentified persons. This would be unfair and against the spirit of sports, Suresh added. > Hindu extremists in India allegedly poisoned the water tank of a primary school because the headmaster was Muslim, the daily also reported. The incident came to light when 11 students at a village school in Karnataka fell ill suddenly and had to be admitted to the hospital. It was found that they had been affected by pesticides mixed into the water tank, but luckily none were seriously injured. Police later arrested three men, who reportedly confessed to poisoning the school's water supply so that the headmaster would be blamed for the students falling ill. They were hoping that this would result in the headmaster being transferred elsewhere. The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.
New Indian Express
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Folk singer Swarna revives ancient martial arts in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: In a quiet morning in Hyderabad, the rhythmic clack of bamboo sticks echoes across a training ground. Under the open sky, children, some barely in their teens, practise Karram Sammu and Kathi Sammu, ancient rural martial arts from Andhra Pradesh, once on the verge of extinction. Leading this quiet revival is Swarna, a folk singer-turned-martial artist whose journey from melody to martial mastery is both unlikely and transformative. Swarna doesn't fit the typical image of a martial arts instructor. Dressed in a simple kurta, staff in hand, she commands respect not through force, but presence. Her poise reflects years of discipline and quiet dedication to an art form few in Telangana had even heard of. The spark was lit while she was pursuing a Master's in Performing Arts at Suravaram Pratap Reddy Telugu University. 'Martial arts were part of our curriculum,' she tells TNIE. 'I didn't expect to connect with them so deeply.' But learning traditional rural forms was not easy. With few trainers in Telangana, Swarna travelled across Tamil Nadu, where martial arts like Silambam receive active government support. 'There were hardly any instructors teaching all levels in one place,' she says. 'I went from Anna Nagar in Chennai to the interior parts of Salem to find the right teachers.' The journey was arduous, but it shaped her mission. In 2022, she founded Swarna Arts Academy, a registered institution dedicated to reviving and teaching rural martial arts. Since then, thousands of children have joined, learning not only the techniques but also the values of courage, confidence and discipline. 'We're preserving a forgotten art,' Swarna says. 'But we're also giving children, especially girls, a tool for self-defence. This is about strength, of body and spirit.' Not your regular influencer Long before she picked up a staff, Swarna had found her voice through folk music. Born into an agricultural family in Nagarkurnool, she began singing at a young age. Her YouTube channel, Swarna Swaras, brought folk songs to a wider audience. One of her renditions, Diva Diva, went viral with 4.8 crore views. She reportedly became the first woman pursuing Telugu folk music to receive a CCRT fellowship from the Union government.
