Trouble Down Under

By Sumita Sami 29 January 2010 261 views 11 Comments

I spent six days in Perth at the beginning of this year, and all the requisite elements - beaches, kangaroos, that fantastic accent - all made it an amazing family trip. But on the last day of the vacation, a shadow crept up on our visit as we watched the news. Yet another Indian student had been targeted, and this time, fatally.

For the past eighteen months or so, the rate of violence against Indian students in Australia, particularly in larger cities like Sydney and Melbourne, has been climbing. Those attacks appeared to stop during the end of last year. But now, Australia-India relations have been strained - first, with the fatal stabbing of graduate student Nitin Garg, and most recently with the racially motivated double attacks in Melbourne.

The initial reasons behind the attacks are complex. Indian students, arriving on a student visa with numerous loans, work evening jobs and return home late. That, along with the fact that they are perceived as easy physical targets, may account for the rise in violence against the community. But, far from supporting the protests, more established Australian Indian communities seemed distinctly embarrassed by the younger generation. An article from the The Times of India¹ outlined various reactions from members of these societies; one of them suggested that early immigrants ignored discrimination in favor of building simply putting their heads down and building themselves more stable lives. To them, the increasing visibility of these Indian students is a threat to the image of a peaceful Indian community. A protest by hundreds of Indian students in Sydney that turned into a mob was believed to be the first of its kind in Australia; but it has horrified the older Indians in the community.

A few have also pointed out that the more relaxed immigration laws only harm the students. The situation is worsened by dodgy education companies, which recruit Indians with the promise of a permanent residency. Indian students, in short, while often filling gaps in the Australian economy, are not always getting the education they came for. In fact, there appear to be very few social or legal safeguards for these students².

To make matters worse, the Indian press has been far less restrained in its reactions to the incidents this time. Mail Today published a cartoon depicting Australian police as the Ku Klux Klan for supposedly dragging its feet in the investigations. Australia, naturally, was not amused. Worse, the most recent attacks on South Asians bear the stamp of retaliatory violence. An Indian taxi driver was verbally and physically attacked in Ballarat, and deliberate fires were started in two Sikh shrines.

Commendably, however, the Indian government has been asking the media to tone down its outrage while requesting the Australian government to make the matter its top priority. The Australian government, after its initial denials of racism, appears to have at least acknowledged the viciousness of the attacks. Police have admitted that there is probably a racial component to them, and the government insists that ties between India and Australia are still strong³.

Australia wants the revenue from its international students, and India wants to make sure that its youth are protected. But diplomatic ties are not one-way streets; both nations must take steps to ensure that the situation doesn’t worsen. Australia needs to recognize that the recent attacks have become more bigoted in nature. Likewise, the Indian government must continue to ensure that its media doesn’t blow the attacks out of proportion.

Footnotes:

1. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Indians-Abroad/Old-Indians-in-Australia-say-youngsters-invite-attacks/articleshow/4716992.cms

2. http://headlinesindia.mapsofindia.com/india-and-world/international-affairs/many-issues-behind-attacks-on-indians-australian-mp-15523.html

3. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gUI4XjaBAPC-pC-oMRzFd4ArJ9eQ

Photo Courtesy: el dubb

11 Comments »

m1a1 said:

The hysterical Indian reaction to these attacks is appalling and has damaged ties between the countries. Right now the Indian media is completely ignoring the arrest of 3 Indian nationals for the disgusting and heinous murder of Ranodj Singh in favour of further inflaming the issue. Australians are naturally angered at this. The attacks you mention are primarily occurring late at night in dangerous low socio-economic areas where many are living cheaply and working in unsafe jobs in order to complete their ‘courses’- ie. working off their debts to their Indian handlers in return for citizenship. Australians are well aware of this, as is evidenced by government inquiries into these scams, and also by Australia’s underwhelmed reaction to the continued threats by the Indian government and various barking opportunists to stop sending students.

Added to this, the complete failure to recognise rapes, assaults and murders of Australians and other international visitors in India, along with the refusal to address the recent racial vilification of Australian cricketers by Indian players and crowds, and you can understand why Australians are more and more leaning towards the unfortunate view that Indians are arch hypocrites.

Personally, I grew up with many Indian Australians and found them to be lovely people. However, even I feel angered and disappointed by these issues. Perhaps it’s better if Indians do stay away from Australia until the Indian media gains a sense of perspective and takes some time to look at issues within India, rather than pointing fingers at others. Your students are guests in our country, and they are and will be afforded the same rights and protections as anyone else. The sense of entitlement, the flag burning, the media hysteria and the tidal wave of hypocritical hate speech makes you look like spoiled children.

[Reply]

Sumita Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 11:47 am

m1a1, thanks for your comment. Everything that I read on the subject - with the exception of some Indian media sources (of course) - said similar things about the situation of Indian students in Australia.

What’s worrying is that these recent attacks seem to be getting more and more bigoted - *after* Indian media began seriously vilifying the Australian police force. I wonder if the Indian media is almost contributing to the situation. People like Thackeray aren’t exactly making it better, either.

[Reply]

# 29 January 2010 at 10:21 am

Paul said:

Interesting that your article has a focus on Australia rather than the USA. Perhaps it was when you were in Perth on vacation that the Indian students were murdered at the U of Louisiana ( and many other murders of Indians in the USA). For some reason neither do other incidents of violence directed against Indians in the USA atttract the Indian media. Your article was posted before the information that 3 Indian nationals have been charged in relation to the murder of an Indian student in Australia. The same day an Indian national was convicted of the rape of a younf Australian woman. That follows the conviction last month of an Indian taxi-driver in the rape of a 15 year-old Australian schoolgirl. India’s most infamous export to Australia, Dr Jayant Patel, goes on trial in March in relation to te death of more than 20 people ( following his recent extratdition from the USA). Another Indian is being sought in relation to the death of an Australian student ( he has fled to India and the Indian govt will noit extradite him). 2 years ago an Indian student was convicted for the murder of 2 Singaporean students in Sydney. It would not be surprising if you are unfamiliar with these events as they have gone unreported in India ( this itself is the subject of an article in today’s Australian.
The murder of the young man in Melbourne was a tragedy. It does not represent a pattern and the response of the Indian media and govt is, at best, disingenuous and hysterical

[Reply]

Sumita Reply:
January 29th, 2010 at 11:53 am

Paul, thanks for your comment. You’re right, I hadn’t heard of those incidents being reported, although I just read of the 3 Indian nationals being charged. I hope the Indian government takes that info into account soon, at least.

[Reply]

Seema Biswas Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 3:33 am

Sure Paul!You are absolutely right!Those are ghastly acts by people of Indian origin and need to be highlighted and condemned unequivocally!To those I shall also add the brutal killing of Graham Staines!!!But I am not sure if you expect us to believe that the government here turned a blind eye to it!All these incidents were widely condemned by the government and responsible members of the society!Contrats that with the attitude of your governments both Federal and State!!!And apparently this has been going on for a long time.I just checked the link

http://www.copolvianmischief.rediffblogs.com

mentioned by one of the readers Gerald here.

And it would appear that even after this Copolovian mischief,people like David Copolov and John Funder continue to be feted by different governments despite being described a racists by a judge after their disgraceful conduct!

[Reply]

Shridhar Sharma Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 2:17 am

I think the link provided by Seema Biswas is wrong!I did a bit of googling for Copolovian mischief and this is what I found!

Friday, December 16, 2005

COPOLOVIAN MISCHIEF

Copolovian Mischief is a term applied to Machiavellian duplicity,powerplay,conspiracy,dishonesty and medical deceit practiced by unscruplous medical practitioners.It is named after David Copolov an Australian psychiatrist.

ETYMOLOGY OF THE TERM

David Copolov was born in 1951 in Melbourne to a family of Russian immigrants.He received his primary and secondary education in Melbourne.Known as a brilliant student,he was accepted by the Melbourne Medical School and graduated in 1974.He initially decided to train in medicine and then moved on to psychiatry.It was during his residency years he learned the subtleties of medical politicking and built up close contacts with powers that be.Very soon he was the blue eyed boy of the professors who tended to promote him over the more meritorious and had their egos massaged by his perpetual flattery.After completing his residency,he expressed a desire to work for a doctorate under John Funder,another individual who was granted undeserving favours because of his influential father’s position.Despite serious reservations by many,Copolov was granted a PhD.Then he manged to obtain a travelling Fellowship to Edinburgh,a top centre in psychiatry.Here he continued with his penchant for building contacts.Soon afterwards he returned to Melbourne and was appointed Director of Mental Health Research Institute at a very young age of 34.

Around this time he came across a colleague who was Edinburgh trained but had moved to Melbourne.He developed instant dislike for him which many felt was because this individual came from a different race.

As expected,they soon fell out.Copolov then accused him of scientific fraud-he claimed that this man had faked a research to show that all schizophrenics were born in winter!There was not even a preliminary draft to support his contention.He appointed a Committee headed by John Funder.The individual in question objected to Funder’s presence on account of obvious conflict of interest.Funder then threatened him with dire consequences.Copolov went on to accuse this individual of claiming a false doctorate producing a letter from University of London to this effect and claimed his other doctorate was from a mail order firm without checking the student records of the two of the oldest Universities in the UK where this individual had obtained his qualifications.Not surprisingly the individual in question resigned and decided to approach the Court for relief.Copolov then approached legislator friend and had him table a very damaging piece about this man under legislative immunity to avoid libel.
The individual then tried to approach the Medical Board in Melbourne only to learn that this was headed by Kerry Breen,Funder’s classmate and friend.Medical Board threatened this man with dire consequences.

Not content with this,Copolov and Funder started writing letters to different authorities around the world to preclude the possibility of this man’s employment.He even succeeded in having hime removed from the rolls in British Columbia.However ten days later the authorities there rescinded their action and offered a fulsome apology as did the Medical Council of Canada.

Copolov then produced a phony letter from one Dr.Royane of Dalhousie University allegedly exonerating this man and implied that this man was involved in faking this latter.No one bothered to ask how this letter came to Copolov.It was obviously a fake.On enquiry Dalhousie University did not recognise Dr.Royane but said that they did have one Dr.van Rooyan who had died two years ago!Copolov incidently knew exactly where Dr.Royane came from!

Then Copolov produced a phony letter from Medical Council of South Africa which indicated that he had been removed from their rolls for drug trafficking!The letters had come to him from Prof.Ian Brockington and Prof.Eve Johnstone.The implictaion was that the individual in question was involved in this despicable stunt.No one asked why the letter was sent to two people who were sure to refer this matter to Copolov!Incidentally Johnstone admitted that she did not even know the individual in question.

The individual was disgusted and decided to give up medical practice and devote himself to charity which is what he does now.However his relatives took this matter to Court for judicial review.The judge described Copolov and Funder as “dishonest racists.”

Because of thier contacts,both continue to hold senior positions in Melbourne.

The link as it stands is:

http://copolovianmischief.rediffblogs.com/2005_11_12_copolovianmischief_archive.html

The whole episode is shocking beyond words!!!

[Reply]

# 29 January 2010 at 10:42 am

Gerald Oppenheim said:

I read your article with some interest.I was born and brought up in Australia and completed my medical studies in Sydney.My relatives perished in holocast therefore I feel specially strongly about racism!Let us not be equivocal!Racism has been an integral feature of Australian society!I was in the country when someone made that infamous remark-TWO WOGS DONT MAKE A WHITE!People laughed and Australia followed whites only policy for ages!My threshold of tolerace was exceeded when a despicable racist like Bruce Ruxton was honoured and feted in Melbourne and I left the country in disgust!But not before witnessing another nauseating example of racism in medicine!A very bright physician of Indian origin was recruited in Melbourne.He held a PhD from Oxford and DSc from St.Andrews by the time he was 31-a truly remarkable feat indeed!He was seen as a threat and very soon accused of ’scientific fraud’by the Director of his institute David Copolov-on a study where even teh most preliminary draft did not exist!Copolov appointed John Funder hid PhD supervisor to rule on this with the help of a Committee.The individual asked Funder to disqualify himslef to which he was threatened and abused!Funder then pronounced him guilty and also declared that this man had falsely claimed a doctorate from London(he ahd it from Oxford) and his DSc was from a mail order university(St.Andrews is one of the oldest universitie sin the world)-and when this man decdied to challenge his findings,cosied up with Copolov to a politician and had his findings placed in the legislative chambers under immunity form libel!Later it was discovered that the report itself was fraudulent-the other two members of the committee Barry Firkin and Richrd Larkins who admitted that Funder had added several pages after obtaining their signatures!When this man tried the Medical Board to help him,the Registrar called him a black bast—- and warne dhim of dire consequences!Even when he left Australia,Funder and copolov continued with their campaing of vilification.And what can one say about Ombudsman who ruled that “although his claim of holding a valid doctorate from Oxford and St.Andrews is valid,that does not rule out that he could have claimed false and phony doctorates.”I leave it to your judgement to work it out!Funder was made Order of Australia for his work-which included racist and dishonest oppression!The important aspect is that all government figures in Victoria and Canberra know about this-this happened 20 years ago!

What do you say to that!
COPOLOVIAN MISCHIEF

copolovianmischief.rediffblogs.com

[Reply]

# 30 January 2010 at 2:41 am

Sumit Melbourne said:

We understand Ausralians frustration at being labelled racist etc. But we Indians are equally frustrated at the apathy of the Victorian police and govt for the matter.

Immature statements like ‘Indians are more safe in Melbourne than in Australia’ and ‘It’s the Indians who are at fault for living in vulnerable areas etc’ from the Victorian police and govt lie on the side of arrogance and rudeness, indicate apathy (rather than empathy) and will fuel tempers rather than subside them.

One of the Victorian politician also suggested that it was the fault of the Indian student who was recently killed in the attacks, that he was at fault for his death as he was going through a lonely park at night. Imagine the plight of the bereaved family on statements like these. Is this the level of sensitivity your govt has for the people living in your country?

I don’t know about the Australian or Victorian govt but the Indian govt. is answerable to these people and will have to take some concrete steps to help safe guard its people in Australia.

[Reply]

# 6 February 2010 at 5:42 pm

Peter Wappet said:

It pains my heart when my country is termed racist because of some drug-heads and good for nothing racist lunatics who are attacking Indians students for the job they have ‘taken away’ from them.

These loosers would have spent the money on booze and dope unlike the Indian students who spend it on their study fee and dope.

I take this opportunity to apologize to the families of these Indians and just hope that good sense prevails over these good for nothing skinheads whom we can surely live without, as they bring nothing but shame and embarrassment to my wonderful country.

[Reply]

# 6 February 2010 at 5:45 pm

John Waters said:

I certainly was not aware of the dirty racist antics of David Copolov,John Funder and Norman Swan.Copolovian mischief was an eye opener for me when Seema demonstrated it.Unless Australia and Victoria govrenment does something about the injustice to Ashoka Prasad,they have NO RIGHT to plead innocence.

[Reply]

# 28 February 2010 at 2:43 am

Rajiv Varma,Chandigarh said:

How in the Heaven’s name can anyone claim there is Zero tolerance for racism in Australia.I did not know about the disgraceful antics of David Copolov and John Funder responsible for Copolovian mischief and thier disgraceful racist persecution of Ashoka Prasad as it turns out on googling-a brilliant unassuming principled man who hled two earned doctorates from Oxford and St.Andrews(ajp.timespiders.co.in)which can be seen on this site-he certainly did not need to claim phony doctorates from London and Sudbury as Copolov and Funder claimed!!!And he was never disciplined in British Columbia as these racists’ journalist friend Norman Swan claims!Only goes on to establish that racism is alive and well in the higher sections of Australia.

[Reply]

# 10 March 2010 at 3:03 am