Trouble Down Under

By Sumita Sami 29 January 2010 326 views 6 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

6 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]

# 29 January 2010 at 10:42 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.

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# 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