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INDIANS ATTACKED AGAIN IN AUSTRALIA

After a month or two of peace in Australia, Mukhtiar Singh and his two nephews  were brutally beaten up by a group of 80 people including women in Melbourne’s eastern suburb of Epping. The three were heckled as they played pool on Saturday and then attacked with bottles in a car park when they decided to leave. They wanted to avoid the confrontation, but the mob  started beating them.

Weeks after the External Affairs Minister SM Krishna visited Australia for an assurance that the government would do all it can to safeguard Indian students and other Indians residing there, things have not changed.

In May and June, racially motivated attacks against Indian students and the poor response by the police sparked protests in Australia by thousands of students. Rallies were held in Melbourne and Sydney. Australian High Commissioner to India, John McCarthy, also then said there was an element of racism involved in the attacks.
A Victoria Police spokesperson has reportedly said that before the incident took place, a woman made a racist remark to a group of four males playing pool at the Legends Bar.

One of the victims Sukhdev, who has been in Australia for the last six months said that most of the attackers were in their early twenties.

Another victim Mukhtiar Singh, who is a cab driver has been living in Australia for the last 22 years. His 21-year-old son who is born and brought up in Australia and is a citizen of the country, has suffered a broken tooth in the attack.

Sukhdev has a broken jaw and has trouble eating and drinking. The doctors say that he might have problems with his memory since he got injured on the head. His condition will be monitored over the next few days.

The attackers were shouting  ‘go back to India’. Why should they go back? They have entered Australia legally and are not breaking any rules by living there;  instead they are adding to the economy of the country.

“When they reached the car park to leave the place a huge crowd attacked them and started bashing them brutally. The attackers were in their teens and around twenties,” said Onkar Singh, one of the victims’ relative.

Onkar claimed the police have informed him that six of the eighty attackers have been arrested.

India’s External Affairs Minister S.M.Krishna, who had gone to Australia to obtain first hand information regarding the attacks on Indian students in Australia, had met PM Kevin Rudd and other officials at the highest levels.

Australia, in dire need to protect its’ billion dollars education industry, had announced changes in the courses as well as the roles played by the immigration agents there.

These  comments came as reports in Australia said a number of migration and education agents were “duping” foreign students, including Indians, in Australia and were also offering “fake” work experience certificates.

The Australian federal police raided the office of a Sydney-based Indian migration agent Sanjay Deshwal and one Sam Tejani after ABC News claimed that he was involved in a scam of exploiting foreign students and recommending Indian students to  particular universities. As per reports appearing in the news papers they were also acting as the middlemen in provision of fake certificates.

An Australian government spokesman had earlier stated that they would make changes in the law to include racial violence as a punishable offence.

There has been a string of attacks on Indians in Australia, despite assurances from Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd that the safety of Indians will be ensured. Over the last three months, around 30 attacks on Indian have been reported. Indians in Australia had held mass protests against the attacks, after which the Australian government promised to ensure their security. Just two months ago, Indian External Affairs Minister S M Krishna met attack victims in Australia. Krishna also met his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith who assured him that the security of the Indians will be a top priority.

Julia Gillard, Australian Deputy Prime Minister, on his recent visit to India, had also assured that remedial actions would be in place to protect the interests of the International students in Australia, but to no avail.

What happened to all these promises? And who will stop these atacks?

Ravi Matah