Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Adopt tough posture over racial attacks in Australia

The racial attacks on Indian students in Australia have been going on unabated for many months. In a slew of racial attacks the Indian student Nitin Garg is the first who died of stabbing in Melbourne. 21 years old Nitin was an Accounting graduate. On the heels of his murder, a partially burnt body of an Indian has also been found by South Australian police.A second incident of a possible fatal attack on an Indian came to light with a body found in southern Australia last week identified as that of an Indian, even as officials from both countries prepare to meet to defuse the tension following the murder of a migrant in Melbourne. Australian Prime Minister during his visit to India few months ago had assured of safety and security to Indian students reading in Australia. Though the Australian authorities have condemened the murder of Nitin and apoliged, they have always denied that it was a racial attack. Indian Foreign Minister S M Krishna has issued a strong statement over the murder of Indian student in Australia and also warned of its adverse impact on bilateral relations between New Delhi and Canberra. But if the experience of the past is anything to go by, merely issuing tough statement will do no purpose and racial attacks will continue to take place. India must first send a warning saying that if the racial attacks on the Indian students are not stopped immediately, it will ask all its students to get back to their own country. If that happens, there will will be a huge financial loss to Australia and then raise the issue of racialism that is being practised by Australia on international stage. Practising racialism is a grave offence and attracts sanctions by international community.Because even the assurances about the safety and security of Indian student by none other than Australian PM have not delivered. The impression must go now that India is no longer a soft state and its citizens will not tolerate anymore humilation and physical attacks in western countries. It is also an open secret that the citizens of western countries consider themselves of superior race and let down Indians and Asians frequently. It is also very surprising that how Indian Embassy is reported to be unco-operative with the Indians who are victims of racial attacks in Australia nor the officials at the Embassy take up the issue seriously with their counterparts in Australia. They must know that Australians understand only the language of tit for tat. Because now enough is enough and the anger over the continued racial attacks on Indian students in Australia is boiling in India and at any point of time, it can come to the surface. So, the Government of India and Australia must take the issue of racial attacks seriously so that there might not be any reprisals against the citizens of the western countries in India.

No comments:

Post a Comment