I am appalled by the rise in attacks against Indians in Australia. There may be some stray incidents of crime too. But the recent ones are evidently racial attacks. Australia govt's claim that these are 'urban violence only' do not hold any truth after the brutal treatment by the Australian police against the peaceful Indian demonstrators.
The protestors were asking for justice. And the way Oz cops resorted to use force is enough to show their anger against the Indian community in the nation. Any lay man can make out how the police were out to suppress the racial attacks and avoid any international attention.
It is commonly believed that Australia never accepts racism. It was evident during Indian cricket team's previous tour of Australia in the on-field spat between Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh. The matter was set to rest only after Harbhajan made clear in a subsequent hearing that he actually was saying Teri Maa Ki (a slang in Hindi) which sounds like 'monkey'.
And now, there has been a series of attacks on Indian students. But surprisingly neither any Australian human rights organisation nor the government is doing enough to stop such atrocities on the Indian community.
Is it because Australia is scared of India's rise in the global market? They can't simply accept India's emergence as a 'super power' in the not too distant future? Or, they are simply ashamed to be called racists after the tag has been eliminated, thanks to their hundreds of years of struggle?
India has always considered Australia as a friend nation. Australians always enjoy hospitality in this Asian nation. Whatever might provoke some people to resort to such acts that have the potential to disturb the long-standing ties between the two countries, time has come the responsible Oz citizens must come forward to stop such insane activities and restore the trust between the two great nations.
- Soumitra Mishra
