Protest in Delhi over Aus racism

2 Jun 2009, 1107 hrs IST, AGENCIES

Angry Indians took to the streets of New Delhi on Monday (June 1) to protest against recent attacks on Indian students in Australia.

The protests were organised by the youth wing of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and supporters of the regional Shiva Sena party.

Leaders of the youth wing of BJP known as BJP Yuva Morcha, met with the Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy and conveyed their concern at the spate of attacks on students and others from India.

Following the meeting, the protesters staged a demonstration, calling on the Australian government to take appropriate steps to stop such incidents.

"The Australian government should make favourable laws to ensure the safety of Indian students. The safety of these students should be guaranteed by the Australian government," said Vijay Jolly, a leader of BJP.

Other protesters, activists of Shiva Sena party, burnt down an effigy of Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

The Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy assured once again that necessary steps have been taken to ensure the safety of Indian students.

"I think our Prime Minister has been very clear a couple of hours ago that Australia is not going to tolerate this sort of action. Our Deputy Prime Minister, the Chief Minister of the state of Victoria, in which Melbourne is situated, all have made it abundantly clear that we don't tolerate this sort of attacks that have taken place and that every effort will be made to prevent them in the future," McCarthy told reporters.

Meanwhile, the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had spoken to his Australian counterpart earlier on the issue, India's Foreign minister SM Krishna, said.

"Our Prime minister has spoken to the Australian prime minister. I have spoken to the foreign affairs minister and our mission is in touch with the students from India, also with the government of Australia. I hope that things will be sorted out," Krishna said at the parliament.

"We are confident that the Australian government would take the necessary steps and we are waiting to see them," added Shashi Tharoor, former United Nations Under- Secretary General and minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

A series of attacks on Indian community in Melbourne took place in recent weeks.

On May 24 four Indian students were targetted with a screwdriver by a gang which gate crashed a party last week.

A day after, Indian student Baljinder Singh was stabbed in the abdomen as he walked from a train in what appeared to be a robbery.

Another 21-year old Indian student, Sourabh Sharma, was attacked and robbed on a Melbourne suburban train on May 9th.

There were other attacks in early May, including two on Indian taxi drivers.

Victorian Police and the High Commission of India are in dispute as to whether the attacks are racially motivated, with Victorian Police believing the students were just seen as a 'soft targets'.

The police officials contended that the students were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time as they travelled home late at night with valuables in their possession.

Australian colleges and universities are popular with Indian students pursuing degrees in business, information technology, engineering and hospitality.

More than 80,000 of them have enrolled in Australian institutions since August last year.
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