Australia unsafe? Attacks on Indian students rise
Train stations, bus stops, even pavements in and around Melbourne, the Australian city in Victoria which is home to thousands of Indian students, have increasingly turned unsafe with a good number of attacks on migrant youth being reported from th...
By Ashish Sinha, TNN |
NEW DELHI: Train stations, bus stops, even pavements in and around Melbourne, the Australian city in Victoria which is home to thousands of Indian students, have increasingly turned unsafe with a good number of attacks on migrant youth being reported from the suburbs.
Some of these crimes bear the ���us-versus-them��� racial overtone while most, according to Victoria Police, come as "assaults and robberies", and many other cases go unreported, possibly for fear of a backlash.
The number of Indian students migrating to Australia has seen a continuous rise and over 35,000 boys and girls arrive in the island country every year as securing admission in most of its universities, including 39 run by the government, is much easier.
The Federation of Indian Students in Australia (FISA), which has taken up the concern with Victoria Police, local
lawmakers, as well as the Indian government, says the number of attacks, "fortunately directed towards male Indian students only", could be as high as three per day.
"We have been approaching the Victorian government and Australian federal government for assistance. They have till date played a cat-and-mouse game. Even Indian officials have mostly been silent and reluctant to take a decisive stance," said FISA secretary Gautam Gupta in a letter to overseas Indian affairs minister Vayalar Ravi.
Victoria police, calling these crimes "extremely serious", said the number of reported cases has decreased due to a series of public forums and education/information sessions organised by them and local community organizations.
"We consider all offences of this nature as extremely serious and all victims are dealt with in a professional and sensitive manner. Victoria police's crime prevention unit has generated articles in student publications and Indian newspapers in Melbourne and speaks to international students arriving in the city for the first time. Victoria police and Victoria University have also developed a DVD for international students," Victoria police crime prevention officer Craig McDonald told TOI in an email interview.
That the problem is serious can be seen from the fact that Marsha Thompson, a member of Victoria legislative assembly from Footscray, got a public meeting of police crime prevention unit, neighbourhood watch members and students organised last year as "a response to the recent number of thefts and intimidating incidents against young male Indian students at railway stations" in her electorate.
Gupta told TOI that FISA has suggested the Indian government to ask every migrating student to contribute a nominal Rs 1,000 towards a "welfare fund". This fund, he said, could be used to establish a resource centre with nodal points across Australia that can be used as safe houses for victims.
Some of these crimes bear the ���us-versus-them��� racial overtone while most, according to Victoria Police, come as "assaults and robberies", and many other cases go unreported, possibly for fear of a backlash.
The number of Indian students migrating to Australia has seen a continuous rise and over 35,000 boys and girls arrive in the island country every year as securing admission in most of its universities, including 39 run by the government, is much easier.
The Federation of Indian Students in Australia (FISA), which has taken up the concern with Victoria Police, local
lawmakers, as well as the Indian government, says the number of attacks, "fortunately directed towards male Indian students only", could be as high as three per day.
"We have been approaching the Victorian government and Australian federal government for assistance. They have till date played a cat-and-mouse game. Even Indian officials have mostly been silent and reluctant to take a decisive stance," said FISA secretary Gautam Gupta in a letter to overseas Indian affairs minister Vayalar Ravi.
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"Most (Indian) students are doing well and feel secure. But a significant number are at the receiving end. This is leading to huge problems, including some students being forced to the edge of the society. We have seen the emergence of Indian students' vigilante groups, an increase in suicides, depression, other health problems and students failing due to extraneous factors," he said. Victoria police, calling these crimes "extremely serious", said the number of reported cases has decreased due to a series of public forums and education/information sessions organised by them and local community organizations.
"We consider all offences of this nature as extremely serious and all victims are dealt with in a professional and sensitive manner. Victoria police's crime prevention unit has generated articles in student publications and Indian newspapers in Melbourne and speaks to international students arriving in the city for the first time. Victoria police and Victoria University have also developed a DVD for international students," Victoria police crime prevention officer Craig McDonald told TOI in an email interview.
That the problem is serious can be seen from the fact that Marsha Thompson, a member of Victoria legislative assembly from Footscray, got a public meeting of police crime prevention unit, neighbourhood watch members and students organised last year as "a response to the recent number of thefts and intimidating incidents against young male Indian students at railway stations" in her electorate.
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Earlier, the police had launched a large-scale four-month probe into a spate of armed robberies committed mostly against Indian students in Melbourne's west. Police charged over 50 people with 628 offences committed till June, and said Indian students were more vulnerable as they relied on public transport and were often catching trains or walking late at night. Gupta told TOI that FISA has suggested the Indian government to ask every migrating student to contribute a nominal Rs 1,000 towards a "welfare fund". This fund, he said, could be used to establish a resource centre with nodal points across Australia that can be used as safe houses for victims.
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"I would advise Indian students to be aware of what they are getting into. Once there, they should get involved with community groups and avoid unsafe suburbs, universities and institutes. Many private agents in India misguide students and the Australian government doesn't monitor the inflow," he said. Download
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