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Ahmedabad (Gujarat): Amid the recent spate of
racial attacks on Indian students in Australia, a
dominant Protestant denomination in India along with its
counterpart in Australia, joined hands to condemn and
initiate measures to address the growing outrage.
Australian department of education's group manager Colin
Walters, right, interacts with parents during a parent
student interaction organized by Australian High
Commission in Ahmadabad, India, Tuesday, July 7, 2009. A
nine member delegation from different departments of the
Australian government is visiting India to assure Indian
students and parents about new measures being taken by
the Australian government against recent attacks on
Indian students.
Rev. Enos Das Pradhan, general secretary of the Church
of North India (CNI), and his counterpart Rev. Philip
Huggins of Anglican Diocese of Melbourne, met at the
recently concluded Asian Ecumenical Officers' meeting in
Jakarta.
Both mooted on measures to combat the alleged racial
discrimination that has shaken the Indian student
community and has triggered massive protests across the
sub-continent. Rev. Pradhan enquired about the safety of
Indian students in Australia and the measures the Church
has initiated in that regard. They condemned the racial
assaults and consented that Church has a role in
building peace and harmony among communities.
Last two months, there have been reports of over 20
Indian students attacked, some seriously injured and
others still recuperating in hospitals. There is an
estimated 95,000 Indian students in Australia, making it
the second largest foreign population after the Chinese.
Responding to the frequent attacks and the negative
publicity about Melbourne, Bishop Huggins said he has
called on Melbournians to reclaim the city's reputation
as a safe, welcoming community with a strong
multicultural heritage. He also informed his counterpart
that they were initiating measures to make students feel
safer and more at home.
One of the initiatives is a concerted peace rally among
the members of the Anglican Diocese. The “Walk for
Harmony” on July 12 will commence from Carlton Gardens,
proceeding through the city to Federation Square. The
walk together "will affirm racial harmony in multi
cultural Victoria."
According to the Victoria Police Commission, there are
1,083 cases of robbery and assault reported against
Indians in 2007-08, and the attacks have increased to
1,447 over the same period last year.
The recent most serious case was of 25-year-old Shravan
Kumar who is in a critical condition after being stabbed
with a screwdriver by a group of teens and Rajesh Kumar,
who suffered 30 per cent burns after a petrol bomb was
hurled at him in his home in Sydney.
External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna will undertake a
visit to Australia some time next month. During his
travel he will also verify a media report that claims 27
Indian students had died there last year due to various
causes.
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