A heinous crime. Australia must ensure students’ safety

While it is not yet clear whether the killing of Punjabi youth Nitin Garg in Melbourne is a racial or criminal act, Australia has gained notoriety for racial attacks on foreign students and the latest brutality will be seen in that context. Indian students who work at night to self-finance their studies fall easy prey to attacks by armed hoodlums who roam freely on the streets of Melbourne and other cities. The External Affairs Minister, Mr S.M. Krishna, has rightly conveyed to the Australian authorities the “deep anger” in India over the abominable act and warned that such incidents could vitiate the atmosphere of trust between the two countries.

Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has denied that it was a racial attack. It is not enough for her to portray Australia as “a nation that overwhelmingly is an open, tolerant, multi-cultural, welcoming society” unless such incidents are stopped with a firm hand. The Australian government’s response to growing racial attacks on foreign students does not inspire hope. Even the latest law, which empowers the Victorian police to search for weapons without a warrant at designated spots, is a delayed and inadequate reaction to the growing lawlessness, conveniently blamed on layoffs caused by the global financial meltdown.
By taking a soft stance over the mistreatment of overseas students, Australia is only hurting itself. Its reputation as “a welcoming and accepting country” for international students stands tarnished. Education used to be a thriving industry in Australia. No longer so. The quality of education provided by unscrupulous, so-called vocational colleges has cost international students dear and hurt Australia’s image. More than 70,000 Indian students studied in Australia in 2009. For the coming session there is a 21 per cent drop in visa applications. Fears about personal safety have largely forced students to look for other destinations of higher education. 

Source: The Tribune, Chandigarh, India.

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