We
continue this series as we keep getting mails about reports of attacks
on Indian students in Australia. As the attacks continue, we present
yet another enthralling article by our writer from Australia in
continuation to the previous one, Discrimination? What Discrimination?
Following is a write-up titled as "Harassment of Indian Students Continue"
sent to us by an Indian-born Australian staying with his family in
Australia for the past 30 years. The identity of the writer has not been
disclosed on his request. Please note that we at NNE neither support
nor oppose the content of the following article.
Harassment of Indian Students Continue
In
the foregoing story that Australia is an inherently racist nation,
further acts of violence against Indians are starting to expose further
glimpses into the level of discrimination suffered by those of Indian
origin. (See the stories at Australia’s ABC Government News for the
Griffiths and the Riverina Area - one of the largest Country Areas,
like Dihats in India). There is no difference between treatment meted to
Indians in Small Towns, Villages or Major Cities. It is essentially the
same throughout the country.
As racism is a way of life in
Australia, many fabricators try to make people believe that these
occurrences are related to foreign customs and ways of living thereby
psychologically reducing the impact on the local populace. It appears
that the “feel good” philosophy appeases the minds of the local
population who utilise excuses as a way of assuming nothing has happened
that would not have happened in the country of origin of the maimed or
killed Indians. It is a part of being accepted as ‘being Australian’
that a lot of people can not even recognise the racist comments right
before their eyes.
It is sufficient to say that “ignorance is
bliss” and the population follow the local media’s hype and spin,
doctoring the events affecting Indians, as the local saying goes: “They
are lucky to be in the Lucky Country and would have been suffering
misery in their own homes”.
And, Of course, in the case of Mr
Ranjodh Singh, who was recently murdered, Police statements even before
an investigation commenced used the comment of: “the unfortunate outcome
of what has been an escalating occurrence of violence in this region in
regard to contractors welshing on paying the labour.” STRANGE! No
investigations have commenced and yet Mr Singh is accused of cheating
his workers as he is dead and cannot be present to prove otherwise?
This
article started as a way to vent problems of Indian students, but it
goes far beyond expectations into the lives of Indians in every walk of
life. This article incorporates ALL Indians – students, business people
and visitors alike with no holds barred – Just basic facts with
footnotes for easy reference/proof and no fiction as circulated by the
Politicians of Australia when trying to apply their diplomatic acts and
appease the Indian Government.
However, there is more from students in Australia in the ensuing paragraphs of this article.
In
another violent attack on an Indian Student, in Melbourne , during the
same period, Ms Julia Gillard, the deputy prime minister immediately
made comments that “there should be no rush to judgement over the
attacks and defended Australia's crime rate as one of the world's
lowest” even before investigations had started, adding "We all know,
tragically, in the world that we live in, whether you're in Melbourne,
or whether you're in New Delhi, you can come to grief through violent
incidents,” in order to appease the population and justify the actions
of racially motivated persons.
On searching the Internet, there
has never been a similar attack on anyone in Australia as has been in
the case of Nitin Garg who was stabbed to death while walking to work. I
guess the authorities are now starting to actually see the racism
Indians of all walks of life (Students, Businessmen, Workers, Visitors,
etc..) have borne in the past years and the only means to justify the
racist populace is to make comments without facts.
If the authorities are not hounding Indians in Australia, the ignorant populace certainly is.
When
you visit a McDonalds, with an Indian Student serving you, complaints
of poor service and incompetence rise dramatically. When you visit an
Indian Business and are not served with massive bargaining discounts not
offered by non-Indian Companies, the same applies and discriminatory
complaints are made to the Office of Fair Trading for incompetence and
pricing. The same fate is also suffered by Indian Restaurants, Indian
Taxi Drivers and others. Keep in mind that it is the Indian businesses
who are major employers of Indian students in Australia and what better
way of teaching the Indian students a lesson other than affecting Indian
Businesses.
In recent discussions with local Indian students,
comments made were quite astounding when compared to the treatment meted
out to them by their peers, as compared to “white skinned” Australians
and Europeans.
A couple of examples are herein as stated by two Indian students recently.
A student, whom we shall call “A” remarked last week as follows:
“The
Managing Director of our College, Mr. “X”, when approached with our
problems tells us to go back to your country if you are unhappy and
further threatens to cancel the students’ Copy of Enrolment” thereby
automatically invalidating the Indian students visa which in turn
automatically makes legally residing students into illegal aliens who
can and are deported from Australia.
This, naturally, makes it impossible for Indian students to say anything at all for fear of reprisals.
“A”
further went on to say “that they are being overcharged and ordered to
pay extra costs for anything required of the Colleges they study in and
are being failed in order to increase their length of stay so that the
college can earn more from them.” And, naturally, when the students
request reasons for their failures, they are sent to the Managing
Director of the College who threatens them with the usual deportation
facility available.
This of course, leaves students with no other
recourse than to quietly suffer consequences as they have spent oodles
of money in order to obtain qualifications from Australia. Please note
that if such remarks or actions are taken against non-Indian students,
it is immediately reported to the Authorities and plastered over the
news in Australia with severe consequences too!
This is confirmed
by reports in another major Australian Daily Newspaper the Age which
quite categorically backs up Student “A’s” allegations by stating on
Thursday January 7, 2010, the following :
“Unscrupulous practices by some colleges and migration agents also battered Australia's reputation as a study destination.”
In
the same article in The Age Daily Newspaper appears the following, with
the usual excuses for the underlying reasons, of course:
“Andrew
Smith, the chief executive of the Australian Council for Private
Education and Training, which represents private colleges, said he was
expecting a ''significant'' decline in international enrollments this
year from several countries, including India and China.”
In another
instance, a student whom we shall call “B” says “Indian Students who
drive Taxis have a dark future as there are two sets of rules. One for
Indian Drivers and the other one for English Drivers”.
“B” stated
that if any driver goes to management with a problem, they don’t
respect the Indian driver and are not interested in the problem at all.
Instead of this, if an English Driver has the exact problem, he is
responded to in one day and the problem resolved”. Adding, “With the
Indian driver, and the same problem, they tell him to carry on with his
work and threaten to cancel his Taxi Licence if he persists with his
claim.”
These are just a couple of examples faced by Indian
students who work their legally stated hours to earn extra income while
in Australia.
In all instance, the usual threat is that some form
of punishment will be meted out if Indian students who demand equality
and fairness which is given out to non-Indians, and if they persist in
requesting equality dire consequences by way of income or deportation is
used to silence them.
In the recent case of the Indian businessman
who was being harassed by a Senior Manager of Fair Trading in a cloak
and dagger mission and who vowed to “close the Indian Business down,”
correspondence has been received from the same Manager about whom the
complaint was made against for bias. He responded to the complaint
himself stating that he would continue to act “personally” in the matter
and the businessman received the letter which was duly signed by the
same Manager against whom the complaint had been made (not from his
senior to whom the charges has been forwarded) and which clearly and
categorically declined that the biased Manager would stand aside and,
naturally, the matter will proceed with his bias. He continues to deal
with the matter personally inspite of requests for non-bias
investigation. So much for “Fair” Trading when it comes to an Indian.
This clearly adds to the problems faced by Indians where, in a case
involving a non-Indian, would automatically have had this person removed
and fairness introduced. However, as stated in this series of articles,
the rules are different when it involves Indians – whether they be
students or otherwise.
Contrary to Australian Leaders who
addressed the Indian Government about fairness and equality, the above
clearly shows two sets of racist rules in Australia – One for Indians
and one for the non-Indians. Remember, when we speak about Indians, we
are also talking about the indigenous people of Australia – the
Aborigines – who suffer the same fate.