Australia is an inherently racist nation. Recent acts of violence
against Indian students offer only a small glimpse into the level of
discrimination suffered by those of Indian origin.
Racism is a daily part of life in Australia and while I do not claim
that all Australians are racist I do believe the majority of
Australians hold a thinly veiled fear of all non Caucasian culture.
This fear is so ingrained and so much a part of ‘being Australian’ that
most can not even recognise the racism right before their eyes.
A country founded by the outcast criminal element of a nation
renowned for its own sense of superiority, racism has been a part of
the Australian Psyche from the moment the British first stepped foot on
our sands . We (the Australian nation) were born of the rape, murder
and attempted genocide of the aboriginals and little has changed since.
If you need proof that we are a racist nation look no further than our
governments handling of unfavourable media coverage during recent
welfare reforms.
In 2007/08 ‘white Australia’ was outraged at the thought of welfare
payments being given in voucher form. The most common complaint was
that this form of welfare was discriminatory and that the process would
unnecessarily embarrass an already disadvantage sector of society.
Did this make the Federal Government reconsider the proposed welfare
reforms? No not at all, because they knew their voters well enough to
know that simply advertising the fact that these reforms would be
tested on aboriginals would quiet the collective complaints of our
racist nation.
Once the general population thought these reforms only applied to
‘black Australians’ opinions changed, No longer was it discriminatory
and no longer were the new rules unfair. No more complaints were heard
and the breaking news of discriminatory welfare reform faded away.
There are many predominantly white suburbs in Australia suffering the
same socio economic conditions as our remote aboriginals. They were not
trialled. The Australian Government chose to trial these reforms on
indigenous Australians because it knew what every dark skinned visitor
to our shores knows.
Australia is a racist nation and voters will not care if these reforms affect black citizens.
You need only read the bumper stickers openly displayed on Australian
cars to know that racism is considered an acceptable part of daily life
‘if you don’t love it leave!’ pasted below a picture of our flag can be
found in every city and town. A statement simple to understand quite
literally translates to ‘if your not like me, go home!’ and this
attitude is most openly expressed by the government!
In Australia we are constantly bombarded by stories of illegal
immigrants invading our shores. Our Government (both past and present)
have engaged in deliberate campaigns aimed at ensuring that Australians
remains constantly afraid, afraid for our safety afraid for families
and afraid for our jobs.
From ‘children overboard ’ to the non existent terrorist threat, the
Australian government has happily followed the American lead, confused
the population and controlled them because if the people are afraid
they will follow the leaders without question and what better way to
scare us into blind submission but to play on our inherent racism.
When dark skinned refugees flee from war torn countries in the hopes of
escaping death and that they may find peace and safety on our shores,
our headlines read of illegal immigrants, boat people and cue jumpers.
The Australian government has spent millions of dollars implementing
strategies to curb the flow of refugees. Yet they ignore the thousands
more English immigrants illegally entering Australia under false
pretences.
Through holiday and temporary work visa’s and with no threat to life or
no exceptional circumstances warranting their entry, British ‘cue
jumpers’ are allowed to live and work freely without suspicion and when
caught, the white skinned over stayer is provided temporary status
until approved and allowed to remain in the country.
Despite proving, through their very presence that they do not meet the
minimum moral standards, the white ‘backpacker’ is automatically
accepted while the dark skinned refugee is detained in jail like asylum
centres where they are forced to fight for basic human rights!
The immigration department conducts joint raids with the roads and
transport authority knowing they are guaranteed to catch Indian
students working more hours than they are legally entitled to within
the taxi industry. Such matters are never published in the news but
glossed over with comments such as “illegals taking Australian jobs” or
“immigration racket smashed”.
Yet there has never been such a raid on the multitude of backpacker
hostels, orchids, hotels or nightclubs that openly advertise and
illegally employ European backpackers who enter Australia on non
working holiday visas.
Indian students who accept below minimum wages that Australians will
not tolerate risk their life working long hours in dangerous
conditions in an attempt to cover the exaggerated fees charged by our
universities. Overseas students work harder to pay more for the same
degree as their Australian counterparts and still they receive a lower
quality education than they could at home.
It makes no difference how educated or hard working you are, if you
are not white you WILL experience some form of racially motivated
discrimination if you live or work in Australia.
While the Government claims they will not tolerate any form of
discrimination or victimisation of Indian students, it is evident that
persons employed in positions of authority within Government
Departments openly harass Indian Workers and Business Owners - while
ignoring the obviously illegal activities of ‘white-owned’ companies
within the same industry.
Companies owned by people of Indian origin, who receive a relatively
low number of consumer complaints, are targeted by racist government
employees, while other companies owned and operated by white
Australians that have received hundreds if not thousands of formal
consumer complaints are allowed to continue business without
interference.
You would expect, in a country which supposedly prides itself on its
multiculturalism, that race would not sway the judgement of those
assigned the task of protecting the consumer from unscrupulous business
practice.
You would also expect that “white-owned” companies who have been proven
to have acted fraudulently would be investigated. No! In Australia it
is only the non white business owner that is harassed.
In a recent press release and visits to India to appease the Indian
population, Ms Julia Gillard , Deputy Prime Minister Australia , and
Messrs. Ms Anna Bligh (Premier of Queensland) and John Brumby
(Premier of Victoria) – Premiers of the populous and large states,
stated on each occasion that “there is no discrimination against
Indians in Australia.
However, it is not only Indian students who are targets of discrimination and racial attitudes in Australia.
Yet, quite recently, under the cloak of a Fair Trading matter, a
growing Indian Business was targeted, harassed and investigated on
petty matters which had not only be en resolved in the past but where
there was no proof of any wrong doing, to the extent that a Senior
Government Manager in the Department of Fair Trading took over the
investigation “PERSONALLY” because it involved an Indian Business,
while similar “white-owned Australian and New Zealand” businesses were
not targeted inspite of them actually regularly committing offences for
which the Indian Business was discriminately targeted.
The said Manager continues to harass the Indian Company and has not
been removed from the investigation. Such managers should be stood
aside and the matter allowed to proceed without bias.
Finally, inspite of no proof of wrongdoing, or breaking any laws, the
Senior Manager of Fair Trading in a cloak and dagger mission has vowed
to “close the Indian Business down.”