Melbourne: Amid a spate of attacks on Indian
youths in Australia, a Senate committee which probed the issue
has concluded that the assaults were more likely to be
"opportunistic robberies" than prompted by racism, prompting a
student body to say the authorities "are still in denial."
"There was very little evidence that the assaults were
based on racism or discrimination," Committee Chairman and
Liberal Party senator Gary Humphries told 'The Australian'.
The Senate committee report on the welfare of
international students, tabled in Parliament yesterday, found
that the majority of evidence suggested that assaults against
the youths were more likely to be "opportunistic robberies"
than prompted by racism.
A total of 94 cases of attacks on Indians have been
reported so far this year in Australia as against 17 incidents
of assaults in 2008.
Reacting to the report, Federation of Indian Students of
Australia (FISA) President Amit Menghani said the authorities
"are still in denial of the major issue."
Menghani said it was not just a matter of some students
not being safety conscious. The inquiry "failed" to address
the issue "and it could really damage the reputation of the
Australian education system again," he was quoted as saying.
International Education Association of Australia Director
Dennis Murray also criticised the report, saying "it doesn't
get to grips with the issue of social cohesion".
Rohitas Batta of the United Indian Associations said the
issue was largely a law and order matter but more could be
done to educate communities to bridge "cultural gaps."
However, the committee report favoured New South Wales
and Victoria falling into line with other states and offering
travel concessions to international students, the paper said.
"The committee acknowledges that, with a lack of
understanding regarding personal safety, the circumstances in
which international students often find themselves may give
rise to fears of racism, and they may interpret a negative
experience as motivated by racism even though no such motive
exists," the report said.
It also backed calls for an independent ombudsman for
international students, recommending an extension of the
Commonwealth Ombudsman.
The report said the students should be given more
information on personal safety before they arrive in
Australia, which should be reinforced by providers, according
to the paper.
The inquiry was moved by the Greens party in June after a
string of attacks against Indian students in Melbourne and
Sydney prompted major street protests.
PTI
First Published: Friday, November 27, 2009, 19:00