Australia is a major travel destination for Indian students studying abroad. In return they generate good revenue for Australia.
Surely, these students have a right to feel safe whilst there. But after an Indian graduate was stabbed to death at the weekend their safety is being questioned.
The Indian Government advisory, pointing to several incidents of assault on Indians in Australia including killing of 21-year-old student Nitin Garg, has issued a travel advisory for Australia warning students of the dangers.
But the Australian deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard has dismissed the travel warning, justifying these ‘acts of violence’ saying that they could occur in any big city around the world. This has angered many. Sri,india, comments on The Times of India, India has cities with 15-19 million population. If Australians meet violence and death in these cities, Indian governments need not worry. a valid reason can given.
This Australian applauds the Indian governments actions, ozipariah,Melbourne It is good at least that India came up with issuing a warning to its citizens in Australia to ensure their personal safety. This has now created a diplomatic pressure on Australia to investigate the matter further. I think India should insist on joint investigation of the crime so racist motive can be studied. Although I am an Australian, I feel that the laid back attitude and ‘if-it-is-not-fully-broken-don’t-fix-it’ approach in relation to fighting crimes is unacceptable. Well done Indian Government!
Indian and Australian diplomats are due to meet today. This blogger , The [Indian]Government can protest only diplomatically. The Government of India has no grip on Australia. The only remedy is to boycott Australian products & its Universities and colleges by Indian public. Government should not encourage Australian degrees and colleges.
Is a boycott of Australian products the answer to protecting Indian students? Does the Indian government need to withdraw their students and send them else where until Australia can guarantee the safety of their students? Who’s responsibility is it to ensure the safety of students abroad?
RSS feed
BBC World Have Your Say 
How many Australians got killed the same day this Indian student was stabbed? Anyone thought about that? Besides, I’m pretty sure India’s many slums are much more unsafe, maybe something should be done about that.
Well JanB, its very insensitive of you to say such thing. Would you have said the same thing if Australian were killed in Indian ground? Just a question, were you ever being assault because of your nationality?
Yes Indian government could not do anything except to collaborate with Australian government for the safety of its citizen.
Applying diplomatic pressure against the Australian government and issuing travel warnings to its citizens against traveling to that country, India could do very little else. The rest is up to Australia, or in particular the state of Victoria since law enforcement is a state matter, to cramp down on violent crimes to prevent this tragic event from happening again. Violent crimes have been a recent phenomenon in which the entire Australian community has been victim of, not just the Indians.
Boycotting the products is not the answer as it will resolve nothing. The two countries need to work together and resolve their differences. More security would need to be put into place and in addition an assurance from Australia that students who travel from India are safe.
the killing of Indian student is bad and it should be condemned with the strongest term possible, but I do not agree with the action of Indian Government in trying to attach more meaning to the killing. It is just a criminal act, which needs to be investigated independently, instead of causing diplomatic row. The world is full of many problems such as suicide bombings, the plan are being blown up and some almost. India and Australia should work hand in hand to establish the reason for killing the innocent student and bring the culprits to justice. The world need peace!!
The Indian government can dissuade students from going to down under. Teach them history that Australia was meant for criminals, that crime and violence stalks the Australian cities and streets,and education can be had in India itself, value for money.
Send agencies to hound out the perpetrators, there’s perhaps more to it than meets the eye, there may be a hidden strategem hatched by some unsavoury group!
The Indian government must not over-react; rather it should seek cooperation of the Australian govt., to heal the wounds/hurts and to help assuage the feelings of strong resentment and helplessness of the Indian community there. The Indian govt., in consultation with the Aussy Govt., should also send specific guidelines towards observance of certain personal safety measures as well as towards maintenance of communal and trans-communal harmony.
How often does this happen? I recall several years ago, A UK citizen was murdered in Washington, DC, in a very nice area of the city, after the women he was with was being assaulted, he had his throat slit. I don’t seem to recall any travel advisorys from the UK warning people about travel to the US. I might be mistaken, but I recall from the early 1990s, there were lots of shootings targetting foreigners, especially Germans, in Miami, were there advisories about that?
Any crime that is racially motivated is unacceptable. If the attacks against Indian students worsen , the Indian government should think of encouraging the Indian students to study at home if there are specialities there or go to other countries where they are safe from (racial) attacks.
There must be a diplomatic solution to this as economic measures can harm both countries. It’s in the interest of Australia to keep good relations with India which is an emerging economic power. Its worsening relations with it means the likelihood of its losing a big market.
Actually, Australia isn’t a single case. In Russia, African students are the victims of racial attacks leading to death. This means, studying in certain countries is coupled with the worries to keep safe and to be socially acceptable by the locals.
The death of a student of india in Australia is very bad and it should be condebmned in all ways but the reaction of indian govt is not good and they should try to solve this issue amicably
Governments can do little appart from one ranting and the other issuing empty diplomatic niceties. You are better off in your own country since the world has only managed to come out of the cold war only to end up in cold feet and cold shoulders in most countries. Gaulible students come to realize too late that those beautiful brochures do not tell you anything least of all profilings and the sense of isolation that may assault you in circumstance in which you cannot cope.
Frankly, India can reverse this course of events by investing in quality education which no doubt it can afford for its young generation. Students on the other hand need to rethink that spirit of adventurism that may land them in such perils or disagreeable values in foreign lands.
As for Australia, it has gradually become a country too liberal people almost to a fault. They just don’t care and no wonder criminals maim in abandon. My most recent memorable images of Australia are that of tv coverage of the PM Rud almost in tears as he larmented the incessant cases of fire by arson that left many Australian citizens homeless and untold loss of property. I am not yet aware whether there were any arrests.
It is very sad that the student was killed and everything should be done that the person responsible should be put to justice.
However, it also needs to be taken into consideration how many Indian students study in Australia and nothing happens and how the Australian degree will ensure more success in future.
I think boycotting Australian products etc. will not solve the problem. Only once we can resolve all the bad in this world, we will be able to do something about it.
Tell them , the student to take out the ‘INDIA IS SHINING , ‘ badge and stop their India IS a super power boast in the bloggersphere. Youthful Indians tend to be overbearingly arrogant.
The first step is to look at the numbers and see if indeed Indians in particular are being targeted, or if there is a trend toward foreigners being attacked more than the general population. Both Australia and India look at these numbers and act accordingly. It seems to me, though, that India may have reacted a little sensitively, and Australia’s response may have been a little insensitive.
The Indian govt. can use diplomatic pressure and the media to press it’s case. But since much of this involves economic things (student fees, tourism revenue and more), they could use that as leverage as well.
So this Indian student is the only foreigner who’s been murdered in Australia?
If India is going to issue a travel advisory based on one incident then it should advise that no one ever leave the country. It’s a dangerous world out there, full of racism and xenophobia.
Some places even have caste systems…
You said it!
Yes, I agree with John from Salem. Which is why overwhelmingly the USA is the choice destination for Indians studying abroad. They constitutevthe highest percentage of all foreign students in that country, it’s racism and select xenophobia notwithstanding. There is a liberality and liberty that enjoys an enshrined space in the American character. It is lacking sorely in Australia. In all of the cultural Anglosphere, Australia is singularly deficient in that category. Hence the Indian outcry. John, remember we play Cricket with them and can tell when it’s not a fair game.
That said, please do write back after researching why coastal New England towns such as Salem have an East India Street and also why almost all have a HIGH STREET and LOW STREET. HINT: It had to do with the economic status of their residents, not with the terrain.
It appears Indians are being targetted in particular.
Why? Go figure!!
If students of other nationalities were targetted too it would have surfaced by now. This is not an isolated incident by the way, there has been 7 or 8 in the past year. It’s not surprising that the Indian Govt has issued a travel advisory, the Australian Govt’s indifferent attitude and dismissing these incidents as “just act of violence” is and pretty immature I may add. What one doesn’t understand is there could be repurcussions. I am sure there are Australian tourists walking around in some part of India. They could be tragetted for no fault of theirs.
why are indians going to australia to study? How many of the indian going to study return to their country?Comparitively indians are cleverer as a result of more than a billion population back home and only the cream get ot study and crop of the cream have the chance to study abroad and not necessarily the clever ones end up as students and if they dont return, australians with about 25 millions population who hardly study comparitively find their lifestyle threatend by other races. But if the students returned after studies ofcause there would be no need for racial tensions. Question must be can australia can prosper without an injection of other races from rest of the world?
Australia should embrace more racial tolerantpolicy instead of behaving like colonialist of 200 years ago grapping land of the aboriginals?
Australia must have students and other immigrants from if not all over the world at least from all over Asia and Africa. So why is it that the Indians who are attacked?
Could it not be that they themselve’s have some how caused it? After all there’s no smoke without a fire. The Indian govt. should go deeper into the cause before taking any other action.
There is little or nothing the Government of India can do for their students in Australia. It is entirely up to the Australian Government to do what it can based on their laws.
How odd it has taken this long for anyone to address the level of discrimination which exists in Australia. The Australian Aboriginal people have been treated horribly for over 100 yrs., marginalized in no less abhorrent a manner than native Americans in this country. Is the death of a foreign visitor/student the only way governments consider becoming accountable for their peoples actions? It strikes me as odd, that a country which started as a penal colony has such a hard time with outsiders; Like the US., they are all essentially foreigners from far away.
What is needed is to verify if it is a specific or general issue. Then decide on action. For India to, in effect, attack, is either very stupid, or an excuse to act covertly on a less savory issue. Cooperation on this issue would be far more effective. I wonder what India’s real agenda is here. Brain drain? Lost school revenue?
I am white, if I commit a crime against any other race, it is a race crime. The media has a field day and suddenly I am an avid reader of Mein Kampf. If I am the victim in reverse, it is a statistic, nothing to see hear – move along. Where are all the demonstrators for all the white famers murdered by Mugabe’s thugs in Zimbabwe? Where are they at the funerals of white grannies, murdered and raped by perpetrators of a different race? Reject violence from all quarters; please don’t use it as political nuisance.
I think investigation first before conclusion,the indians government needs absolute coperation with Australian govt. to tackle the situation. It is only the Australian govt. that could provide protection to people in its country.
What the Indian govt. should do is educate their students going abroad better. So they know how to behave in an international environment. They should also make proper enquiries to the cause of the problem.
Most Indian students come from rich families and are used to be treated as gods within India. They should not expect that treatment elsewhere where their pidly financial status is of no consequence.
Boycotting of Australian products would never bring a durable solution to the issue of protecting Indian students in Australia. The Indian government need NOT to withdraw their students and send them else where either. I believe this issue can be resolved by the Australian Government in collaboration with India and all other partners. I propose that the Australian Government begin sensitizing ordinary Australians to tolerate others. They have got to educate the people to learn how to live side by side with others that are not from Australia. What we ought to understand is that, the system now implace does not regard national borders anymore. This means all of the countries today are inter dependent. Besides, Australia is highly regarded in terms of respecting human rights, so I hope their government should devise a strategy to encourage her citizens to accept non-Australians to put up with them side by side as member of on human family. Hi Australians and Indians, consider reciprocity in order to find a common ground on this actual issue.
Does the Indian government think it is acceptable for India political parties to administer pogroms of ethnic cleansing on minorities (Sikhs in 1984; Muslims in 2002 and Christians in 2009) and yet it makes a huge fuss when one or two Indians are killed in Australia. What hypocrisy….its takes more than 7% growth to create a civilized country…India has long way to go before it becomes that!
re “” Does the Indian government need to withdraw their students “”
—————————————————-
———– Thought India was supposed to be a democracy with citizens free to travel?
Is this a poorly conceived topic worthy of tabloid 5 headed space alien coverage?
Anyone minding the store?
The country where the torists visit should provide full pledged protection to the incoming people there as tourists or else irrespective of their differences, otherwise, that country would lose its popularity ultimately as a place for tourism or visits on other purposes.
gee it will be very interesting if it turns out not to be an australian that killed him. India stop your sooking your track record for treating overseas vistors is alot worse then that of australias. and as for threating us, india needs us more then we need them. if its such a dangerous place stay in india and get an education, oh thats right india is to poor to educate there people thats why they come here. india has a far greater crime rate then here, they don’t even look after there own people. for every indian attacked and hurt in australia about 5 to 10 aussies have suffered thet same fate, so its not there background that makes them a target, everyones a target. so get over it and accept the world we all live in.
Instead of saying all these, one could say Ausie’s are taking revenge of Graham Stain’s case – Australian missionary who with his two young boys were burnt alive.
Yes, it’s not right that anyone is killed. Life is precious. Although I don’t know what makes some nationalities think they are better than Australians, as well as better than each other. I have witnessed Indians at my place of employment, and depending on some sort of social status, brought over from their own country, depends on how they treat their fellow race. Why come to another country and maintain the same way of living. What is the point? Also, if in fact these events are racially motivated, maybe we should be blaming our Government for the high imigration rate. Our roads are not coping with the traffic, we are being slogged for Desal plants as there is not enough water. The list goes on. Having said that, I welcome all races who come to Australia, like Australians, abide by our laws respect themselves and others and are clean living just to mention a few ways of life. Anyone else should stay home.
Indian students are outnumbered in Australia. They have no protection other than themselves against thuggery by the natives. If this wave of attacks continues the Indian Government should pull all its students out of Australia and educate them with their own resources which are plentiful. Other than that, India could boycott Australia as an educative choice for its students.
Hi guys i am an Indian student living in Melbourne. I have been to a few other countries too and so far i have had a good experience in Australia. I think Australia is a beautiful place. I have never faced racism..but on the other hand there are people who must have. But this happens everywhere, even in India we differentiate among people form different states. One has to tak care of their own safety. Because its Australia, one can’t start walking just anywhere in the middle of the night. We have to be careful whether in india or anywhere. Nitin garg’s murderer’s identity is not yet proved so we dont know whether it was a racial attack or a personal problem with someone. Indian Media is very good at exaggerating an issue and thats how they have brainwashed everyones mind in India. Every country has some problems and when we go to a different country we need to understand and learn there culture. Specially coming from India which is a totally different culture. Obviously we cant expect the same in a western country. Its like a foreigner coming to India and living a western life..I mean to say there are problems in every country and we have to follow some basic security measures just the way we do it in India.
On the hand, Some Australians do have a laid back attitude which I’m sure, with the political pressure will improve. And we need to deal with things and resolve it, by blaming the whole Australian society is not right as most of them are very friendly.