Play it safe in Oz, India tells its students

Following a series of attacks on Indian students in Australia over the past year, climaxing with the murder of a 21-year-old a few days ago, the Indian Foreign Ministry has come out with a travel advisory on the precautions to be taken by those studying there or intending to go there for higher studies.

It has asked students to be in touch with the designated officer for students welfare at the Indian High Commission in Canberra or Indian consulates in Sydney and Melbourne.

The advisory said: "If you are travelling alone, make sure that you have checked out your route carefully and that you keep to well-lit, populated areas as far as possible. Make sure that someone knows where you are going and at what time you are expected to return. Do not make it obvious that you are in possession of expensive items, such as iPods or laptops. Carry identification and details of who should be contacted in emergency.If in danger, dial 000 to get police help".

The Indian Government will also begin talks with Australia on signing a social security pact for the safety of 2.5 lakh Indians, including 95,000 students, there. Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vyalar Ravi said in New Delhi on Tuesday that the agreement would ensure orderly migration.

In a release, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said the majority of Indian students studying in Australia, especially those enrolled in universities and reputable institutions, had a positive experience. But incidents of assault and robbery were on the rise in recent months.

The release noted that the “most recent incident of this kind” was the fatal stabbing of 21-year-old Nitin Garg in Melbourne on Jan 2, as he was walking to his place of work late at night from a train station through a public park. In another incident, Australian authorities on Tuesday said a partially burnt body found in New South Wales was that of a 25-year-old Indian.

These incidents continued despite efforts by the local police. In particular, they were "occurring all over Melbourne without any discernable pattern or rationale behind them".

This had affected not only the Indian students but also members of the larger Indian community in that country, the Ministry said.

Foreign Minister S M Krishna, after the latest incident of murder, came out with a strong statement that such continuing violence would affect bilateral relations. But Australia continues to maintain they are not racist attacks but opportunistic crimes.

Meanwhile, a report from Melbourne said Deputy Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard has dismissed the travel advisory issued by the Indian Government, saying that "acts of violence" are common in all big cities.

"In big cities around the world we do see acts of violence from time to time; that happens in Melbourne, it happens in Mumbai, it happens in New York, it happens in London", she was quoted as saying by ABC news, insisting that Australia was safe for all international students.

She added that her country would continue to welcome Indian students despite the new travel warning.

Victoria's Acting Premier, Rob Hulls said, "Whilst warnings are entirely a matter for the Indian government, everyone needs to realise that Melbourne is a welcoming, open place that certainly welcomes Indian students and students from all around the world".

This has been the standard line taken by Australia whenever India raises the pitch on this issue. In fact, in one of my first dispatches to Asian Tribune dated June 16 last year, I quoted the same Julia Gillard as saying "we want to send a message … loud and clear that Australian government, the Victorian (state) government have no tolerance for any actions based on racial intolerance". Further, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd assured his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh at that time that "any racist attack against Indian students will be sternly dealt with".

If anything, not only has the situation worsened, but the Australian Government refuses to admit any more that the attacks are targeted and racist.

- Asian Tribune -