The growing controversy over the bashing of Indian students in Melbourne has taken on nearly farcical levels of stupidity.
The allegations, particularly from the Indian press is that Indian students in Melbourne are being targeted on racial grounds, in what is being referred to as “curry bashing.”
That there has been attacks in which racial slurs were used is factual. That there is a wave of violence against Indian students isn’t.
It’s hard to get solid numbers, and local Indian representatives aren’t helping. On ABC radio last week, the head of the Indian Students Association claimed that there had been 60-70 incidents. Within that number, he included suicides that he blamed on fear of being attacked. Whether than number is accurate or not, I don’t know.
What I do know is that according to Victoria Police, there were 31,284 assaults recorded in Victoria in 2007/2008. Some of these so-called “curry bashing” incidents included robbery, of which there were 3,332 incidents in 2007/2008 for the entire state.
Numbers of the total numbers of Indian students in Melbourne are hard to pin down, but have been suggested to be around 30,000. This might be on top, or including the 50,000 odd people who said they were born in India in the 2006 census and the 30,000 from Sri Lanka (while I know there is a difference, your average racist thug at night couldn’t tell the difference). What we can add to that is the first and second generations of people born in Melbourne that have Indian or Sri Lankan heritage; I don’t have a number, but you’d probably double or triple the not-born here number.
So out of maybe 150,000 to 200,000 people of Indian or Sri Lankan heritage in Melbourne, 60-70 have been subject to assault, robbery, or death.
Remember, the incidents of assault in the general population is 563.9 incidents per 100,000 people. Given the population of people with heritage in India or Sri Lanka, there should have been roughly 1000 assaults….but there’s been maybe 60-70, and possibly less.
I’m don’t want to belittle any crime big or small, because ultimately they are all wrong and they shouldn’t happen. But perspective based on numbers vs what is now being called a trend that is threatening international relations between Australia and India? Give me a break.
The xenophobia in India is so out of control that you read shit like this article. It claims that a student who was found to have committed suicide was murdered by an Australian taxi driver. What this article fails to mention (and the others like it) is that if he was murdered by a taxi driver, and there is NO EVIDENCE to suggest that he was, that there’s a very strong chance the taxi driver WOULD HAVE BEEN INDIAN AS WELL. I don’t have numbers, but a rough guess would be at least 50% of taxi drivers in Melbourne are Indian from experience, if not higher. Those that aren’t Indian are often visitors or from other parts of the world, in particular Eastern Europe. But why let that get in the way of a good beat up.
I was going to be more scathing about the way the Indian press are dealing with story, but then it dawned on me that I’ve seen stories like this before.
In Australia.
Every time some idiot Australian tourist gets pinged for drugs or theft overseas, the media and general population fall into an orgy of xenophobia, one of cultural elitism that borders on outright racism. That the Indian media is now doing the same to us…well, it gives pause for thought, doesn’t it.
Reading cricinfo this morning, there was a post calling for a boycott of Australia because of targetted racial attacks against Indians. Obviously sledging not popular in cricket. Great post. I thought it was going to be about Nick Xenophon and his Greek relatives.
I think there must not be any sort of DISCRIMINTAION among people…
Not because of race,religion,color etc…..
One must be smart enough to understand that we are human beings,not only australian or indian or whatever…
whatever is hapening,i dont know,but we must condemned if anything happens wrong…
People should live together with love and affection…
There must not be any sort of BLAME game…
Instead of 60-70 assaults reported, there should have been a 1000 by law of averages. You reckon the thugs are leniant towards the south asians because of their kind hospitality or are the thugs Indians and therefore do not trouble threir brotheren?
Great post. I especially found it interesting. For this matter, once I discussed with one of my friends, not only about the content you talked about, but also to how to improve and develop, but no results. So I am deeply moved by what you said today.
A screw driver gets thrusted into the head of a poor helpless student who was trying to do a fine balance between studying in your country and living a decent life. This dastardly act was performed by some violence-friendly, racist motivated austrilian guys. Now this is a fact !!! Don't confuse this fact with some statistics while pretending to cover it up with your understanding of humanity and wrong doings.
Now the sick article you referred to about the parents of a dead boy who was mysteriously found on a railway track, allegedly hit by a train as he gave himself in front of it as an act of suicide…
They are merely asking a simple question, if it was suicide on the railway tracks, why only a cut near his eye ???
As to their allegation on racist murder, well they have every reason to believe it is as much as you have the right to belive that it could have been a fellow asian taxi driver who could have done it. Either ways what I am trying to ask this intelligent writer is, how come this article that has been cited (which has appeared in the indian press) becomes stupid or sick???
Xenophobia in such circumstances are unavoidable, what surely can be avoided is psuedo-intelligence !!! Bear with me sir, I don't mean to get personal, just a humble perspective !!!
It's fear mongering at it's best. There are people of all races an nationalities that just love playing the race and the victim cards, regardless of whether they are even slightly relevant. Then there is the media that likes to heat it up.
In the end, we get a confused society and no real issues are addressed. Sad, isn't it ?
This is really very interesting post, I liked reading it, keep posts like this coming, I am totally impressed!
Rina
Just for the record:
Xenophobia is a dislike and/or fear of that which is unknown or different from oneself. It comes from the Greek words ?é¬æ?é¬??é¬??é¬ø?è‚Äö (xenos), meaning “stranger,” “foreigner,” and ?è‚Ć?è?í?é¬??é¬ø?è‚Äö (phobos), meaning “fear.” The term is typically used to describe a fear or dislike of foreigners or of people significantly different from oneself.
Thanks for sharing it. 😉
Such a horrible story. I never knew that Indian were Xenophobic. I hope that the government will take any action about this alarming issue.
It is really irritating news for all the Indian students & peoples. I think that the decreasing ICC ranking of Australia is the main reason behind all this matter. But it is very bad for two countries relationship.
Really very fantastic story.i am so inspired from this.i am waiting for your next update.
It is truly ridiculous, people from India & Austrlia should maintain peace. They should not spread rumour as it will create horrible environment in the mind of peoples & it will be harmful for India & Austrila relationship.
It is truly ridiculous, people from India & Austrlia should maintain peace. They should not spread rumour as it will create horrible environment in the mind of peoples & it will be harmful for India & Austrila relationship.
It is truly ridiculous, people from India & Austrlia should maintain peace. They should not spread rumour as it will create horrible environment in the mind of peoples & it will be harmful for India & Austrila relationship.