Why are Indians singled out? Krishna asks Australia
By IANSTuesday, February 2, 2010
NEW DELHI - External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Tuesday said that Indian students are being singled out in Australia and asked Canberra to do “some introspection” to check such violence immediately.
“We want attacks on Indian students to be stopped forthwith. This is unacceptable,” Krishna told reporters when asked about repeated attacks in Australia that have created a huge public outrage in India.
“Students from other countries are studying in Australia. Why should such attacks happen on Indian students only? Indian students are being singled out,” Krishna said.
This is perhaps the first time India has indicated that the attacks on Indian students could be racially motivated. Canberra has vehemently denied time and again any racist angle to such attacks, saying they are like crime in any big city.
“This needs some introspection on the part of the Australian and New South Wales governments,” Krishna said.
There has been a wave of attacks on Indian students and taxi drivers since May last year.
Students and taxi drivers of Indian origin have found themselves being targeted in both Melbourne and Sydney, sparking allegations of widespread racism in Australian society and a failure by the law enforcement authorities to act.
Krishna said New Delhi had received no such complaints from the US, where nearly 100,000 Indian students are studying.
Krishna was speaking on the sidelines of a function to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the US-India Education Foundation that awards the Fulbright scholarships.
Krishna, a Fulbright scholar himself, was the chief guest at the function.
Pitching for greater cooperation between India and the US in areas of higher education, Krishna said: “The Fulbright-Nehru programme will focus on areas of priority in the bilateral relationship - agriculture, environment, energy, and other fields which will have a direct impact on the lives of the people.”
“I am confident that our collaborative efforts in the educational sector will lead to increased joint research and development of new relevant technology and innovation for the mutual benefit of our two societies and the benefit of the world,” he said.
