Changing the mindset

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SAM VARGHESE takes an indepth look into the racial element behind attacks on Indians, still being vociferously denied by those in power

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Indians living in the state of Victoria are 2 1/2 times more likely to be assaulted than non-Indians, as far as figures for the period July 1 2006 to June 30 2007, go.

The assault rate for Indians was 1700 for every 100,000 while for non-Indians it was 700 for every 100,000. In the 2007-‘08 financial year, there were 1447 assaults on Indians.

These figures - from The Age newspaper - illustrate how ridiculous it is for the police and politicians to keep insisting that there is no racial angle to the ongoing violence against Indians.

The attempt to divert attention from this fact has become so ludicrous that, following the tragic death of young Nitin Garg in Melbourne recently, acting prime minister Julia Gillard blasted an unknown Indian tabloid for running a cartoon that depicted a Victorian police officer in Ku Klux Klan garb.

One should not be surprised at this stubborn refusal to acknowledge that a racial problem exists. A few years back, when Jewish community members had foul racial epithets hurled at them, the Victorian police issued similar denials. There are a number of factors, all of which I think are contributing to the violence.

The federal opposition has now resorted to playing the race card and indulging in dog-whistle politics on immigration in a desperate bid to try and raise its poll numbers. Whether one likes it or not, the tone of the national debate does influence the rest of the country.

This will, definitely, embolden those who are involved in racial attacks.

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Had The Times of India, Hindustan Times, Indian Express, The Hindu or even regional bigwigs like Deccan Herald or Deccan Chronicle done so, it would have been worth shouting about. Even if the nonEnglish biggies like Malayalam Manorama or Amrita Bazar Patrika had done so, it would have been worthy of notice.

What the Mail Today, a rag that is not even three years old, thinks about anything is really irrelevant - both in India and abroad.

But it provided a diversion from the real issue - the racial angle - so Ms Gillard grabbed it.

Victoria’s police tried it too: when an attempt was made to set alight another Indian, the police actually had the gall to hint that he may have done it himself! Sure, it is very logical for a 29-year-old man who has a young child to try and set himself

Both the federal government and Victoria’s state Labor government go to the polls later this year - neither would like to contribute to a debate on race which can be about the most damaging thing for any political party.

Hence the spin, which continues to emanate from both Canberra and Melbourne.

Some may ask why it is necessary for the police and politicians to admit the nature of the problem in order to try and prevent further occurrences.

The answer is obvious. More and more countries’ populations are becoming heterogeneous; as more and more people join a population, it is obvious that everyone will not like everything which the others do. Hence, a sense of restraint develops, a sense of being willing to let the other do his thing, as long as he lets you do yours.

If it were not for this pattern of behaviour, there would be pitched battles on the streets of every major city every single

The federal opposition has now resorted to playing the race card and indulging in dog-whistle politics on immigration in a desperate bid to try and raise its poll numbers day. We would all be out there fighting like dogs over scraps of meat.

Much as each of us claims to be his own man or woman, the things which we learn to abhor, the things which we come to acknowledge as being harmful to social cohesion, are defined solely by our leaders, those in authority and those who

A simple example: two decades ago, it was dangerous for gays or lesbians to even hold hands in public. Gay-bashing was not frowned upon and homosexuals were treated as though they were social pariahs. That kind of sentiment has more or less completely gone away - due to public utterances by those in authority and a constant driving home of the message that they should be accepted as people with an alternate lifestyle.

Those who cling to such archaic beliefs, do not dare to articulate them in public or act in support of their beliefs anymore. Similarly with the violence against Indians, those in authority should stand up and condemn the racism that is, in part, fuelling these incidents. Instead, those who should speak out are in denial. How does one expect the situation to improve?

Sam Varghese is a sub-editor with The Age Online