Oztralia: lesson to be learnt

Indian Students protesting againts attacks on Indians in Australia

The banners would have been lowered to be folded in a while. And the protesters would begin marching back home to immerse themselves in their routine jobs. Enough of the agitation. The newspapers have already become relatively quiet on the topic but it would still be too early to say the issue has died down. It would just take another incident like this to tee off another series of protests, editorials,comments and rhetoric, the works. I talk of the spate of recent racist attacks on Indian students studying in Australia and the subsequent manner in which the issue was handled by the Indian media.

As much as one would abhor racism and condemn such attacks, be that on any citizen in any country, one can't help but be cruel enough to feel a little smug that perhaps now they would know what being an Indian should mean to Indians. May be now the flag-bearer of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and its cousin Shiv Sena's followers and those who sympathise with their demands would understand why they have been wrong all this time. For how different are these racial attacks on Indian students in Australia than those by a Maharashtrian on a North Indian student? If the latter is justified than so should the former be, for both speak of exclusivity for their own ilk. The only difference their lies is that here they beat up their fellow countryman with whom they share more than mere nationality, while down under there was no thread binding them together except perhaps of residence.

Indians beating up Indians..courtesy MNS

I know it is not the time to feel smug or in the least pinpoint whose fault it is but we learn from experiencing things first hand. An Indian student lies in coma in far off Australia battling with his life, for no fault of his, for belonging to a land and choosing to study down under. And many like him have been hospitalised, all in one or the other racist attacks.

That's not all. We should also wait a moment here and look around how the media has tackled the issue. I wouldn't have given it much thought had a journalist from the Indian Express not mentioned the same in his column. The way even the leading news channels reported the incident it felt like India would go on war with Australia anytime. "India Fights Back", "Racism Down Under" etc etc.. One finds it stupid and absurdly presumptive, to say the least.

It is not as if the entire country that is against India or Indians as such. The heads of the nations have spoken and there has been no history of ill-will between the people of the two country's, except of course if one rules out Cricketing rivalry, which is anyway healthy for nations mad about a sport. But if we come down to a fellow Australian, do we have a reason to feel like we are hated? No! But if these news reports are to be believed one would feel the countries are at loggerheads with one another. But why would that be? Australians condemn these attacks like any other people. Rogue elements are there in all countries and all civilisations, but we don't go about saying that all individuals are violent, do we? And we know there are many incidents where foreign students or tourists have been attacked, though not for racism but for purposes like rape, robbery, and fraud. But we don't hear their media propounding or even hinting that India as a whole is unkindly to its visitors? So why are we going gung-ho about the same here?

Phew, let's come to a conclusion straightaway, let's just say these are the saffron brigade of valentine's day, these are the MNS goondas of Australia, out to save the pride of the marathi manoos, these are the sainiks of the Shiv Sena of Australia, who, without ideology or prudence strive for a goal which makes no sense and have not many takers in today's India.