Attacks on Indians in Australia racial outbursts: Ravi

September 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - John Brumby, the premier of Australian state of Victoria, Friday proposed to give separate transportation and safe housing for Indian students studying in Australia. Union Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, after a meeting with a nine-member delegation led by Brumby, said: "It is a proposal by the Australian government.

September 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In a bid to woo students to Australia amid reports of racial attacks down under, Premier of Australian state of Victoria John Brumby Friday said it will give progress report on the probe into attacks and proposed separate housing and transportation for Indian students. Brumby, who is leading a nine-member delegation, met Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal here Friday morning.

July 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Ten incidents of attacks on Indian students in Australia took place in June, and some had racial elements, Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi told parliament Thursday. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Ravi said that Australia had issued 58,029 student visas in 10 months from July 2008 to May 2009.

July 8th, 2009 HYDERABAD - Australian authorities will counsel Indian students on the "dos and don'ts" to be kept in mind while pursuing higher studies Down Under following the spate of attacks on students there, Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy announced Wednesday. McCarthy assured the Andhra Pradesh government that his country would take all steps to protect Indian students.

June 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - After at least 15 Indian students were attacked in Australia during the past one month, Minister of Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi Tuesday said things are under control in the continent except for "stray incidents here or there". "The Australian officials have come to meet me to assure that the Indian students have the full protection of the Australian government.

June 23rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - The situation of Indian students in Australia was improving with constant monitoring by authorities in both countries, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said Tuesday while an official from the southern continent stressed that her government had a "zero tolerance policy on racism". Police is taking action one after another and things are under control; maybe there are stray incidents here and there, Ravi told reporters after his meeting with Lisa Paul, secretary in Australia's department of education, employment and workplace relations.

June 9th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday said his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd had assured him that racial attacks on Indians in that country would be "strongly dealt with". "I have already spoken to the prime minister of Australia and he has assured me that any racial attack would be strongly dealt with," Manmohan Singh said in parliament, while replying to the debate on the president's address.

June 9th, 2009 BANGALORE - Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Tuesday urged Indian students in Australia to stay calm and not to get provoked by attacks on them. Time and again, Indians have demonstrated that peaceful methods of protest have a far greater power in achieving goals than any violent acts, the Art of Living founder said in a statement.

June 7th, 2009 MELBOURNE - In another attack on Indians in Australia, a car belonging to an Indian student was torched in Melbourne Saturday night by suspected drug addicts. While the police have ruled out a racial motive, the student has claimed it was a racial attack.

June 6th, 2009 PATIALA - The central government would soon formulate a policy to deal with racial discrimination against Indians abroad, Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur said here Saturday. Arriving in her hometown Patiala for the first time after being inducted in the government of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Preneet Kaur expressed concern at the plight of students from India who have been facing racist attacks in Australia for about a month now.

June 4th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australia Thursday admitted that some of the attacks on Indian students in that country may have elements of racism. I think all attacks probably have different motivations.

June 1st, 2009 GANDHINAGAR - Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Monday said students from the state studying in Australia are free to contact him if they faced any danger. "The chief minister is worried about the safety of the students from Gujarat studying in Australia after the racial attacks on some students of Indian origin last week.

May 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Indian government was seriously considering "an institutionalised mechanism" to prevent racist attacks on Indians abroad, Vayalar Ravi said Friday after taking charge of the overseas Indian affairs ministry. After taking charge of the ministry again with a simple function at Akbar Bhavan here, Ravi said his immediate task was to protect the Indians in Australia as a number of Indian students have faced allegedly racial attacks there this week.

May 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI/MELBOURNE - The Indian external affairs ministry Friday called Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy and conveyed its concerns over the allegedly racist attacks on Indian students in Melbourne, the second largest city of Australia. N. Ravi, secretary (east) in the ministry, met the Australian envoy and sought assurance about the safety of Indian students in Australia.

May 29th, 2009 BANGALORE - The Australian government Friday assured India it will protect Indian students from racial attacks in Melbourne and bring the culprits of recent attacks to justice, Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna said here.