NEW DELHI - With attacks on Indian students creating widespread concern in India, Australia Monday underlined its policy of zero tolerance for racism and announced a slew of steps, including review of a legislation, to ensure the safety of international students.
A nine-member Australian delegation is on an eight-city tour of the country in a damage control exercise aimed at cushioning its lucrative education industry from the ripple effects of negative publicity due to the attacks on Indian students. The team is visiting Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Chandigarh and Hyderabad.
“The Australian government has taken a very strong stand on these attacks and is committed to take all the necessary measures to ensure safety of the Indian students, Colin Walters, the pointsman for international students in the Australian department of education, told reporters here.
“We have zero tolerance for racist attacks, any kind of offensive behaviour or racial vilification,” he stressed.
Walters, who is heading the delegation, elaborated on the steps being taken by the Australian government to ensure the safety of international students in that country.
Among the steps are: devising a new international students’ strategy, holding a global students round table and reviewing a legislation focused on overseas students.
Canberra is also planning to review the legislation to make it more effective, said Walters, group manager, international group, Australian department of education, employment.
“This legislation will provide all the information to the students and cover all the issues before they can decide to come here,” he added.
Lauding Indian students in Australia for their hard work and their contribution to the cultural diversity of the country, Walters said: “We very much welcome the presence of Indian students in Australia. We believe the majority of Indian students have a positive experience.”
Downplaying the alleged racist motivation for the attacks, Paul Evans, assistant commissioner, Victoria Police, said most of the assaults were criminal in nature. “There is some racism. The majority of these attacks on students have been due to opportunity (being in the wrong place at the wrong time).”
The Australian police has tightened patrolling of the areas where Indian students live and are trying to forge networks with the Indian community so that law enforcement authorities are able to act swiftly in case of an attack, Evans said.
He also said the crimes were taking place because Indian students are not briefed about the security issues in Australia.
“We are determined to bring this to an end. We are determined to punish these people,” he said. However, when asked how many of these attacks were racist in nature Evans said he did not have the figures.
Stressing on the close relationship India and Australia share, Walters said the Australian government is planning to encourage more Australian students to study in India.
Around 1,000 Australian students are in India for higher studies.
Australia has the largest research collaboration with India, said Arun Sharma, the Indian-origin vice-chancellor of Queensland University of Technology, who is part of the delegation.
The number of Indian students in Australia has gone up dramatically from around 10,000 a decade ago to nearly 100,000. Indian students form the second largest community of overseas students after China and contribute around $3-4 billion to the Australian economy.
Related News
Australia assures safety of Punjab studentsSeptember 29th, 2009 CHANDIGARH - A high-level delegation from Australia's Victoria state met Punjab ministers here Tuesday and assured them of the safety of Indian students, many of whom have faced violent attacks in Down Under in recent months. Punjab is an important place for us as more than 50 percent of Indian students studying in Australia are from this state.
Australia to give detailed report to India on action taken against perpetratorsSeptember 25th, 2009 NEW DELHI - In an attempt to promote Australia as a safe education destination for international students, Victoria Premier John Brumby has assured Indian Government that a detailed follow up report will be given on the action taken against the perpetrators of recent attacks on Indian students in Australia. Inviting Indian students to study in Australia, he said Australia in general and Victoria in particular boasts of some of the best universities in the world.
Australia assures Krishna of taking a number of measures to protect Indian studentsAugust 11th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australian has assured External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna during his recent visit to that country of taking a number of measures to ensure the safety of Indian students studying there.
Ahead of Krishna's visit, Australia assures safety of Indian studentsJuly 22nd, 2009 PHUKET - Ahead of Indian External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna's visit to Australia Aug 5, Australian Foreign Minister Stephen Smith Wednesday assured him that his government was doing everything possible to ensure the safety of nearly 100,000 Indian students in that country.
Australian Immigration Minister assures quality education to Indian studentsJuly 21st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australian Minister for Immigration and Citizenship Chris Evans on Tuesday assured quality education to Indian students, following apprehensions over slump in migration after the racial attacks Down Under. Evens, who is currently on a visit to India said this while speaking to media after meeting with Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor in New Delhi on Tuesday.
Australia to counsel Indian students on 'Dos and Don'ts' in higer studiesJuly 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.
Australian government working to ensure safety of foreign studentsJuly 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Australian Government is working quickly to implement a series of high-level initiatives to improve the security of international students in Australia. Any death of a young student, however caused, is a tragedy and one death too many.
Krishna to visit Australia, attacks on Indians top agendaJuly 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Against the backdrop of continuing attacks on Indian students in Australia, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna Wednesday announced he would be travelling to that country on a bilateral visit soon.
SC tells Centre to publish steps taken to protect Indian students in AustraliaJune 29th, 2009 NEW DELHI - A vacation bench of the Supreme Court comprising of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and A K Ganguly, has directed the Central Government to publish all steps taken to protect Indian students in Australia. The web sites of ministries of External Affairs, Over seas Indian Affairs, and Indian High Commission in Australia should contain this information the two judge bench said.
Attacks on Indian students will be prevented: Australian envoyJune 27th, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australian High Commissioner John McCarthy says every possible effort will be made to ensure that attacks on Indian students in Australia are not repeated, adding that the authorities will "pursue those responsible" for the assaults. In a letter to the Non-Aligned Students and Youth Movement (NASYM) that had staged a demonstration here June 18 against the attacks on Indian students in Australia, McCarthy said: "The Australian government will make every effort to ensure that attacks are not repeated and that Australia remains a preferred destination for students from around the world."
He said that the Australian government is working closely with the Indian government on the issue.
Punjab Govt. to create data bank of students studying in AustraliaJune 10th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Punjab government has asked parents of those studying in Australia to provide details of their children's whereabouts. The state government has directed the parents to provide details of students up to June 12 with their respective patwaries and tehsildars.
Now China wants Australia to ensure its students' safetyJune 4th, 2009 MELBOURNE - With China expressing concern for the safety of Chinese students studying in Australia, the embattled A$15.5 billion overseas student industry down under is bracing for rough times. The Australian government and university managements are already in damage control over a series of violent attacks on Indian students in various metropolitan centres.
Australia's universities back government actions to help Indian studentsJune 3rd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australia's universities have joined the Australian Government in condemning the recent attacks on Indian students living in Australia. Dr Glenn Withers, Chief Executive of Universities Australia, the peak body representing 38 of Australia's universities, expressed his sincere regret at the reports of attacks on Indian students studying in Australia.
Brett Lee assures Indian students' safety in AustraliaJune 2nd, 2009 NEW DELHI - Amid concerns over safety of Indian students in Australia after a series of racist attacks on some of them, an Australian university has fielded cricketer Brett Lee, who is very popular in India, to assure the Indian student community of a safe and secure environment to study in his country. Faced with the outcry in India over attacks on Indian students in Australia, Australian universities are working overtime to give assurances students and their parents.
Modi vows to help students from Gujarat in AustraliaJune 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.
Loading ...