‘Attacks on Indians not racially motivated’

Ted Baillieu, Leader of Opposition in Victorian Parliament, Australia, on Thursday assured TDP Parliamentary Party Leader, Nama Nageswara Rao and A. Revanth Reddy, MLA, that he would work closely with authorities in his country to ensure that attacks did not recur on Indian students.

Both the TDP leaders met Mr. Baillieu, several MPs and shadow ministers and discussed the measures being taken to protect Indian students in the wake of the spate of attacks on them.

The Australian leaders assured the TDP leaders that they would not tolerate such behaviour and maintained that the attacks were not racially motivated. The TDP leaders pointed out that most of the attacks occurred when the students were returning home from part-time jobs and wanted adequate security measures in places like railway stations during nights.

Mr. Baillieu said that extra police was deployed near trouble-prone spots on the suburbs but admitted that more needed to be done.

The TDP leaders also suggested that more hostel facilities be provided in the campuses for Indian students. Mr. Nageswara Rao and Mr. Reddy also visited Swinburne University at Melbourne and met the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Stephen Connelly, who is also the President of International Education. Mr. Connelly said that they were working with the officials concerned on security and accommodation issues.

Mr. Rao regretted that Indian Consulate in Melbourne did not have data bank on Indian students.

He wanted the consulate officials to visit universities where more Indians were studying and familiarise the local students with aspects of Indian culture.