By Bernama,
Melbourne : Concerned over a spate of attacks on Indian taxi drivers in Australia, a senior Indian diplomat is set to hold talks on the issue with authorities in Adelaide Thursday, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
Indian Consul General in Sydney, Sujan R. Chinoy, said he has been invited by the Chairman of South Australian Multi-cultural and Ethnic Affairs Commission, Hieu Van Lee, to discuss the issue.
Thursday’s meeting will be attended by the officials from the state police, Transport Department and President of the state’s taxi council, Chenoy told PTI Wednesday.
He said his office was closely monitoring the issue and also looking after the welfare of Balraj Singh, an Indian student cabbie who was brutally beaten in Adelaide recently, an incident which came close on the heels of the stabbing of another Indian taxi driver Jalvindr Singh in Melbourne.
Chenoy said they were in touch with the Australian side on the issue at the highest level.
Commenting on the issue, Indian High Commissioner in Canberra Sujatha Singh said “we have been in touch with the Indian taxi drivers regarding the attacks on them as soon as we learnt of these incidents, as well as with the state police authorities in Adelaide and Melbourne.
“We have also taken up the matter at federal level with various departments concerned,” she said.
She said that taxi drivers were requesting for certain measures to be put in place to ensure greater safety and that the meeting with Australian authorities would help to bring in such measures soon.
“We have pointed out to the Australian authorities concerned that such incidents are creating serious concern not just among the Indian student community and their families back home, but also the larger Indian community here,” Singh said.