By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The editor of a magazine for Indian students in Australia has urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi to send a delegation comprising a federal minister to Australia in the wake of alleged racist attacks on Indians there.
“I have faxed a letter on Monday to the prime minister asking him to send a delegation including a minister and some officials to assess the situation here so that appropriate rectification measures can be undertaken and the confidence of the Indian community can be refurbished,” Thiruvallam Bhasi, editor of the Indian Student magazine, told IANS over telephone from Melbourne.
Bhasi has faxed a copy of the letter to Vayalar Ravi too.
In his letter to Singh, Bhasi has expressed concern about the plight of hundreds of Indian students in Australia who are vulnerable to attacks. According to him, the situation has come to a point that even the lives of these students are under threat, let alone their money and property.
The law enforcing agencies and the government have failed to check these miscreants who have been allowed to run riot in this otherwise peace-loving nation, he said.
“Everyday we are waking up with fresh news of violence on Indian students. It breaks the faith in both the governments of India and Australia for not being vigilant. We would like to remind you that mere assurances are not going to save the situation because not much has been done on this regard,” Bhasi said in his letter.
He added that he had spoken to K. Mohandas, secretary in the Overseas Indian Affairs Ministry, who confirmed the receipt of his letter.
“He said that leader of opposition L.K. Advani has also requested the prime minister to see that a minister is sent to Australia,” said Bhasi.
There have been a spate of attacks in recent weeks in Australia, specially in Melbourne and Sydney, which overseas Indian students insist are racially motivated and the police are not doing enough to stop them.