By IANS,
Chandigarh: The Punjab government Monday announced a Rs.500,000 grant to the kin of the two youth killed in suspected racial attacks in Australia earlier this month.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal announced the grant to the family of Nitin Garg and Ranjot Singh who were killed in racial attacks by unidentified assailants in Australia last week.
While Nitin was stabbed to death in Melbourne city, the body of Ranjot was found in New South Wales province. Nitin was cremated in Jagraon town, 160 km from here, Sunday.
A state government spokesman said that Badal had already requested Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take up with the higher authorities in Australia the need to ensure adequate security and safety of the Indian students pursuing higher studies there.
Conveying his condolences to the bereaved families, Badal said all these incidents went against the spirit of any civilised society. He assured them that his government would ask the central government to mount pressure constantly on the Australian government to take up immediate and effective steps to ensure the security of the members of the Indian community in general and Punjabis in particular.
Badal hoped that authorities in Australia would comply with the international norms on hate crimes against immigrants and take steps to ensure the security of life and property of Punjabis in Australia.