SC concerned over Australia attacks

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed concern over the unabated attacks on Indian students in Australia and directed the government....

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed concern over the unabated attacks on Indian students in Australia and directed the government to file a comprehensive affidavit within two weeks about the steps taken by it to ensure their safety.

Noting that the safety and security of Indian students in Australia is paramount,a vacation Bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and A K Ganguly said despite efforts by the government at the highest level,the attacks had not stopped. We should not push the problem under the carpet, the Bench told Attorney General G E Vahanvati,as he informed the Bench about the steps taken by the Centre and said all attacks on Indian students in Australia could not be termed racial.

However,the Bench observed: We are sure that the government must be taking all steps,but our anxiety is that despite the best of efforts on the part of the government,the incidents of attacks are going on. Following this,it asked the government to furnish another detailed affidavit within two weeks on the steps undertaken by it to ensure safety and security of Indian students in Australia.

The court asked the government to put all information on the website of the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Overseas Affairs,besides the website of the Indian High Commission in Australia,so that anxious parents,relatives and friends of Indian students in Australia knew the exact situation in that country. The court said the contents of the affidavit and the guidelines should also be placed on the websites.

Earlier this month,acting on a PIL filed by advocate D K Garg,the court had asked the Centre to outline the steps taken by it to ensure the safety of Indian students in Australia. The PIL had accused the government of inaction in dealing with the attacks. Filing its reply last week,the Centre had assured of the diplomatic efforts taken at the highest level as it described how Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had raised the issue with his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd on May 29. It informed the court that the Australian government was exploring the possibility of amending its existing laws to enhance punishment for racism-related offences.