Opinion Pause for Oz

First,the basic problem is the divergent official definitions of the problem itself. For India,some attacks carry racist motives; for Australia,they are solely law and order issues. Arriving at a common definition will help. Recently,defence chief Peter Cosgrove and Kevin Rudd’s nephew,Van Thanh Rudd,commented the attacks may have been racially motivated; but in a court of law,is racism so easy to establish? For instance,the testimony of Indian students,irrespective of truthfulness,will always be seen as knee-jerk — more so after recent revelations suggest that the Ranjodh Singh and Jaspreet incidents were not racist. Thus,Australia’s willingness to investigate the racist dimension will emanate solely from political goodwill,institutional honesty and humane considerations,rather than evidence.

Second,I cannot speak for all Indians in Australia,but personally,since I and my family migrated to Australia in 2007 I never faced racism. Painting the entire nation or the law enforcement agencies as racists by a certain section of the Indian media is unreasonably and hasty. Yes,racism is common in every state and society,but what matters is how it is addressed. Australia has set high standards,driven by its strong belief since 1967 in multiculturalism and pluralism and should continue to do so. It would prove counter-productive if Canberra chooses to respond,as some Australian media reports suggest,by reminding India to put its house in order first rather than acting in accordance with its reputation as one of the safest countries to live in.

Third,for Australia, short-term strategy must eradicate the fear psychosis which has engulfed Indian students lately. This necessitates heightened patrolling of vulnerable areas,increased surveillance of public places and greater engagement with the students. In the medium-term,Australia and India must cleanse and regulate the international education industry. Thankfully,official attention now has focused on preventing fraud,but given its vastness,it will take 3-5 years to purge the dodgy agents.

The long-term solution requires revisiting school education in Australia and the role of parents as partners in raising responsible citizens. Australian laws mandate special responsibilities to schools to prevent racism and discrimination and to sustain a multicultural society. The familial social unit needs to support that work.

Fourth,the so-called ‘Indian reaction’ has been scrutinised at length in Australia — construing the reaction of a certain section of the Indian media as official,which is misleading. The official response has in fact been measured and responsible. Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna cautioning against any adverse impact of the attacks in bilateral ties has come after much waiting and criticism from the Opposition,particularly on the right,that the government has been too soft. In a setting as complex as India’s,the media revolution has strengthened the democratic ethos but complicated the government’s task as well. While over 60 per cent of the Indian population awakes with a crisp newspaper and a cup of tea in hand,80 per cent of the population enjoys cable news television at peanut tariffs. In practice,jingoistic reporting (“Ku Klux Klan”-type name-calling) can do great harm to bilateral ties. On this point,the Australian displeasure is justified and it is encouraging that the Indian government has cautioned the media against sensationalism. Its credibility stands challenged in any case,following the recent revelations in the Jaspreet Singh and Ranjodh Singh case;

acknowledging that some reports were off the mark would do a world of good to its reputation.

And fifth,patience on part of India,especially parents of the victims,will make the task of the Australian government and law-enforcement agencies much easier. India,given its own experience in dealing with chronic social conflicts and discrimination,perhaps understands that there are no quick-fix solutions to social evils such as racism,and even if Australia acknowledged the existence of racist motives in some of the attacks,prevention and eradication will take time. Likewise,Australia must realise that such attacks will make headlines in India and fuel public anger and so any prompt security response will guard its credibility and help New Delhi in soothing frayed tempers at home. Acknowledging possible racial motives in some attacks will not amount to labeling the country as racist,just as in the Indian case,official admission of communalism and casteism does not make the country communal or casteist.

An honest and bold policy response is what is required. Australian High Commissioner Peter Verghese observed that Australia cannot guarantee hundred per cent safety to its citizens — no country can. The Victorian Chief Commissioner of Police Simon Overland recently admitted that “there is no question,regardless of the motives,Indian students have to a degree been targeted in robberies and that is not OK.” Such admissions can calm tensions,maintain diplomatic goodwill and augment trust.

The writer is at the Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security at Griffith University in Brisbane