More attacks,India calls for specific steps

India on Tuesday conveyed its concern to Australia over the continuing attacks against its citizens...

India on Tuesday conveyed its concern to Australia over the continuing attacks against its citizens in that country and sought specific measures to protect the interests of its students there.

New Delhi asked Australia to put in place a regulatory mechanism to keep an eye on agents working for Australian educational institutions and steps to ensure that students who do part-time jobs there get proper wages. The agents are the first point of contact for Indian students. The demands were put across by Overseas Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi during a meeting with Australias Secretary of Department of Education,Employment and Workplace Relations Lisa Paul as fresh reports of attacks on two Indians came in from Australia.

They (Australia) want to make some kind of a better regulated way of doing things for students going there. We have told them that there should be some kind of regulation in monitoring agents for Australian universities, Ravi said. We also expressed our concern and told them about the reports that we are receiving and steps required to improve the situation, he added.

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Talking to reporters after the meeting,Paul said Australia will take all concrete,positive and urgent steps to stop attacks against Indian students in her country and asserted that everyone will see a drop in such incidents in the coming days. Today,I have outlined to the minister some of the concrete,positive and urgent steps that Australia has been taking so that all these attacks cease and Indian students are supported well during the duration of their studies, she said,noting that criminal elements were mainly behind these attacks.

Efforts in increasing the police capacity in these vulnerable areas,particularly in Melbourne,are just starting to settle in. So,we will see over time a drop in these incidents,but we are monitoring the situation in Australia on more than a daily basis, said Paul.

While reports of fresh attacks against Indians came in,Ravi said the Indian Governments impression was that the situation is improving. Police is taking action one after another and things are under control. Maybe there are stray incidents, he added.

Responding to a question on whether there was any hint of racism behind the attacks,Paul said Australia had a zero tolerance policy on racism.