Indian Students Situation Worsens

 A group of Indians, for the first time, retaliated against alleged racial abuse by allegedly stabbing a 20-year-old youth. 

The incident occurred at St Albans in Melbourne on Sunday 7 June in which the youth was stabbed once in the neck and twice in the arm, allegedly by Indians, the victim had allegedly said to the Indians: ``You are black. You don't belong here. Go away from our country.''

Police said they were looking for two Indian attackers aged 23 and 29. They added that a car believed to be that of a man involved in attacks on Indian students had also been torched. 
Meanwhile, Kamal Jit, a 23-year-old Indian student, was beaten up for the second time in a fortnight by a group of youths in Melbourne, the 11th person from the community to be assaulted within a space of a month.

In Sydney, at least 300 members of the Indian community staged a sit at Harris Park, triggering a stand-off with the police as the students sought the immediate release of a colleague arrested by the authorities. 

They were also protesting against the beating up of a few fellow students by Lebanese youths. Two Indian students have reportedly been taken away by the Lebanese men. The police said they have arrested two of the fleeing Lebanese youths and also two Indian students who were fighting their assailants. 

The report said that the Lebanese had first allegedly started throwing eggs on passing Indians. Even while police were assuring the Indians, a group of Lebanese youth appeared and starting bashing them. The police nabbed two of the fleeing youths, the report said. 

The agitated crowd demanded the release of the Indian students and wanted increased police presence in the area, mainly inhabited by the Indian community.

NEW DELHI:  The continuing racial attacks on Indian students in Australia came in for strong condemnation in the Lok Sabha on Monday 8 June with the members calling for a parliamentarian delegation to visit that country to study the situation.

Raising the issue during the zero hour Shailendra Kumar (SP) pointed out that about 90,000 Indian students in Australia had been gripped by uncertainties about their future. 

"They are feeling insecure and are returning home without completing their studies," he said. "If they protest they are facing police brutalities," he said. 

He demanded a statement from the government on the situation and asked the concerned departments to make effective interventions. 

Later, at a routine briefing, Congress spokesman Shakil Ahmed decried the race attacks on the Indian students and said the government should do everything possible to stem the rot.

The federal government will work with the international student community and the Indian government to ensure Indian students feel safe in Australia, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard says.

Ms Gillard said the federal government had been working with Victoria and other states as the incidence of attacks against Indian students rose.

"As a national government we're concerned about any manifestations of violence in any part of the community," Ms Gillard told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday 9 June 2009.

"What I think we'd all say is that, overwhelmingly, this is a safe country that's welcomed international students.

"But to the extent that we see any international student hurt or at risk, we obviously want to make a difference."

She said the government would liaise with the international student community and the Indian government to make sure that the students get the right information about living in Australia and how to make them feel safer.

Ms Gillard was speaking to reporters at Chelsea Heights Primary School where she announced 776 Victorian primary schools would receive a share of $1.4 billion for building new school facilities including classrooms and multi-purpose centers.