New Delhi, July 15: The Centre has informed the Supreme Court that the Australian govt has taken a series of steps to protect Indian students from racial attacks and authorities there are working in close coordination with the Indian High Commission in confidence building measures.
“Australian government has taken concrete steps and announced a series of steps aimed at ensuring the safety and security of Indian students in Australia,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a fresh affidavit.
The affidavit, filed in compliance with the 29th June order of the apex court which had expressed concern over the unabated attack on students in Australia, said policing has been enhanced in Melbourne.
“Policing has been strengthened in Melbourne where most of the incidents have occurred,” it said, adding that the state government’s robbery task force has been doubled and several offenders have been charged.
“Victorian police has established a community reference group for western Melbourne involving police and members of the Indian community to see how to decrease incidents of victimisation of Indian students and facilitate communication on safety issues,” the affidavit said.
It said Indian High Commissioner and Consulate General in Sydney and Melbourne have drawn state government’s attention to the need of CCTVs and street lights
The fresh affidavit comes in the backdrop of the concern by the apex court that despite the best of efforts of the government, the attacks on Indian students were going on till June.
Earlier, responding to a notice issued by the court on a PIL alleging inaction on the part of the government in dealing with the attacks on Indian students in Australia, the Centre had said that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh himself had taken up the matter with his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd on 29th May.
It had also informed the court that Canberra was exploring the possibility of amending its existing laws to enhance punishment for racism-related offences.
“The proposed amendments (by Australia) would strengthen the police response to attacks against Indian students. It has also been contemplated to amend the existing legislation to provide for enhanced sentence for racism- related offences,” the Ministry had said accepting the “seriousness” of the situation.
It had said the Indian High Commissioner in Canberra and Consulates General in Sydney and Melbourne are in touch not only with the Australian authorities but also with Indian students and their community.
The government had informed the court that a task force has been constituted by Australian authorities to coordinate with various states in that country to address the issue of racial attacks.
Advocate D K Garg, who appeared for the petitioner, said though the government insists that adequate steps were being taken to protect the Indian students, a number of anxious parents were still making inquiries about the well-being of their children.
According to the petition, an estimated 97,000 Indian students are at present studying in Australia and during 2007-08, there were 1,447 Indian victims of robberies, assaults, murder, stabbing and other forms of violence.
Aus to review Overseas students Act, says official
Stating that majority of the recent attacks on Indian students were not racially motivated, a senior Australian official today said the government will undertake an “early review” of an act aimed at addressing the problems faced by international students in that country.
“Our Government has decided to fast-track review process of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act and it will be completed by this year end,” Colin Walters, First Assistant Secretary, Australian Education Department, told reporters in Chandigarh.
In the wake of surge in attacks against foreign students, the Australian ministers will also hold a round table meeting with representatives of international students on September 15-16 in capital Canberra and take their feedback on various issues, he said.
Walters said the number of Indian students, second highest after the Chinese, pursuing education Down Under has gone up from 10,000 a decade back to one lakh last year.
“We take the safety of Indian students as seriously as we do that of our own. However, there is no evidence to suggest the recent crimes (attacks on Indian students Down Under) have any racial basis. Though we take the safety and security of Indian and other international students very seriously, yet we can’t give a 100 per cent guarantee. I think no country in the world can,” Walters said.
“I wouldn’t say there is no racism in Australia. Of course, there is, but majority of the incidents don’t have any racial basis,” he said, adding the government will maintain a “zero tolerance” attitude against such acts.(
–Agencies