John Elijah reports from Melbourne
A few days later there was a gathering at the spot where he was stabbed, “The gathering was shockingly small”, says an Indian Student who attended the Condolence Service. He says “There were up to 30 Aussies and 10 Indians, the media should have been there, to show that Australia cannot be blamed as a whole because of a few racist people. I love this country but I’m scared when such things happen and especially to Indians”.
The park where the incident has happened is quiet, as if nothing has ever happened there, but the incident that took place that fateful night has sent shock waves to India, especially to parents whose children are living in Melbourne.
Such is the fear of Indian Students in Melbourne that Indian Students living near the park where the incident happened are saying “We’ve already started to search for a new place to live. No matter what we tell them (our parents), they are still scared, when there were attacks happening all around Melbourne I told them that it could happen to anyone, anywhere in the world, but after Nitin was killed, they ask us to come back home”, says an Indian girl who does not want her name to be revealed.
Especially for women from the Indian subcontinent, who dream about living in Australia, for most of them, the dreams are shattered. The series of events that have happened to Indian students have forced them to reconsider their decision.
Many people think that the cops must step-up more seriously than they are now. “I want to know if the guys behind the attacks have been arrested or not, and if they are arrested, how they are punished?” asks a recently arrived Indian Student. He says “The first attack happened while I was still in India but I thought that’s a one-off case but now….”
An Indian Student who moved to Melbourne from Sydney recently says he took a wrong decision to come to Melbourne hoping that the living expenses would be much cheaper when compared to Sydney. “I thought the cost of living would be low which is good for me but now I feel that my decision would cost my life”, he added.
There is a wide variety of emotions among the students but mainly distress and fear, the fear that something might happen to them or they might be sent back to India if they speak up. Many people have refused to give their names in fear of what will happen next.
“The Federation of Indian Students of Australia (FISA) has been pro-actively giving out suggestions and trying to manage the discontent within the young Indian migrant community, FISA has been working with many victims and reassuring them that they are not alone”, says Gautam Gupta, FISA spokesperson.
The Anglican Church of Melbourne which plays a major role in many social activities around Melbourne has organized Prayer Services on the 23rd of Januaray at St.John’s Anglican Church in Footscray, and another service at the St.Paul’s Cathedral in the City on the 24th January.
Bishop Phillip Huggins the Bishop of Northern and Western Region of the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne has prayed for peace between both the countries and has issued a statement in regards to the Prayer Service on the 24th of this month ” Our worship on 24 January is to bring everybody together, Indians and Australians, to pray for healing and a new beginning. Our aim is, as Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘Sarvodaya’, the welfare of all. Our hearts go out to young Indians who have suffered in our country. We well understand the anxiety of their families in India, after recent events. Our worship on Sunday 24 January, on the shared National Days of India and Australia (26 January), is to pray for peace. The Risen Jesus’ first gift to his disciples was divine peace. Peace, in the Christian understanding, is both God’s gift and our task. In worship, we receive God’s peace as we pray. In daily life, we seek to be peacemakers. Governments can only do so much. We all have our responsibility to initiate friendship, offer hospitality and confront evil, including racism. May our worship and conversation together, strengthen our resolve to establish peace in our hearts and community”.
SHRADANJALI – NITIN GARG
Varinder Kumar, Nitin Garg’s uncle, talking to media said, “We have no information on whether the Indian government is taking any steps to ensure Nitin’s killers are being brought to book or not. But if the Australian Government ensures the safety of other Indian students studying in the country, we will at least feel that our son lost his life to a good cause.”
