Ensure student safety in Oz: SC

Updated on: Tuesday, June 30, 2009

New Delhi: Is the Australian government doing enough to stop racist attacks against Indian students? The Supreme Court appeared to have doubts about it on Monday and asked the UPA government to do everything to assure anxious parents and relatives about the safety and security of their wards there.

Attorney General G E Vahanvati said adequate steps were being taken by the provincial governments to stop racist attacks after PM Manmohan Singh and foreign minister S M Krishna raised the issue seriously with their Australian counterparts. A vacation bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and A K Ganguly did not appear fully convinced and said: “Unfortunately, despite best efforts at the highest level, the racist attacks are continuing against Indian students.”

While asking the Centre to put in a fresh affidavit in two weeks detailing the results of the fresh attempts to curb the violence against Indian students both in Australia and Canada, the bench had a piece of advice—acknowledge the problem and do not sweep it under the carpet. Vahanvati said Australia has taken a string of measures—increased policing of sensitive areas, hotline and helpline for Indian students in Hindi and English, sensitising policemen, more contact points among Indian students—to prevent attacks. “Most significant is the proposal by the Australian government to amend the law to make inciting of violence against an individual on the basis of his religion, race or ethnicity a cognisable offence,” he said.

Ensure student safety in Oz: SC

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