Click to play videoMelbourne: The Indian students community has taken to the streets in Australia protesting against the brutal and racist attacks on some of Indian students Down Under.
A group of students gathered outside the Royal Melbourne Hospital where Shravan Kumar has been hospitalised. The group shouted slogans against the racist attacks and held placards.
Shravan and four of his friends were attacked by a group of drunken boys with screwdrivers.
Shocked by the attacks, the protesters say Indians who plan to come to Australia must think twice before getting there.
"Students planning to come to Australia must stay back because India is a better place and India is safe. Go to any other country but do not come to Australia," said an Indian student Sanjay Rakesh.
Federation of Indian Students of Australia (FISA) Advisor Gautam Gupta said, "The mood in general is fear, anger, hopelessness and of confusion The biggest confusion is to stay back or go home, sit for exam or not, stay in the hospital or not, support their friend or not, tell their families or not. Their homes have been looted now they have to buy all new stuff."
Gupta also revealed that the attacks on students have increased in past couple of months.
"There have been at least 60 to 70 incidents of serious nature. According to police records at least three cases of crime against Indian students are registered on a daily basis," he said.
Attacks on Indians not a new phenomenon in Australia though the last few weeks have been especially violent.
Baljinder Singh, a 25-year-old man, was robbed and stabbed in Melbourne on May 25 while in the early hours of May 24, 21-year-old Shravan Kumar and his three Indian friends were attacked with screwdrivers by a group of drunken teenagers.
On May 9, 21-year old Sourabh Sharma was assaulted in a train by a group of criminals who asked the boy to give them a cigarette while cab driver Balraj Singh was attacked on May 20, 2008, by two men who had hired his cab.
In April last year, 23-year-old Indian student Jalvinder Singh was stabbed four times in the chest. Jalvinder was working as a part time cabbie in Melbourne.
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