Following a public/media outcry over the growing attacks on Indian students, and a personal intervention by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the Victoria state premier John Brumby announced a “high-visibility police operation”.
(Melbourne, the capital of Victoria, was in a recent poll declared as the “third best liveable city in the world”. And, surely, it has a reputation to protect. See my earlier post here…)
The Victorian premier said that “the high-visibility police operation will be based on the successful Safe Streets Task Force model which has seen police flood the streets of Melbourne to tackle alcohol related violence.”
Brumby added: “The overall rate of crime in Victoria is the lowest in Australia. A small number of recent attacks on some members of our community, including international students from India, are deplorable and condemned by the Victorian community.”
New initiatives announced today by the Police Chief Commissioner, Simon Overland, include additional patrols by uniform police, transit members, the dog squad, mounted branch and air-wing, as well as traffic operations and booze buses targeting trouble spots in and around Sunshine, St Albans, Thomastown and the Clayton and Dandenong areas.
Brumby said safety on Victoria’s transport network was important for commuters and a priority for the Government. “These new measures will increase safety for all commuters using the rail network, particularly those commuters travelling alone or at night,” Brumby added.
The Government’s crackdown on violence also includes law reforms that will require judges to take into account hatred for or prejudice against a particular group as an aggravating factor when sentencing.
The Victorian Government has also announced a Harmony Walk on July 12 “to reaffirm to the world Victoria’s strong support for multiculturalism.
“The Harmony Walk will bring together Victorian communities to recognise and celebrate the contribution of ethnic, cultural and religious communities to the state,” Mr Brumby said.
“Victoria is a safe and peaceful place for international visitors and students, and we want every person who comes to Victoria to have a safe and peaceful experience.” he added.
Victoria’s Police Minister Bob Cameron said that “the Victorian Government and Victoria Police were committed to protecting our communities. Today’s announcement – on top of the 350 extra police being delivered this term – will go a long way to ensuring Victoria remains the safest state in Australia.”
Indian student spokesman Gautam Gupta said he was happy the problem was being addressed but called for broader action. “Any steps taken to make the streets safer are welcome,” he said. More here…
It remains to be seen what confidence building measures the New South Wales state (with Sydney as its capital) takes to assure the large Indian student community which is quite nervous at the moment.
India has urged the Indian student community to exercise restraint. See here…
Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd had assured tough laws against hate crimes. See here…
Recently, Australia appointed a top diplomat of Indian-origin, Peter Varghese, as its High Commissioner to India…See here…
Swaraaj Chauhan describes his two-decade-long stint as a full-time journalist as eventful, purposeful, and full of joy and excitement. In 1993 he could foresee a different work culture appearing on the horizon, and decided to devote full time to teaching journalism (also, partly, with a desire to give back to the community from where he had enriched himself so much.)
Alongside, he worked for about a year in 1993 for the US State Department’s SPAN magazine, a nearly five-decade-old art and culture monthly magazine promoting US-India relations. It gave him an excellent opportunity to learn about things American, plus the pleasure of playing tennis in the lavish American embassy compound in the heart of New Delhi.
In !995 he joined WWF-India as a full-time media and environment education consultant and worked there for five years travelling a great deal, including to Husum in Germany as a part of the international team to formulate WWF’s Eco-tourism policy.
He taught journalism to honors students in a college affiliated to the University of Delhi, as also at the prestigious Indian Institute of Mass Communication where he lectured on “Development Journalism” to mid-career journalists/Information officers from the SAARC, African, East European and Latin American countries, for eight years.
In 2004 the BBC World Service Trust (BBC WST) selected him as a Trainer/Mentor for India under a European Union project. In 2008/09 He completed another European Union-funded project for the BBC WST related to Disaster Management and media coverage in two eastern States in India — West Bengal and Orissa.
Last year, he spent a couple of months in Australia and enjoyed trekking, and also taught for a while at the University of South Australia.
Recently, he was appointed as a Member of the Board of Studies at Chitkara University in Chandigarh, a beautiful city in North India designed by the famous Swiss/French architect Le Corbusier. He also teaches undergraduate and postgraduate students there.
He loves trekking, especially in the hills, and never misses an opportunity to play a game of tennis. The Western and Indian classical music are always within his reach for instant relaxation.
And last, but not least, is his firm belief in the power of the positive thought to heal oneself and others.