FISA slams Victorian Government’s attempt to silence Indian students

10 July 2009 

MELBOURNE: FISA denounces the Victorian Government’s attempts to minimise the rising violence against Indian students. FISA believes that by not allowing Indian students to speak at the Harmony Walk the organisers of the walk have largely undone the positive efforts the Government has taken in the last couple of weeks.

Mr Amit Menghani, President of FISA, says, “It is unfortunate that the Government is trying to exclude students from any meaningful discussion. We support multiculturalism, but we do not support politicians trying to divert attention and debate away from the victims, the unsafe streets, the rising crime rate and the failure of the justice system.”

FISA believes that Australia has a well-established and generally harmonious multicultural society. Mr Menghani says: “We support multiculturalism. However, this Harmony Walk was called to express concern about the safety and wellbeing of Indian International students whose life and welfare is being challenged routinely by people who do not support multiculturalism. This Walk should be sending a message to people who are rejecting multiculturalism through their attacks on Indian students.”

The events that have led to the walk were related to the safety and security of foreign students, but the walk now looks like a publicity stunt.

“Initially we were pleased with the call for a walk as we thought it would be an excellent opportunity for Indian students to speak to Victorians and participate as equals, but the Premier has denied that opportunity to us on spurious grounds. It is spurious because it was about attacks on Indian students that led to this issue, and this walk was a direct response to that issue.  By denying the Indian students the right to speak the government has denied the students a voice. And as Amartya Sen, Nobel Prize winner, has observed ‘Voice is a crucial component of the pursuit of social justice’,” adds Amit.

Amit called upon the Government to reconsider its decision to exclude Indian students. He says, “Excluding the voice of Indian students in the harmony walk and the related press conference will be seen as excluding Indian students and undo all of the good PR work done by Federal MPs in India this month.”

Indian students have suffered assaults and insults from racist thugs on the trains and streets of Victoria and responded with dignity through peaceful protests.  

We will respond to this latest form of social exclusion from the Premier's own office with the same dignity as in the past and show the world that we believe in non-violence and social justice for Indian students in Australia.

We hope that the Victorian Government will make genuine efforts to work with every Victorian and develop a strong relationship that is based on co-operation and mutual consent, respect and trust.

To this end, we need the Government to move past the exclusion of FISA and Indian students. It is this same exclusion that is the root cause of the many incidents of 'curry bashing' that Victoria has witnessed.

For further comment: Gautam Gupta 0061 413 211 534