India

Dear Prime Minister,

Recently numerous incidents of racist attacks, discrimination, education fraud and maltreatment of Indian students in Australia have been reported.

These incidents are unfortunate and must not go unpunished.

I request that you instruct your foreign ministry to start a cell where complaints can be lodged electronically and easily, through email, mobile phones or web sites by Indian nationals when they face maltreatment anywhere in the world as they often have no one to turn to when victimised. Each of these complaints should be made public and attended to expeditiously.

Indian government should work closely with the Government of Australia to educate and inform Australians of the culture of Indian students and develop sensitivity and understanding towards them.

I request that Indian government should provide for similar cultural education to be given to Indian students before they leave Indian shores so they are also aware and respectful of Australian customs and traditions.

Many of these students fall victim to unscruplous operators who lure them with promise of education and jobs to Australia, deprive them of their money and leave them vulnnerable to exploitation and crime. Indian government must take up all such cases with the Government of Australia to ensure that not only the monies taken from Indian students and families are restored to them but such operators are censored and not allowed to continue this form of human trafficking.

Most importantly, Indian government must ensure that due process of law is followed in letter and spirit each time any incident of violence, exploitation, racial profiling, racial abuse or cultural intolerance takes place. No such incident should go unpunished.

Dear Prime Minister, our nation's father Mohan Das Gandhi confronted such treatment in South Africa over 100 years ago and inspired many generations of civil rights activists world wide through his peaceful actions. But thanks to his valiant and non-violent leadership, India is today a sovreign Republic. It is now the duty of the elected leaders of Indian Republic to do what was done then by individuals and civic-religious and social organizations. Your government, my government, our government, the government of this Indian Republic must fight racism and discrimination in all forms, anywhere and everywhere as its first and chief moral and constitutional duty.

Respectfully,