Without making an excuse for the recent spate of violence against Indians, Australia has said that the feedback received from the half a million-strong Indian student community has been 'positive'.
Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard was quoted by a news report as saying that despite the recent spate of violence, the feedback received from the nearly half a million Indian students was positive towards the country, but that did not excuse the incidents. She acknowledged that parents whose children are studying in Australia must be worried about their children.
"We're absolutely disgusted with some of the violent incidents we've seen involving Indian students," she said, adding, "There have clearly been policing problems and the Victorian and NSW police particularly have been responding".
Gillard said the government was working with the police and various education outlets to educate students before they come to Australia. She was speaking in Adelaide where Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd hosted an event on Wednesday evening that attracted about 500 people to the Norwood Morialta High School.
The report said that her comments were in response to a query by an audience member on what the country would do to stop the growing problem of violence against Indian students.
Another member of the audience, who had migrated from Italy in 1956, asked why international students were not guaranteed work and residency -- and only study. Immigration Minster Chris Evans said while the international education system was very important in Australia, migrants were chosen based on Australia's needs and what would help the economy.
"When students study in Australia, they do not have an automatic right to stay," Senator Evans told the audience.
Meanwhile, ABC on Thursday reported that an Indian taxi driver, who was stabbed during a robbery in West Brunswick in December, has said that the attack was not racially motivated.
Ravinder Singh, 23, was stabbed in the chest while parking his cab in Collier Street. Singh suffered a punctured lung and was in a critical condition in the hospital for two weeks. However, Singh said he does not believe his ethnicity played a part in the attack.
"Everyone, these robbery people, know that the taxi people carry some money with them," Singh said, adding, "In my case I don't think it's racist, just a road rage incident.
