New Delhi, June 6
Australian High Commissioner to India John McCarthy, though admitting the recent racial attacks on Indian students in his country had damaged its perceptions in India, claimed Melbourne as well as other places in Australia remained relatively safe to live for people from all nationalities and backgrounds.

In an interview to The Tribune, McCarthy asserted Australia was a multicultural country with a zero-tolerance approach to racism. “A task force has been established and concrete measures are being taken to ensure the safety of Indian students in Australia,” he added.

He said while some of the attacks appeared to have a racial motive many of them were “opportunistic”, that is, they were standard robberies that happened to have involved Indian students. “This is deeply regrettable,’’ he added.

McCarthy said he had also assured the Indian government also that protecting Indian students in Australia would be a priority of the first order for the Australian authorities. “The Australian prime minister, foreign minister, deputy prime minister and the premier of the state of Victoria have all said publicly that these attacks will not be tolerated.’’

On apprehensions that Indian students in Australia might start returning home due to security concerns, the Australian envoy remarked “that would be a great pity’’. Australia, he said, had been a rewarding place to study and live for many generations of Indians. “There were many successful Indians in Australian society. It would be sad to see the students return, although the Australian authorities fully understood the concerns of parents”, he said. He added he was sure the vast majority of Indian students would choose to stay in Australia to continue their studies.

The Australian envoy’s comments came even as there was no abatement in hate crimes against Indians in his country. Only yesterday, another Indian student was beaten up by a group of youths, becoming the tenth person from the community to be assaulted within a month.

Asked to spell out the measures the Australian authorities have taken to ensure the safety of Indian students and instil a sense of confidence in them, McCarthy said, among other things, the Victoria police had made numerous arrests and the perpetrators of the attacks would face the full force of law. A hotline had also been established with Hindi and English speakers in Victoria. Besides, the Victorian police force has increased patrolling in affected areas and was investigating ways it could better protect Indian students in Melbourne. He added a roundtable of international student groups had been announced by the deputy prime minister to ascertain their views.

McCarthy said the premier of Victoria would be visiting India later this year. “The visit would give him a chance to reassure Indians of Australia’s commitment to protect people from different backgrounds”, he added.

Australian educational institutions, meanwhile, would organise roadshows in India this year to promote education in Australia as they have been doing every year. “Our focus will not only be on the quality of an Australian education but also the response by the Australian authorities to make our cities safer for Indian students. I hope parents will find these reassuring,” he said.

On whether the attacks on Indian students had affected Indo-Australian relations, McCarthy observed: "Such events damage perceptions of Australia in India. We’re working closely with the Indian government to improve the situation. I’m confident we’ll emerge from this period.’’