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Learn our ways or leave Oz, Facebook group tells migrants
NDTV Correspondent, Sunday June 14, 2009, New Delhi

Social networking website Facebook has been creating quite a stir across the world on various social and political matters.

First, there were groups against the Iran President that made the government of Iran ban Facebook; now a new group that is asking immigrants to leave Australia is making news. Others with similar undertones also exist.

The rapidly growing group, which says Australia is 'full' and urges immigrants to 'learn the language' or enjoy their 'right to leave' has attracted nearly 64,500 members.

Indian students have been facing unrelenting attacks Down Under, the latest being a 24-year-old Indian student from Gujarat who was attacked by a group of men in Melbourne.

Hardik Bipinbhai Patel, who hails from Surat, was attacked by three people while he was about to enter his car on Friday night.

Earlier, concerned over the on-going attacks on its students in Australia, India issued guidelines for those wishing to study there which included immediate registration with the Indian High Commission or Consulate and seeking details of local security situation.

India also emphasised that Australian government should ensure that such attacks are stopped as it was its primary responsibility and noted that Canberra was doing "more than they can" in this direction.

The attacks have Australian leadership worried also. Australia's top diplomat in India has admitted that the spate of attacks on Indians in his country has "damaged" bilateral ties and fears that the upcoming free trade talks may remain 'quarantined' among other things as a fallout.

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Tags: Australia, Facebook, group, Indians
Comments
Posted by Krishna on Jun 24, 2009
While it is good to see a lot of people doing soul-searching, the fact remains that there is a systematic series of attacks targeted at Indians. The fact that someone doesn't conform to "my way of life" hardly gives one the license to bludgeon him/her to submission in a civil society. If we add the fact that there has been very few arrests and convictions, a pattern clearly emerges, pointing to the fact that the attacks are clearly racist and that the Australian authorities have to act. Arguments of whether the students conform to the "Australian way of life" (whatever that means) or whether India has caste system and oppression are irrelevant and are simply clouding the issue.
Posted by Shrikant Dash on Jun 17, 2009
Sure, immigrants should try to integrate into their naturalised country and the country should also have policies to accommodate these immigrants. It is also true about racial, religious, regional divides within India. However, none of this makes the acts in Australia justified.
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