Brumby assures Indian parents of their children's safety

Natasha Chaku
Melbourne, Feb 22 (PTI) Terming those involved in
racist attacks in Australia, including against Indians, as
"narrow-minded idiots", Victorian Premier John Brumby Monday
promised action against the offenders and assured Indian
parents of their children's safety here.
Under pressure to act against perpetrators of the
attacks against Indians, Brumby said he will do everything
possible to "repay the trust the parents have placed in his
government."
Writing in 'The Age', the Premier reiterated the
importance of Indian community in forming the vital part of a
multicultural Victorian society.
"There have been some disturbing incidents, and some
of these incidents have had racist elements. Such racism
begins and ends with a small number of bigoted, narrow-minded
idiots.
"It is not part of our state, as evidenced by the
thousands of Victorians who marched through city streets at
the Harmony Walk last year," Brumby wrote.
Brumby also candidly admitted that assaults on Indian
students in Melbourne were of great concern to him.
His comments come in the backdrop of over 100
incidents of attacks against Indians being reported in
Australia, most of them in the state of Victoria.
Assuring Indian parents of safety of their childern
studying in Victoria, Brumby said: "I take the trust placed in
us by Indian parents seriously and I am determined to do
everything possible to repay it."

The Premier said: "I also understand those parents
place their trust in the jurisdiction their child has chosen
to live in to do all it can to look after the welfare of their
children."
Brumby said his government was working hard to bring
down the crime rate. However, the rate of assaults were too
high and action was being taken on them regardless of their
motivation.
"Any violence committed in our community is an attack
on us all," Brumby said.
Brumby cited a recent survey conducted by Federation
of Indian Assocaitions of Victoria (FIAV) that found that of
513 respondents, over 76 per cent Indian students were happy
with their course and 72 per cent felt safe in the areas where
they worked and studied.
"An attack motivated by race or prejudice is
particularly disgraceful. The federal and Victorian
governments have been as one on this issue," Brumby said.
"The message from me, Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen
Smith and Australian High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese
has been consistent and clear: racism will not be tolerated,
violence will not be tolerated, and any incident will be
thoroughly investigated.
He also said he has no apologies for calling for
balanced media coverage because the reputation and fabric of
the multicultural state is too precious to be damaged by
"sensationalist reporting". PTI ETB
RDM