 Raman Vaid is the former President of the Federation of Indian Students of Australia (FISA). A national organization, its head office is in Melbourne (Victoria), where violence against Indian foreign students has been on the rise. While robbery and muggings have been commonplace, there have also been countless more disturbing assaults, including a recent petrol bombing of an Indian student’s apartment that left him with 30% burns on his body and a stabbing incident that put the student in a temporary coma and has left him with brain injuries.
According the Economic Times of India and others, by March 2009, there had been over 500 assaults against Indians in the previous six-month period. These assault come as Australia invites more and more Indian students (now 97,000), to its colleges and universities, bringing with them billions of dollars in revenues for the country.
Please tell us a little about yourself and your organization. Why did you and others feel the need to create such an organization?
I have lived most of my life in New Delhi where I completed High School at the Modern School. I arrived in Australia, in 2005, to pursue the Bachelor of Commerce degree at Deakin University, Burwood. On my arrival at Deakin, I volunteered with several student clubs and organizations. My first involvement was with the University’s Student Association, where I worked as a volunteer on University activities. I then joined the Federation of Indian Students of Australia (FISA), where I coordinated with FISA executive members and several Indian university clubs to form a national body focusing on their commitment to creating a better society.
I joined as the Interim President, a position I undertook to help FISA, a self-funded organization, to grow from strength to strength. My main responsibilities included assisting in the establishment of the Melbourne chapter of Australia’s Indian student representative body, which serviced an Indian student population in Melbourne of approximately 30,000. I was also responsible for liaising with and lobbying diverse stakeholders, including the State Government, Indian business bodies, the Victorian Multicultural Commission, the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, the Indian Consulate and the Victoria Police.
Because of my work commitments, I resigned as the FISA president in March 09. At the moment, I am still involved with the student community and am handling some student projects such as the International Students Legal Centre, an Online portal and meeting place for International students (to be published by end of 2009,) and other student safety forums.
The increase in the number of Indian students coming to Australia has given rise to new problems and opportunities. This sudden growth was one of the main reasons for creating such an organization when it was established in 2002.
Tell us a little about what has been happening to Indian students in Australia.
The last couple of years have seen a sizeable increase in the number of international students coming to Australia. As I said, this increase has led to new problems and opportunities. The opportunities are self-evident. One of the problems we have faced is an increasing level of street crime aimed at international (and mainly Indian) students, particularly in Melbourne. There are several reasons why Indian students are facing more street crime in Melbourne. Firstly, they tend to maintain a very low profile and have been tolerant of anti-social behavior. They have been reluctant to go to the police to report crimes against them because they feel that this may affect their visa status or hinder them when applying for Permanent Residency.
Secondly, Indian students work late shifts in convenience stores, fast food restaurants and other places, which is why they travel late at night, often by public transport. This makes them vulnerable to anti-social elements in the Melbourne community.
Lastly and most importantly, they do not have much support from the community, be it Indian or local. Indian students expect support from established Indians in Melbourne. Unfortunately, it seems to be a tough job for many in our established Indian community. We often feel that established or prominent Indians blame those who are at a different level.
During my tenure as FISA President, I met a student (I wont disclose his name) who had experienced street crime first-hand. He was bashed by a gang of about 15 people at a train station in Western Melbourne. He suffered severe fractures on his face and lost his left eye. This is just one example out of many. He reported the assault at every level, from the initial report to local police, to filing a case at the Crime Tribunal. It is now almost two years since the incident occurred and he is still waiting for the final outcome. Recently, we have seen the case of Sravan Kumar, which has gained the highest media attention ever. He was stabbed with a screwdriver by a middle-aged man who gate-crashed a private house party in suburban Melbourne. Mr. Kumar was hospitalized and in serious condition for weeks. This incident provoked protests of around three thousand students who gathered near the Parliament House in Melbourne. These are just two of hundreds of assaults that have taken place.
How widespread are these attacks? The numbers seem to vary from one account to the next. What are the official numbers?
There has always been a big problem of street crime with international students. Now that there has been tremendous media attention, these issues are being highlighted. According to Victoria Police Media Release, there were 628 offences committed against Indian students in a nine-month period back in 2007, in the Western Melbourne region alone. For the people who think the numbers are four or five, they are definitely on the wrong track.
At what point did you begin to think a larger problem was developing?
I have always been close to International student community. Student safety was a very big issue that is only now being addressed. If it were given priority two years ago, I feel we would have avoided the current state of security issues for international students. This was another reason why I decided to join FISA and contribute to the student community.
Many officials have suggested it is the fault of students for speaking in their own languages, carrying laptops, etc. What do you think of such critiques?
Well, this is unreasonable to tell Indians not to behave like Indians; and that too, in a multi-cultural country like Australia. This has never been told to any other community before. Why are actions by Victoria Police directed only at changing the behavior of Indian students, rather than interrogating the factors that lead Indian students to become victims in the first place?
Taking a new turn, Victoria police are now focusing more on the security of Indian students by providing more staff at train stations. This has been appreciated and welcomed by Indian students, and I believe that this is the first step to ensure the safety of all international students.
How do you feel the protests have gone? What has the response been?
What is now called a protest was meant to be a “peace rally”. The rally turned into a protest because of the large number of students and organizations joining the rally took it in a different direction and with so many groups involved came a lack of leadership by the organizers. As an individual, I feel that Indian community in Australia has failed to support its own members. However, this has been an important learning experience for the student community to unite for themselves and stand up for the same cause, without relying on anyone.
Lately, we have seen some initiatives by the Australian government to diffuse this situation, making Indian students more comfortable in Australia. Examples of this include, organizing cricket matches, establishing special forums for the victims and providing more police to the high street crime areas.
Do you feel the discussions between the Indian and Australian governments have been helpful? Do you feel that the Australian government is doing enough, given the importance of Indian students and other foreign students in generating revenue?
I think both governments have given a great deal of importance to these issues more recently. That is the reason there have been extra resources allocated to the student community, including more police protection, establishment of media groups and task forces, and legal centers.
What is your next step?
Looking at the impact of these attacks on Indian students, I am working on a project with a local social worker and law graduate, Ms. Sanmati Verma, to establish an International Student Legal Advice Clinic. We’re seeing increasing violence against Indian students in the West (Australia). The advice clinic will give these victims of crime and all international students a dedicated legal support service. We look to expand this by creating more awareness with the aim of concrete action rather than just talk over international student issues.
The clinic is being established in collaboration with community partners and will be staffed by volunteer lawyers and paralegals with a background in international student issues. Volunteers with Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Tamil and Bahasa Melayu language skills will also staff the clinic. Other interpreter services will be available by telephone. The clinic will also support international students with employment and tenancy problems, as well as traffic offences.
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