Better introspect than lament, criticise or condemn. Instances of brutal assault on Indian students in Australia are by now history. Playing to the gallery the incidents of gory violence and mayhem in the 'kangroo den', the Indian media have been none the wiser. They have thrown caution to the wind under the pretext that the media are 'ethically and professionally duty-bound to report the facts as they were and the incidents as they occurred. It's tantamount to adding fuel to fire, saying 'Australians are racist'. Who isn't? The tale of two cities — Melbourne and Mumbai — hangs by a slender thread. Recall the brouhaha over the Hindi heartland settlers in Mumbai being termed 'bhaiyas' and the derisive ease with which we refer to our fellow beings from the once-seat-of-universal-learning — Nalanda — as 'Biharis'. What else could, for God's sake, be more perniciously racist?Rameshji, our biggest problem is that we reproduce recklessly, with no concern for how we are going to feed, clothe or employ these hordes swarming on our streets. We think it is our birthright to breed recklessly and other people's duty to take care of these swarms of malnourished humanity.
Tell me, why are we allowing our country to be overrun by sickly, malnourished, deformed, destitute people? Why do we value quantity over quality so much?
There is only so much a gven area of land can take. Do we realise that we already have a population density three times that of China? And that we are still increasing rapidly and uncontrollably?
Talking of job outsourcing raised by Chris, I would like to explain a few realities in Australia which he may not be aware of.
I have worked as an engineer in Australia, in a manufacturing company. The management was mostly white, and the workers were mostly of different races. There was very poor communication between workers and management, and things were obviously going downhill. Finally all manufacturing got outsourced to Malaysia and all workers were laid off. Nobody from management got laid off. They just got new job titles and promotions.
Let me tell you from what I saw in there, that this was a deliberate strategy by the top management. They wanted a comfortable life for themselves, without having to bother about the day-to-day issues of production workers. They therefore deliberately allowed things to fall apart so that they could justify the outsourcing. They refused to consider any suggestions for improvement, and in fact discouraged any attempts at improvement.
In other words, Chris, outsourcing is a deliberate strategy followed by greedy and lazy white managers in order to make life easier for themselves. Justifications on the basis of costs are just lies. The next time you see this problem, blame your own kind for it.
The faceless Indian, if I may say so, has his ego bruised, and body battered, time and again. But the collective conscience of Indians has either voluntarily failed to register the pangs of guilt or is involuntarily souless — just like the great Indian masala curry. And, we take pride being called curry kings or mutton-tikka czars, right from the Asia-Pacific to across the Atlantic. Not so long ago, our colonial masters equated us with the pooh-poohed canine-of-the-sort, barring the entry of two of us — the hapless species of the grand Mammalian order — into London parks. You will bear me out if I'm not affected by dementia, the signages "Dogs and Indians not allowed' were once galore at the 'Lord's own country'. Yet with chutzpah we bore it all, showing no signs of bruised self-esteem. And, clambered on like leeches to be the naturalised citizens of the Anglo-Saxon or Big Apple's greener pastures. So, why cry wolf now when for ages we have acted like the beasts of burden-ed conscience?
Day in and day out, BPO staffers in India for whom the bread and butter comes from offering their 'services' to the clientele across the shores which calls them scum, often accusing the humble 'desi' service-provider of stealing their secrets and sterling (pound), rendering them jobless by outsourcing the calling that was genuinely theirs. Haven't we outsourced our conscience, too? But pragmatic we are, for we put up with all sorts of indignity and abuse by these firangs, just for making a fast buck.
All said and done, it is economy, not insult, that insulates us from the vitriolic outburst of our firang benefactors. What we see our brethren going through in Australia is just a bodily-tortuous extension of the verbal abuse that we have been immune to for time immemorial. All this for attaining the greenback or the green card across the oceans. For the poor Oriental homo sapiens it is the Occidental homo economicus that rules the roost. Mind you, it's all about money, honey. Don't curse the racist Frankenstein... be it Australian, English or American. We have been bullied by John Bull and ubered by Uncle Sam umpteen times, and we alone are to be blamed. For we have never stood up and said enough is enough; pack up and be back to where we belong.
Easier said than done, for it is the economic survival which is at stake. Back home, life isn't easy, man. A burgeoning bureaucracy headed by corrupt political masters makes things worse for you if you ever contemplate repatriation to your land of origin for making a comfortable living. They frustrate all your plans to start life afresh here. Many a well-meaning person who have been back to his soil feels frustrated carrying on business here without greasing the ubiquitous palm; simply put, the system is so inextricably clogged here that you can't make an honourable living without compromise. Who says the licence-permit raj is passe? Go, and check it out if you intend to set shop here. Inspite of the much-touted 'great leap' of liberalisation of the Indian economy, which has occurred in two tranches in as many decades, the cobweb of corruption so entangles you that it leaves you shattered, both morally and materially, without any hope for redemption. am based in Sydney and have seen the educational institut am based in Sydney and have seen the educational institutions at close quarters.All of them are Z grade institutions,running in malls.Most of the students are from the north indian punjab/jat belt and have a tough time speaking english.Its clear that the industry here is a big scam.The indian students pay lakhs for this sub-standard education,its clear that they come from rich families.Most of them behave in a crass way, talking loudly in hindi,punjabi on the streets,letching at girls,cat calling.They are used to doing this in India,ask any girl from Delhi,Punjab and you will get the right perspective.But,its not possible to get away with that behavior here and so,they get thrashed.A well deserved thrashing.The Indian Media needs content to sensationalize and sell their air time.Girls/Guys are much safer in Aus than on the streets of Mumbai,Delhi.To top all this,we indians call Australians racists.Its ridiculous,we rank no. 1 in racism,skin color etc ..what ever you wish to call it.The matrimonial ads are proof enuf. It would be good for everyone if these indian students can manage to get admission to even a B grade institution in India.ions at close quarters.All of them are Z grade institutions,running in malls.Most of the students are from the north indian punjab/jat belt and have a tough time speaking english.Its clear that the industry here is a big scam.The indian students pay lakhs for this sub-standard education,its clear that they come from rich families.Most of them behave in a crass way, talking loudly in hindi,punjabi on the streets,letching at girls,cat calling.They are used to doing this in India,ask any girl from Delhi,Punjab and you will get the right perspective.But,its not possible to get away with that behavior here and so,they get thrashed.A well deserved thrashing.The Indian Media needs content to sensationalize and sell their air time.Girls/Guys are much safer in Aus than on the streets of Mumbai,Delhi.To top all this,we indians call Australians racists.Its ridiculous,we rank no. 1 in racism,skin color etc ..what ever you wish to call it.The matrimonial ads are proof enuf. It would be good for everyone if these indian students can manage to get admission to even a B grade institution in India.
In the prevailing circumstances — or for that matter in the long run — one has to be circumspect. Don't jump the gun, and fail self and the nation by jumping on to the bandwagon of me-the-victim-of-racist-onslaught. Although acts of taking someone's inards out by a screwdriver speak volumes of barbarism and the cave-age instinct, we must be hard-nosed to realise that these incidents are by and large sporadic and do not follow a pattern of the likes of Ku Klux Klan. Period.
And, ghettoisation, as implicit in proposing that Indian students move in groups, will in all probability exacberate the situation. Better be bold in fighting the menace: take the bull by the horn, intermingle with society at large to isolate the lumpen elements who, in any case, are on the fringes the way they are in any liberal and tolerant society. More importantly, it's incumbent upon the Indian government to shed the cocoon mentality and take concrete steps on government-to-government basis to preclude any such acts. Media and civil society cannot, and should not, be doing what is primarily the duty of the government of the day. Send the message across — loud and clear — that a liberal democracy like Australia will be jeopardising its business interests in India if such acts are not curbed with a heavy hand. Lawlessness serves no meaningful purpose especially when the law-enforcement agencies, including the Australian police, are seen to be siding with the shady. Shun the shrill voices in right earnest.
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