Death is tragic in any form, more so if it is violent, and all the more tragic if lost due to senseless violence. One such case is that of the recent killing of Nitin Garg, a 21-year-old student from india who was klled in Australia, apparently becoming “the first fatality of New Year in a spate of attacks on the Indian community members continuing from the past year.” (Hindustan Times).
While there is the usual political posturing* over this death, and authorities will conduct their investigations and Nitin’s body will be flown halfway across the world for final rites, we are left with more questions than answers:
* Are young students from South Aisa who migrate west suciptable to racism and attacks?
* Are these stray incidents or forming a pattern?
* Do western universities that attract foreign students, who pay big $$$s, have a responsibity to lobby local governments and authorities to provide save environment for their foreign guests?
Nitin Garg, RIP!!
* The stabbing of the Indian student is brutal and I hope the Australian government will take necessary action and not force India to look to other ways," Krishna told reporters in Bangalore. . . The latest attack comes barely two months after Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visited India and assured that "full force of law" would be used to protect Indian students in that country.
Other blog reactions
on the murder of Nitin Garg overland literary journal
True Blue Aussie: Racist immigrants blamed for fatal stabbing
Indian youth Nitin garg fatally stabbed
Views on Indians in Australia
Indeed a sad happening... The authorities still deny any racial angle to it... with increasing violence, its imperative that effective measures are taken to avert any such incidents in the future.
ReplyDeleteYes Issam,
ReplyDeleteSad indeed.
This said, the media (and public) seems to be over-emphasizing the role of authorities and governments. Kind of like when Russian and western tourists are victims of stray acts of vandalism in Goa or Kerala, it becomes a diplomatic issue.
I guess the question here is: would the number of Indian youngsters and students emigrating to Australia and the West get reduced due to such incidents?