Category Archives: MEA

Jan 7 2012

Anuj Bidwe Killing: Indian Media commentary misses out where it matters…

BRITISH MEDIA INFORMS: Anuj had originally wanted to study in Australia but Subhash persuaded him not to because he was worried about a spate of racist attacks on Indians in 2009. 

BBC adds: Anuj Bidve could have gone to a US or Australian university to fulfil his dream of pioneering new micro-electronics technology. But his parents sent their only son to the UK because they thought “he’d be safer there”.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2080837/Anuj-Bidve-murder-Parents-took-bank-loans-send-UK.html#ixzz1iiQuuzMq

The point that I am making is NOT that UK is as racist as Australia supposedly is or that US is equally unsafe. But that any place in the world can be safe or unsafe and this includes our own cities in India. Just like our own neighborhood in India, we need to exercise caution and alertness in all large cities. Avoid certain areas after dark and also remember that there will always be some people, even though very few in numbers, who are racist or have a distaste for foreigners. This is a reality and possibly a reality alike how some feel in different parts of India for others from other parts of India who land up in their cities for the jobs. However, this is indeed a very small number and our interaction with such can be prevented if we avoid certain areas at certain hours. Don’t we advise our close ones to avoid certain areas of our own towns in India at certain hours? I am sure we do that. 

There are several useful weblinks that give tips on how to carry ourselves out while being an overseas student in a foreign land. Most education counselors (of repute) do conduct pre-departure briefings for their students. I am providing some excerpts from Vancouver Police site, which gives some safety tips… (Knowing that several of this blog readers are students…)

On the Street

Be alert. Walk with confidence. Walk with your head up. Be aware of who is and what is around you, and be careful when someone approaches you with a simple question. Leave strange or uncomfortable situations. Trust your instincts. Always tell your roommate or host family where you are going and when you will be back.

  • before going out ask advice for the best routes to events, restaurants or shopping
  • change direction if you feel you are being followed; go to the nearest store, restaurant, or pay phone
  • do not carry large amounts of money (cash), and do not show money in public; use bank / debit cards instead
  • never share your PIN number or let others see it
  • keep your passport in a safe place at home; instead carry a photocopy of your passport and other ID
  • don’t go out alone or accept rides with strangers; do not hitchhike
  • don’t use headphones when walking / jogging; they make it difficult to hear an approaching car or stranger
  • don’t carry weapons; they are illegal and can be used against you
  • don’t argue or fight if robbed – yell loudly
  • fight back to protect yourself if you are attacked; try to stop or distract the attacker so that you can escape and call 911

Out at Night

At night, walk on well-lit, busy streets. Try to be with someone. Walk in the middle of the sidewalk. Avoid isolated areas such as parks where there are no other people around. Carry a whistle or other personal safety device. Scream or yell loudly if attacked.

Jan 5 2012

With the killing of an Indian student “also” in Canada: Is it hate-crimes on an increase… jury is still out.

Manchester Police’s terming Anuj Bidwe killing as a Hate-Crime; the news was certainly worrying and then came the news of the killing of Alok Gupta in Canada. We have had Nitin Garg incident in OZ two years ago that got the two countries taking to tough-talking.

CNN-IBN reported…

New Delhi: It has been more than a week since Indian student Anuj Bidve was shot dead in the UK. One suspect who claims to be mentally unstable was charged with Bidve’s murder, while four others were released on bail.

On Monday, hundreds of locals joined Bidve’s friend in a candle light vigil at the site where the 23-year old was killed.

An impromptu memorial was also held at India Gate in Delhi.

Meanwhile, a UK police team met Bidve’s family in Pune on Monday. His family will leaving for Salford on Tuesday. Authorities say Bidve’s body is likely to be handed to his family later on Tuesday after a second post-mortem.

Bidve’s family said that they were satisfied with the UK police investigation.

Meanwhile, a student, Vikrant Gupta is also starting an online campaign for justice for Bidve. “The murderer who seems to be not in his right state of mind has done this act. I won’t worry about this thing on a large scale something which has happened out of the blue. I’m sure something like this won’t happen again but nothing can be guaranteed,” Gupta said.

“Students and Indians definitely feel insecure, they get worried about the things happening, I think the most important thing is that the families back in India because they don’t have the broader picture but I don’t think this is something that we should be worried about it. It has happened once I hope it doesn’t happen again,” Gupta added.

Anuj Bidve, a micro-electronics student at the Lancaster University, on December 26, became the latest victim of a hate crime in Greater Manchester.

Bidve was a part of a group of nine Indian students who were staying in a hotel in Manchester over Christmas. While heading towards the city centre at around 1 pm, they were approached by two white men. Reports indicate one of them asked Bidve the time and when Bidve didn’t reply, one of the men removed a handgun and shot him.

The Manchester Police have termed it a hate crime.

Indian student shot dead in Canada

In another such incident in Canada, an Indian student, working part time at a convenience store, was shot dead in Surrey, in a shocking Christmas Day attack.

Alok Gupta, 27, had volunteered to work the afternoon shift to allow the store owners celebrate Christmas together, and was killed by an unidentified gunman.

However, it was not yet clear whether Gupta was shot during a robbery attempt.

Police is yet to make an arrest in connection with the case, but say they do not believe it was gang-related.

“The victim was working Christmas Day as a good deed to the owners who wished to celebrate Christmas together,” said Sgt Jennifer Pound of the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team.

Gupta sought help at a nearby residence and was taken to hospital. However, he was pronounced dead a short time later; Pound was quoted as saying by the ‘Vancouver Sun’ newspaper.

“Although it appears that the victim died from a gunshot wound, the cause of death will ultimately be confirmed through an autopsy,” she said. 

US: Islamic centre, Hindu worship place attacked

Meanwhile, an Islamic centre housing a mosque and a Hindu worship site were targeted by thugs with firebombs on Monday in New York.

The attacks took place in Queens near New York on Monday night in which unidentified assailants threw homemade firebombs at a house used for Hindu worship services, Islamic centre Imam Al-Khoei Foundation, a home and a convenience store.

There were minor damages but no injuries reported. The police were treating the attacks as hate crimes and were looking into possible links to the other fires caused by similar devices that night.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called such attacks unacceptable and said authorities are investigating the incidents.

“No matter what the motivation was of the individual who threw Molotov cocktails in Queens last night, his actions stand in stark contrast to the New York City of today that we’ve built together,” he said in a statement.

Such hate crimes had come to light in January 2010, when there were attacks reported on Indian students in Australia. 21-year old Nitin Garg was stabbed to death in Melbourne in January 2010 while he was walking to his workplace. An Australian teenager was sentenced to 13 years in jail for the murder of Nitin Garg in December 2011.

The recent attacks have yet again raised a question mark on the security of Indians across the globe.

Its not just Australia, UK or Canada and its not just Indian students… The reality is that all over the world and relevant to all international students… a need exists for all to be better prepared. That’s it. Overseas Education continues to remain a significant value addition and with better preparedness… a lot can be avoided. Counsellors and Education Agents have also a responsibility here.

Sep 10 2010

Indian message to Australia: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.” and random thoughts on the Australian Elections.

Indian expectations from the new Aussie Government…

This is being penned from Sydney where I have been keenly observing the dynamics of the Australian politics over the last few weeks. To me it has been so very interesting and one that I can easily relate to (coming from India). Minority Governments, a deal with Independents, last minute jigsaw and not much to decide between contending political parties is all too common in today’s India. Also like Indian political alliances between contrasting outfits, Australia too is seeing the Greens and the Labour and conservative Independents going with the Labour to form the Government.

I am often asked what can be expected from the current Government with regards to the “international education angle” in the “Indian” context and that does get one to start thinking. Is there really going to be any change? No. Not actually. Wasn’t Julia Gillard, the PM today, the education minister yesterday? Was she not the one who was the first Minister to visit India to soothe its nerves in September last year and how can she absolve herself from the gross in-action on part of the Victorian Police and also by the federal government’s non-regulation of the private colleges for such a long time.

Anyway, we all learn with time and even though I would avoid trying to read much into the words uttered by the politicians, I do believe that continuity is the best medicine at this time. There is a policy that is emerging in Australia in favour of quality education providers and in favour of the genuine migrants who bring in skills to Australia. We may have to forget the emotions and understand that at the end of the day Australia needs international education export and needs skilled immigrants. Both are linked and will remain linked in some manner. The other advantage of continuity is that the current Indian Government and new Australian Government have been talking to each other through the last one year and almost a dozen visits by Australian senior leaders reciprocated by 3-4 visits by Indian ministers has led to a level of understanding now. Kapil Sibal as India’s education minister (Minister of HRD) has hit off with Julia Gillard apparently and that is good too. With no real reshuffling expected of the bureaucrats, we can expect the joint working group continuing with its dialogue.

I am further encouraged by the fact that Greens who are now a part of the ruling coalition has been talking through the campaign for less vindictive border control and better treatment of migrants including the illegal migrants and asylum seekers. Marry this to “stop the boat” campaign of the Labour government and you are certain to get a balanced immigration policy.

At the micro level to my industry, I am expecting a fairly quick call with regards to easing of visa norms for the “university bound” students and this will be really welcome. For those who understand technicalities, I am advocating lowering of Assessment Level for India for category 573 and acceptance of Pearson’s and TOEFL in addition to IELTS. I also hope for less “anti-migrant” noises that were previously made for the domestic vote-banks, now that elections are out of the way.

I have been however desirous of observing if the Indian Media was following the Australian elections and whether it understood its relevance to India. The sad truth is that there was hardly any coverage outside of wire reports from time to time. Even on the day of the final result on this Friday, very few newspapers gave it prominence and even the internet sites of NDTV and IBN failed to even mention it. Hence pleasantly surprised I was when my hometown newspaper (The Telegraph in Calcutta) carried an editorial on the election result yesterday. While I don’t agree to the first paragraph of the article on this link where it claims that most attackers were “white Australians” (reality: attackers were of mixed race and also Indians) and most attacks ended in death (aware of only one death from the attacks and most deaths in the last few years were handiworks of other Indians), the editorial commentary on the election result including the caution that even one single by-election can bring down the government before its tenure ends, display a good understanding of the current Australian politics. Quoting from this editorial from The Telegraph (Kolkata, India) below:

So India may well hope that Mr Rudd’s successor and party colleague, Julia Gillard, who became the first female prime minister of her country, would be more proactive in making Australia a safer and more equitable place for immigrants. Such an expectation is not unwarranted. After all, Ms Gillard has cobbled together a ‘rainbow coalition’ with crucial support from one Green and three Independent members of parliament. And the Greens want the new government to focus on humane treatment of asylum-seekers and other foreigners in Australia. So this is Ms Gillard’s best chance of salvaging the global image of her country even as she tries to repair the schisms within her party.

Earlier this week, I was hosted by UNSW to pay my homage to the newly installed bust of Gandhi. The bust, I am told, was presented by the Government of India to the State Government of NSW and the state Government chose UNSW grounds as the appropriate location for its installation.

What an appropriate symbol at this time…  What was even more appropriate was the choice of his words that are inscribed on the sculpture…

“An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”

Aug 26 2010

India’s Advertising “watchdog” introduces “code” for Education Adverts… High Time indeed!

ASCI introduces advertising code for educational sector; puts draft code up for public review.

I HAVE REPRODUCED THE BELOW MATTER FROM PRESS ARTICLES. I WELCOME THIS MOVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY AS YOU CAN OBSERVE IN MY EARLIER BLOGS, I HAVE COMMENTED TO MISLEADING ADVERTS ISSUED BY SOME OF OUR NEW  “INDIAN” PRIVATE COLLEGES.

Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), the self-regulatory body for the advertising content of the Indian advertising industry, will introduce a new set of advertising guidelines for the educational sector. The new advertising content guidelines will apply to ads of all educational institutions, coaching classes and educational programs. The draft of the guidelines has been put up for review, feedback and suggestions on ASCI’s official website – www.ascionline.org.

The Council has called its members, educationists, institutions and the general public to send in their suggestions and feedback on the proposed guidelines by Monday, September 6, 2010 to, The Secretary General of ASCI, on email ids asci@vsnl.com; alan@ascionline.org.

The new set of guidelines takes note of the fact that a significant amount of advertising activity is currently happening in the education sector, reflecting the vast variety of educational programs being offered in the country. According to the recent Adex report, last year’s figures show that eight per cent of all advertising expenses in print media came from the educational sector, a significant increase as compared to advertising expenses just few years ago.

Speaking on the guidelines, Prof. Dhananjay Keskar, ASCI’s Chairman and Director, IBS Pune, said, “ASCI recognizes the role of educational institutions in building the country’s intellectual capital and the value parents place in them for getting the right education for their children. Unlike other tangible products and services, the value of education and training programs can only be judged by degrees and diplomas, which are advertised in a variety of ways. ASCI realises that a variety of these claims in advertisements need to be regulated through a set of guidelines tailor-made for the education sector.”

The proposed advertising guidelines for educational institutions, among other things, prohibits institutions and programs from claiming recognition, authorisation, accreditation, or affiliations without having proper evidence. The proposed guidelines also requires that name and place of the affiliated institution which provides degrees and diplomas on behalf of the advertiser who may not be accredited by a mandatory authority, is also prominently displayed in the ad.

Under the proposed guidelines, educational institutions will not be able to promise jobs, admissions, job promotions, salary increase, etc. without substantiating such claims and also assuming full responsibility in the same advertisement. The proposed guidelines discourages institutions from claiming success in placements, student compensations, admission to renowned institutes, marks and rankings, and topper student testimonials unless every such claim is substantiated with evidence.

“Recently, ASCI has been receiving several intra-industry complaints against claims being made in ads of various educational institutions. Many students and parents too have complained to ASCI against claims made in advertisements by educational institutions,” added Keskar.

After September 6, 2010, and based on the feedback received from the public and concerned stakeholders, the ASCI Committee will finalise the guidelines and put it up for ASCI Board’s approval. Once the Board approves the final draft, the guidelines will become a part of the ASCI’s Code for Self Regulation in Advertising.

Notably, the subject of advertising in educational sector was discussed in the recently held ASCI’s ‘Seminar on Marketing Responsibly’. An eminent panel of professionals and educationists had underlined the need for special guidelines for regulating advertising in the education sector in India along the lines of Self Regulatory Organisations (SRO) around the world such as in South Africa and Brazil.

In the recent past ASCI has put out specific Guidelines for advertisements in automobile and food & beverage sectors.

Mar 19 2010

Red Herrings… indeed: Summarising last 8 months of Indian-OZ tussle

”The whole racism issue has really coloured this debate in an unhealthy way, because when our media either seizes on that, or the Australian media in turn respond critically, we are essentially dealing with not black or brown or white, but red herrings,”
SHASHI THAROOR, MOS External Affairs, Government of India.
Quoted in THE AGE.
If Minister Tharoor believes that the whole racism issue is nothing but red herrings, then first lets understand what “Red Herrings” are…
The expression red herring is an idiom referring to a device which intends to divert the audience from the truth or an item of significance. For example, in mystery fiction, an innocent party may be purposefully cast as highly suspect through emphasis or descriptive techniques; attention is drawn away from the true guilty party.
.
The idiomatic sense of “red herring” has, until very recently, been thought to originate from a supposed technique of training young scent hounds.[2] There are variations of the story, but according to one version, the pungent red herring would be dragged along a trail until a puppy learned to follow the scent[4]. Later, when the dog was being trained to follow the faint odour of a fox or a badger, the trainer would drag a red herring (whose strong scent confuses the animal) perpendicular to the animal’s trail to confuse the dog.[5] The dog would eventually learn to follow the original scent rather than the stronger scent. An alternate etymology points to escaping convicts who would use the pungent fish to throw off hounds in pursuit.[6]
In reality, the technique was probably never used to train hounds or help desperate criminals. The idiom probably originates from an article published 14 February, 1807 by journalist William Cobbett in the polemical Weekly Political Register.[7] In a critique of the English press, which had mistakenly reported Napoleon’s defeat, Cobbett recounted that he had once used a red herring to deflect hounds in pursuit of a hare, adding “It was a mere transitory effect of the political red-herring; for, on the Saturday, the scent became as cold as a stone.”[7] As British etymologist Michael Quinion says, “This story, and [Cobbett's] extended repetition of it in 1833, was enough to get the figurative sense of red herring into the minds of his readers, unfortunately also with the false idea that it came from some real practice of huntsmen.”[7]
.
Now with reference to the Indian-OZ tussle-point, and using the above explanations from WIKIPAEDIA, we realise that there are not one RED HERRING but several…. Let me list them.
.
The person who first called the Australians as Racist and who was quoted and projected by the Indian and Australian Media turned out to be neither an Indian, nor a Student and neither the formation had any validity as the voice of the Indian community. As exposed later, his comments were clearly without basis and even he tried to distance himself from them. However, the damage was done big time and everyone believed the media hype following the claim without waiting for facts to emerge. All instances of attacks by anyone including when the offender was a migrant of similar colour, fake claim of attacks for insurance or simple mugging and even deaths of Indians by Indians were seen as acts of Racism. Australia was branded as Racist and there were even suggestions that India should move for a sanction by the Commonwealth. The first and the original Red Herring…
.
The Victorian Police Chief gave statistics on crime on Indians soon thereafter. Later it turned out that the crime stats are not kept on nationality but on the basis of appearance and what he described as Indians, actually included several nationalities. Further, since the crime data for other “appearances” was kept under clearly described categories such as Caucasians or Asians, Media assumed that attacks or crimes has only been against Indian nationals. This is second Red Herring…
.
The Indian Government displayed significant patience and maturity. However, the External Affairs Minister, Mr Krishna, speaking at a function organised by an American body, made a statement that indicated, “Indians were being singled out in Australia”. This led to a number of serious commentators in Indian media to also believe that the killings of Indians in Australia over the last many years has been largely targeted and targeted by Australians. As data stood before us, this turned out to be totally unfounded. Of the last 15-16 deaths of Indians in Australia in last two years, only 1-2 is still under investigation. Of all the other deaths, it is now found that clearly in about 10 cases, it is people of Indian Origin themselves who have killed the other Indian. The remaining few cases of last two years has been deaths due to suicide or accident or by drowning. However, when the senior minister made the comment, many took it at face value.  Indian students and Parents continue to believe that INDIANS ARE INDEED BEING SINGLED OUT. This was third Red Herring…
.
Without waiting for investigations to complete in the Ranjodh killing, MOS Preneet Kaur, received the body as it arrived in India and then laid a wreath from the Government giving it a “martyr” status. She also made a comment at the occasion indicating that a second advisory had been issued asking students not to go to Australia. The reality was very different but only surfaced after the Media had blown up the issue. Indians killed Ranjodh and he was possibly someone who had entered Australia illegally using a contract wedding and his legal widow stays on even right now in Australia and did not participate in the funeral. The “second travel advisory” was also incorrect awareness of the MOS and the Ministry immediately posted a correction on its website indicating that there is no second advisory and Indian students have not been asked to avoid travelling to Australia. The fourth Red Herring…
.
Australian Government remained fractured between the actions in the state of Victoria and the comments being made in Canberra.  There appeared a push primarily to show to all that the acts were not racist and there was little that appeared to be done to act immediately to curtail the street violence in the city of Melbourne. Steps were taken but very late and very slow. The Press quotes provided by the functionaries in Victoria remained badly worded and focussed more on defensiveness and justifications. Clearly the focus of the Australian Government was now distracted and revolved around the sting of the word “racism”. Damage continued as crime continued. Indians continued to believe Australia to be in denial. Red Herring No. 5.
.
Focus shifts to QUALITY of INDIAN STUDENTS. Hence scapegoats were found: Private Colleges and their agents. Rapid audits were announced and visas were immediately tightened. This led to closure after closure of colleges. These colleges should not have been in existence in the first place itself but that happened because of low compliance level of the State Government. However, now the tightening and the closures led to different problems for students who were in Australia legally and on valid visas. The Aussie Education brand was affected in the process.  The reality is that the ones to be affected at the end were the Universities and the quality providers and their quality agents who for no fault of theirs were being termed as “bad quality”. Journalists who were not education journalists were quoting in parts totally out of context and even the fall in visa numbers due to the severe visa tightening was projected as a drop in interest of Indian students due to “racism in Australia”. This in turn had a spiralling effect and the market finally lost interest in Australia even in reality. This is the Red Herring No. 6.
.
Australia’s USP to International students has been the pathway to work/settlement. There is nothing fishy about this at all and world over all education destinations do offer this pathway using one terminology or another. However, a direct result of noise was the new-belief of so-called experts that this umbilical cord needs severing. Many students who can actually be able to contribute so well in Australia will soon find it difficult to stay on. The intention of ensuring that only those who can get a job stay on or even simply continuing with the reforms that had taken place in the system over the last two years could, easily have enforced that those who are willing to apply their education to workplace in the same line of occupation are granted residency. There was no need to replace the system totally and only fine-tuning would have served the purpose. Australia needs Immigration and potential OZ educated migrants are indeed best fit. More will now be affected and OZ is the loser at the end. Red Herring No. 7.
.
In the election year, Australian Opposition is trying to use this issue to attack the Labour Government. Labour Government blames the Liberals stating that it is the result of the policies of the Howard regime. The reality is that the problem was not with legislation then or now but only in compliance of the legislation, then and now. ESOS even in current format is a solid document but hardly enforced. There is no guarantee that it will be enforced after the changes Compliance did not get so much of attention and only the blame-game continued. Who wins, will be known later this year but who is definite to lose is already known. Indian students and OZ-Indian free trade. Australian quality education providers and Australia. POLITICS is the Red Herring No. 8.
.
Last eight months has proven that audience has indeed been diverted from the truth due to the RED HERRINGS…
Mar 3 2010

Indians are Indeed being SINGLED OUT in Australia…

Australian Foreign Minister, Mr Stephen Smith, addressed the students at DELHI UNIVERSITY’S prestigious St Stephens College this morning and emphasized that 1)Australia wants Indian students to keep coming to Australia and that 2)OZ has zero tolerance towards any attacks. (See link)

.
A QUICK-FIX SOLUTION: A few steps that actually fixes both the issues are:
  • Change the AL for India for the University sector (573) without delay and it will help correct the skewed nature of the student visa policy and encourage quality Indian students. (EXTREMELY CRITICAL since without this, welcoming Indian students will remain mere lip-service).
  • Disqualify International students from “risky” jobs such as Taxi Driving or working beyond a certain time of the day. This will ensure that International students are not at “wrong place at the wrong time”. (NEW PROPOSAL and Indian government can also consider mentioning it in the advisory)
  • Part-time Taxi Driving by Indian students exposes them to rough hours leading to attacks by the drunk passengers and also exposes the Australians to possible death (see Link 1 and Link 2) at the hands of ill-trained and reckless students undertaking this part time work.
  • Push the Victorian Government especially the Police to increase patrolling of troublesome spots in the Melbourne suburb. The Western suburbs have seen higher incidents of mugging and theft and so this is certainly needed here. Even the visible presence of uniformed policeman is enough to discourage any “druggies/drunk/hippies” from robbing anyone, not just Indians. (NEED TO BE ENSURED)
  • Increased compliance on the part of onshore migration agents and some private vocational colleges will cut out the current nexus that has lowered the perception on the quality of Australian Education. (THIS IS BEING DONE)

.

That’s it Sir. The above only can put an end to all the confusion and set the ball rolling again. No need for any other reviews and any other visits to India.

.
India is certainly a country worth visiting but what is the point of so many visits in recent times over the same issue. What he stated this morning is exactly what Deputy PM Julia Gillard stated at LSR College during her visit in August-September 2009 (see link). AND the same message delivered by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Both of them reiterated that Australia WELCOMES INDIAN STUDENTS (see link).
.
Australia cannot WELCOME Indian students by merely stating the same. The current visa system disadvantages quality students to quality providers and hence is certainly UNWELCOMING. Without changing this and also the above advised measures, the visits of the senior Ministers will amount to nothing but wastage of breath, money and time on part of both the countries.

.

Baring the blunder of one Indian channel and of one Australian.
.
It is time that Australia completely bares the hypocrisy of Indian Media and a certain Australian of Indian Origin who keeps giving his GUPT-GYAN. Take them on by their horns. Next time, they ask the question: Why are INDIANS BEING SINGLED OUT? Reply by asking them to provide you with the list of the dead Indians over the last 5 years. This will answer all the questions and lay bare the ‘RACISM” claim. Repeatedly accusing OZ of Racist killings and calling all Australians as Racist is different from stating that in some of the attacks (not amounting to murder), the muggers may have made racist statements or even some attackers may be racist in belief. TIMES NOW is certainly guilty of brainwashing many in believing that Indians have been singled out and that killings have been targeted at Indians. A complete nonsense. Journalism requires that all inputs are verified.
.
I, like many, have read statistics that since 2003, there have been 32 deaths of Indians in Australia. I, like many, have also heard one TV anchor and a few of his invited guests, discuss how Australia has been in denial and that innocent lives have been lost.
.
This got me on to a search for the full list of Indian deaths since 2003 to try and find a pattern or to establish what has been often referred to as SINGLING OUT OF INDIANS. I have come to the conclusion that INDIANS ARE INDEED BEING SINGLED OUT and am hereby presenting my assessment.
.
Digging the internet and prodding through publicly available records, helped me dig data for last 2 years. In last two years, I have come across several deaths of people of Indian-Origin and even though I did not manage to extract the full 32 names (since 2003), it is still sufficient to take me to a conclusion.
.
ALL THE BELOW ARE HYPERLINKED TO ACTUAL NEWS REPORTS WITH DETAILS.
.
My estimate is that there are possibly 15 (Fifteen) Indian deaths in total in last two years. Of these atleast 10 are clearly committed by people of Indian origin or appearance. The remaining will include those who may have died as a result of accident or drowning and also suicide. I DID NOT COME ACROSS EVEN ONE INDIAN KILLED BY A WHITE AUSTRALIAN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
.
Hence going by the available information on the deaths of Indians in Australia, if at all Indians are being SINGLED OUT, it is by the Indians themselves.
.
Prove me wrong!!!
.
There is another issue of selective coverage of news items by Indian media. I want to share one recent Press Trust of India release which only got picked up by an online news site. The link is here and I quote:
.
“Melbourne, Feb 24: More than 250 Indians have been accused of assaults in Victoria during 2008-09, with nearly 86 of them for rape and sex abuses, the latest figures from Australian police on violent crimes claim. “
.
“86 Indian nationals or Australians born in India were processed by police for rape and sex assaults, 12 for aggravated burglary, 8 for abduction and two for murder, the latest report by ‘Herald Sun’ on the crime statistics kept by the police for 24 foreign-related groups said. “
.
I will cover the “selective coverage” by Indian channels in another blog… Bye for now.
P.S.: As on 03.03.2010 there are also a few investigations “in progress” and this includes the case of “Nitin Garg” and we donot know the killers in these cases yet. Also most of the above are based on newspaper reports and in some cases, court proceedings are still ongoing and hence they may only be treated as “accused” till then.
Feb 20 2010

America is America and Australia is Australia… Folly of the first, ignored; while of the other, hyped up.

“Wo Katal Bhi Karte Hai To Charcha Nahi Hoti
Ham Aah! Bhi Bharte Hai To Ho Jate Hai Badnaam”
.
We can imagine several well meaning Aussies almost reciting this couplet.
.
Victorian Police Chief is known only from his statements in the media. Simon has repeatedly been shooting her mouth off and at worst times. The classic one to my mind is the statement by him in mid June 2009 when he detailed the crime statistics for Victoria and despite being fully aware of the scale of media hype gave out stats that grouped all those with “Indian appearance” as “Indians” leading to a belief till date that there were about 1500 cases of reported crime against Indians in Victoria in a year.
.
“Statistics are like a bikini. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.”
.
This quote from someone (possibly Ozzie considering the analogy) may bring a smile here but is completely applicable to the game of statistics being thrown around.
I have stopped believing in statistics completely as it is these statistics that got India’s assessment level as Level 4 for the University sector even though every University knows that it was the packaging of diploma students into degree that fooled the system. All to the disadvantage of the genuine students. The Australian Government still wants to stick to keep referring to the same statistics is what baffles me even more. Afterall, a British politician once said:
.
“There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.”
.
Now going back to Simon Overland…
In recent weeks his appearance was on the Indian TV with his advise to Indian students to dress down and look “poor” to avoid attacks. On the face of it and keeping the background in mind, it appeared to be such an insensitive statement. We cut-pasted the word POOR and headlined it and hence in the process totally lost out on the entire essence of the statement. Did he really say anything wrong? Let me quote his statement to enable me to drive the point here (see link):

Don’t display your iPods, don’t display your valuable watch, don’t display your valuable jewellery. Try to look as poor as you can,” Overland was quoted as saying by The Age.

The Victorian police chief commissioner said students could take some steps to protect themselves. “If you can live somewhere safer, live somewhere safer,” he said. “If you can avoid public transport into high-risk areas late at night, avoid it.”

Victorian Premier John Brumby defended his top cop, saying the advice to the overseas students to avoid crime, as per Overland, was a comment about high crime areas. “He may have been making the point that in some areas, there are higher crime rates than in others,” the Premier was quoted as saying by AAP.

Brumby said he and the police chief condemned in the strongest possible terms “acts of violence, and particularly any violence which is racially motivated”.
.
What is so wrong with this statement that the self imposed leader of the Indian student community goes to Indian media and gets quoted prominently:
.
“What is he (Overland) saying? Indians don’t have the right to be rich? And if they look rich, do they may be have to get bashed? On one hand, everyone should look poor. On the other, don’t live in poor areas (where crime rate is high). I don’t understand.”
.
Hold on guys, you are just attempting at simply underscoring the vital advise that Simon is giving. He is a cop and not an English teacher. He has used wrong words, possibly, but the point that he is making is of critical importance and is made regularly by police to students at campuses of Universities around the world.
.
Yes… it is not just the Victorian Police in Australia that issues such advisories. To elaborate my point check out this YOUTUBE link. This video is from USA and gives exactly the same advice.
I am also now quoting from one of the many such advisories in USA available on the internet and it seems to be the similar message albeit using different words…
.
In addition to being traumatic, a mugging can result in the loss of possessions with emotional value as well as credit cards, cell phones, and other expensive items. Numerous police departments offer recommendations on what to do during a mugging to avoid physical harm and maximize the potential of retrieving your lost goods. The most important thing to do during a mugging is to stay calm and keep your head. Being able to think logically can prevent you from getting into a worse situation.
Being able to avoid mugging altogether is the first step. Because muggings tend to follow certain patterns, people can avoid victimhood by traveling smart. Try to avoid being alone on the street or on public transit between 8:00 PM and 2:00 AM. Travel with a group after dark, and stick to well lighted areas where there are other people around. Make sure that your valuables are hidden and secured, as well. Keep things like cell phones, cameras, and personal music players out of sight and out of temptation.
It is very important to be aware of your surroundings, and be especially alert when you reach cross streets or areas with poor lighting. If you feel you are particularly at risk for assault or mugging, you may want to consider taking a self defense class. Numerous urban areas have self defense courses at minimal cost. You can learn basic ways to defend yourself, as well as the best way to carry yourself on the street to project a confident, secure image.
If you are caught in a mugging despite your precautions, the safest thing to do is to comply with the mugger’s requests. A mugging can turn ugly, especially if the mugger has a knife or gun. If asked to empty your bag or pockets, obey calmly. Remember: you can stop payment on credit cards and file a stolen phone report with your cellular phone provider, so it is better to simply let go of these items. Respond neutrally to any questions the mugger asks, and be non-confrontational. Try to end your interaction as quickly as possible and get somewhere safe.
.
(Can you guys imagine what would have happened if the same advise was issued in Australia. My favourite TV anchor, who is known for his well researched coverage of the OZ issue, would utilise the Newshour to engage a learned gentleman from Kolkata through a satellite linkup on the breaking exclusive news: “Australia asks students to learn Karate and give in to attackers”.)
.
My advise to the Premier of Victoria is to ensure that all police chiefs achieve a 7.0 band score in the IELTS before they can make statements. (I am willing to sponsor even the training for this to Simon Overland, as he will most definitely need it.)
.
Australia can also hope that one day an OZ educated Indian becomes a Cabinet Minister in India. A news item caught my attention (regarding a statement on OZ attacks made by Mr S M Krishna, India’s Foreign Minister) and I quote (see link)…
.
Krishna said New Delhi had received no such complaints from the US, where nearly 100,000 Indian students are studying.
Krishna was speaking on the sidelines of a function to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the US-India Education Foundation that awards the Fulbright scholarships.
Krishna, a Fulbright scholar himself and was the chief guest at the function.
.
Possibly he was being generous to his hosts and the sponsors of his scholarship and hence had possibly imagined that students in USA are not mugged or attacked late at night.
.
It is a fact hence that what Australia needs apart from getting the Police Spokespeople possessing good communication skills, is to offer an Aussie equivalent of the Fulbright to a potential future cabinet minister. The only Indian politician with an Ozzie education that comes to my mind with political parentage and political acumen to one day become a Cabinet Minister is Netaji Mulayam’s son Akhilesh. Being doubtful of his academic capabilities, Australia can instead focus on giving me the scholarship instead!!!
.
I am often told by a journalist friend to keep my blogs short to sustain interest. A quote from which he wants me to take inspiration from is…
.
“A good speech, they say, should be like a mini-skirt, short enough to be interesting, and long enough to cover the essentials.”
.
I am learning slowly… Keep advising.
Feb 16 2010

The “IRRESPONSIBLE” must take blame for the death of these “OZ-BOUND” students.

Many Indian parents believed the over-hyped media coverage on the Australian attacks and persuaded young students bound for “elite and safe” Universities to drop their plans over the last nine months. The fact is that some of these students were indeed NOT the “workers” going as “students” to be exposed to risky occupations such as “taxi driving” and were actually choosing serious academic courses at “secure” campuses of “elite” Universities.
I am doing this blog as an alumnus of once such University: Bond University on the Gold Coast, which clearly lives up to its reputation as a “Rolls Royce” amongst institutions. A beautiful custom built campus with students mostly staying on campus and with 24×7 security.
The tragedies that I will refer to are pertaining to students considering Bond as their study destination and will be backed by links giving the details.
Tragedy 1: Ashar Mendon
India’s most reliable TV channel, NDTV, reported on July 8, 2009 (see link):
Ashar Mendon was all set to study in Australia.
But now, the 18-year-old’s dream has died with him.
Ashar, the son of a garment exporter committed suicide by hanging himself in their flat in Colaba on Monday.
The reason: his mother scared by the racial attacks on Indians in Australia forbade him to go.
Just days ago, Ashar had got admission at the Bond University in New South Wales for an undergraduate Information Technology course.
The report does get it wrong on the location of Bond University but it is a fact that he had applied to Bond University indeed (Student ID 13089319 and for Sept 09 intake). He had also been issued an offer of admission.
Tragedy 2: Anindee Dhar (along with her brother and other friends)
Anand Bazar Patrika, on 15th Feb, reported that Anindee Dhar, a student at Pune, who died in the blast, was actually intending to study in Australia but once the media reported the attacks, the family changed the plans and she went to Pune. Due to the fact that she was in Pune, her brother who lives in Mumbai and her friend from Mumbai would travel over to Pune to meet her. They all died in the attack. What an irony indeed that in trying to escape the “reported” violence in Australia and met with death in India itself.
My gut feel is that she would have been safe and sound at the institution that she was intending to study in Australia. What a co-incidence indeed once again, the institution that she was being counseled for was Bond University, my alma mater and the course being Bachelors in Communication.
I want to share and put on record the article that has appeared in INDIA TODAY GROUP’S Mail Today newspaper, this day (see link):

KOLKATA GIRL HAD PICKED ‘ SAFER’ PUNE
HAD SHE pursued her dream of studying in Australia, 19- year- old Anindee Dhar may have been alive today.
Anindee and her brother, 24- year- old Ankik, were killed when a bomb ripped through German Bakery in Pune on Saturday.
IIT Kharagpur alumnus Ankik had come from Mumbai to celebrate his promotion at JP Morgan with his sister. The siblings were joined by friend Shilpa Goenka ( 23), who was also from Kolkata and who too was killed in the blast.
The three, along with two other friends, P. Sundari ( 23) and Binita Gadani( 22) — who were also killed in the blast — were munching on strawberry rolls when the blast snuffed out their lives.
Early last year, Anindee had approached the Salt Lake branch of Global Reach with her mother for counselling on which Australian university to apply to.
Sugata Das, the manager of counselling at the branch, remembered Anindee as a “ very lively girl”, who came in saying that she wanted to do her bachelor’s in arts Down Under.
A shocked Das said, “ She was such a good communicator that I advised her to apply for a bachelor’s in communication at Bond University, Gold Coast in Queensland, which would help her land a good job.”
Anindee’s mother, Das remembered, was very concerned about her daughter’s safety. “ I reassured her that Bond is one of the safest campuses in Australia with on- campus accommodation,” Das added.
The Dhar family was also making enquiries about sending their younger Aishik, to study in Australia once he finished school.
Anindee’s parents were in touch with Global Reach till May on Anindee’s education prospects in Australia. That’s when reports of attacks on Indian students Down Under hit the headlines.
“ These reports scared them, and they decided that they didn’t want to send Anindee to study in Australia,” Das said.
Anindee’s mother is now in a state of deep shock.
Global Reach MD Ravi Lochan Singh said the irony is that “ no student of Bond University drives taxis”, referring to the recent reports of attacks on Indian taxi drivers in Australia.
It was these attacks that had led to widespread fears of racist violence targeted against Indian students there.
Anindee, who was a photography and trekking enthusiast and a voracious reader, applied to Fergusson college in Pune, instead.
She excelled there as a student of English literature, topping her college’s internal exam.
Just a day before she died, Anindee had discussed threadbare the interpretation of death while reading Robert Frost’s poem, Stopping By Woods on A Snowy Evening in class.
It was the last poem she was destined to speak about in class.
As the one who established the Indian chapter of Bond University Alumni, I find it so unbearable to read about the two tragedies. Both these students would have done really well to proceed on to Australia for their UG degrees. Bond is the University that is chosen by several protective parents including the Sultan of Brunei for their children and there is no doubt that many other Universities would offer similar safe and secure study environment. Almost all attacks that have been reported have happened to those who have actually travelled to Australia on “student visas” though with clear intention to be “workers”. Almost all attacks have taken place in risky circumstances. And almost all the attacks have had little to do with University students. Further the recent deaths were not of students at all (Both Nitin Garg and Ranjodh were not students) and while Nitin’s killers are being hunted, Ranjodh’s killers turn out to be Indian brethren. The Racism theory stands challenged also when Jasbir was found to have engaged in self-inflicted injury in hope of “insurance claim”. Indian High Commissioner has certainly raised the need for increased security in the state of Victoria especially in certain parts of Melbourne. Both the above mentioned students would have been miles away in Gold Coast, a city that lives on tourism from all over the world. This is not to say that students in Melbourne especially at the Universities are in anyway unsafe. The University students are overall safer in Australia as compared to all other destinations and this is confirmed through various international studies and surveys including one that has been released today. FOUR Aussie cities including Melbourne and Sydney continue to be listed amongst livable cities and in top 10 worldwide while Mumbai stands at 117th rank.
Violence is unacceptable in any society but at the same time the incorrect and hyped picture of violence in Australia makes certain over-enthusiastic TV anchors and commentators unwitting accomplices in these tragedies. What is written and what is broadcasted using the LIVE medium has deep impact on the parents of these students in ways that require us to be even more responsible and careful about what we utter.
May the soul rest in peace of these young children of our country… May there be no more deaths… Will the Indian Media take some lessons?

Jan 30 2010

Media concocts a SECOND advisory against OZ studies.

Irresponsible TV channels highlight a personal opinion of the MOS Preneet Kaur to give an impression to Indian students and Australian institutions that a second travel advisory has been issued and INDIANS HAVE BEEN BEEN ADVISED NOT TO TRAVEL FOR STUDY IN AUSTRALIA.

Friday, 29th January 2010: What an eventful day for all of us. Thank god that I did not have a heart attack.

Around noon, parents of Indian students bound for quality University education in Australia who had just come out of pre-departure briefing sessions prior to their departures in the coming week started calling the institutions and their representatives frantically quoting the Indian TV channels that “Indian Government has issued a fresh Travel Advisory clearly advising students NOT to opt for Australia and not to travel”. Australian institutions that begin their visit to India for several educational information sessions and conferences too panicked and some even have reportedly called off their visit to India.

The source of report was the TIMES NOW website (article link) and I quote from it:

In an obvious toughening of the Indian government’s stance on continuing crimes against Indians in Australia, the Ministry of External Affairs has issued a second advisory to Indians discouraging them to travelling to Australia to study. This is the government’s second travel advisory for students aspiring to study in Australia, in a month.

TIMES NOW is from the Times of India group but I personally donot give it the same respect as what I give to THE TELEGRAPH or HINDU and hence switched to the NDTV website for a confirmation. NDTV being owned by Dr Prannoy Roy is certainly considered a standard amongst the TV channels and my personal bias due to the Doon School connections certainly accentuates this belief. NDTV website (article link) as that time was running it as the headline and stated under the heading GOVERNMENT ADVISES STUDENTS TO STAY AWAY FROM AUSTRALIA the similar message but more categorical and I quote:

The Indian government has officially asked students to avoid Australia for now.

NDTV confirming the TIMES NOW report made me call an emergency meeting of our staff with the agenda being to cancel the forthcoming Australian University briefing sessions in Kolkata as I had no intention to go against the Indian Government briefing. Also to drop our Australia advert from Times of India’s Education Times that is scheduled for coming Monday. It was a Friday afternoon and the Universities in Australia had already wound up for the day, thankfully.

However, something seemed amiss. The interview of the Minister of External Affairs, Mr Krishna just a few hours earlier aired on NDTV did not indicate anything about the advisory. Maharani Preneet Kaur is Minister of State in MEA and can possibly issue an advisory but these are evidently not broadcasted in this manner. I have respect for the Patiala family (once again my bias for the Doon School link. Not just Capt Amrinder Singh who shares my alma mater, but the full lot of Raninder, Jayat and Jagat Singh were at the time of my Doon School stay and almost batchmates.). However, what Maharani stated appeared more like her personal opinion and the reference that she made to the advisory was the earlier advisory that only cautioned students going to Australia to be careful and provided some Do’s and Don’ts. This is what appeared to me but still the NDTV and Times Now had stated almost categorically that a “second” advisory had indeed been issued.

I cross checked with the Australian High Commission which seemed clue-less and were themselves trying to verify the reports and they too seemed to give a lot of value to the NDTV standards of journalism leading them to not discount the information on their websites.

By now, hundreds of websites were carrying the report of the second advisory. Regional channels began re-cycling the reports and parents began the process of cancelling the plans for their children.

I used my “non-TV” channels for confirmations and called up my friends in the reliable PTI wire service who confirmed that there was NO NEW ADVISORY AGAINST OZ.

All this while, Ministry of External Affairs website was totally silent on the advisory and this gave rise to further doubt on the genuineness of the reports. In late afternoon, the Ministry of External Affairs website carried the following clarification:

Responding to a question by a member of media today MOS Smt. Preneet Kaur pointed out that an advisory had already been issued by the Ministry (on 12 June 2009) spelling out dos and don’ts for students planning to go to Australia for further studies. The advisory encourages the students to conduct due diligence and carefully apprise themselves of the ground realities including suitability of the institution in question, costs involved and consular procedures. 
(New Delhi
January 29, 2010)

Clearly, there was NO second advisory and the Minister Kaur had only referred to the earlier advisory. It is also clear that the bites that the channels picked up from her were more of her opinion and the Ministry on its website seemingly has rephrased the same and has clarified by putting the referenced date that the advisory that MOS referred to was the first advisory only and that there hence was no second advisory. It is quote obvious that the TELEVISION CHANNELS concocted that to make it look like A FRESH TRAVEL ADVISORY and even labelled it as a “second” advisory. Ministry of External Affairs was quoted in the reports but noone bothered to even check the Ministry website which remains regularly updated and which carries the advisories. Advisories are not one-liners uttered by the ministers but always a well worded document that is put up on the MEA site.

The Television channels continuing to be irresponsible had further harmed the Indian-Australian collaborative interests. All this while , on this important day, hardly any notice was made to the fact that the police in Australia had arrested the killers of Indian Ranjodh Singh and the accused were surprisingly “INDIANS”. I invite the “Seths of the world and the Goswami’s of the world” to be brave and withdraw the “racism” tag that they had given to OZ when the burnt body of Ranjodh was discovered a month ago. They will not as this requires courage and not just media-savviness. Nor will it bring them the TRP advantage.

It is a sad state of affairs in our country that the FREE press that is running for the “No. 1 position” and which needs to arrive with the “first breaking news” fails to understand the responsibility that comes with FREEDOM. It has let us all down by the fact that the false-alarm has affected and panicked so many people. While I donot want to blame the MOS for her comment (you may ascribe it to my Doon bias) but would hope that she visits Australia for herself in the near future to be able to review her opinion. Journalists however do know and donot need to be reminded on the way advisories is issued by the MEA.

Having had a troublesome afternoon, I took off a little early from office and took my family to my other passion: Movies on Fridays. Amitabh Bachchan starrer RANN did not let me down at all. Infact it was so timely. The way the farce of TV reporting has been unravelled by Ram Gopal Varma should make all our OZ bound students and parents to “doubt” every thing that they see on the box which is so aptly nicknamed “Idiot-box”. Completely in line of developments of the day, Big B and his channel almost reminded me of Dr Prannoy Roy and NDTV while Mohnish Behl and his sensationalism reminded me of Arnab Goswami. Like in reality where Arnab was trained by Dr Roy, in Rann too, Mohnish is trained by Big B. I need to tweet Ram Gopal Varma with my appreciation and ask him this. A must watch for all in our industry and in present context.

It is with this “dope” that I have done this blog. Kept it factual and with all details and links so that you can form your opinion. In Rann, the young and ethical journalist (Ritesh) almost gives up and surrenders to the “wheels within wheels” but Prannoy Roy(sorry I mean Big B) finally re-dos all mistakes of the channel and makes a thunderous dialogue stating that his “Rann goes on”.

My RANN(Battle) must also go on and I must not give up…

Ravi

PS: Times Now and NDTV sites on Saturday too have not corrected their report on their websites despite the clarification on the MEA site. Times of India (Saturday Print edition) carries the same report that the Government of India has issued an advisory not to study in Australia quoting their own reporters and well… it is clear that NO ONE wants the truth.

I now need to discover the Rann’s Paresh Rawal’s “real life” avatar now.