Indian students in Australia

For the past couple of months, Indian media has extensively reported on attacks on Indian students in Australia. At times, there has been almost ghoulish glee shown by some newspapers and TV channels, covering gory details.

I am not doubting that Indians have been the victims of attacks in Australia. But what I am wondering is whether all the attacks are racially motivated or whether some have to do with other factors like basic economics or cultural non-integration?

Let’s look at economics first. Could it be that some Indian students are willing to work at lower-than-minimum wages, therefore becoming an attractive labor pool for Australian employers, who like their global counterparts, are driven by the motive of profit maximization? There may well be Australian businesses (like restaurants) that use this labor pool and in the process, deny jobs to other Australians. I do not know if this indeed happens, or if it does, the scale on which it does. But it certainly seems plausible.

And what do I mean by cultural non-integration? Most Indians stick together when they live overseas. Perhaps this is natural when we first go abroad, and for students who are scrimping and scrounging, it may well be driven by reasons of cost savings as well as the desire for “social security”. But when this clannishness comes in the way of integrating with “locals”, it can become a problem. One may not be fond of guzzling beers (perhaps one can’t afford to buy drinks for a bunch of friends/colleagues every week) but by not making any overt efforts to attempt to integrate with local customs and social practices, we only draw attention to ourselves and stick out like sore thumbs. Hardly surprising then, is it, that these “nails” that stand out are the ones that get hammered?

I have never been to Australia and am basing all this on my experiences in the UK and the US. But I suspect I may not be off the mark. I am not for a minute condoning the attacks on Indians in Australia. But I am raising a larger question and hope this will stir some debate. I look forward to your comments.