Right: Indian students and others gather at a Melbourne railway station to protect Indian commuters againt assault.Further implications
In the short-term a number of actions have been taken to allay concerns among Indian students studying in Australia and to placate the Indian government. Some members of the Indian community in Australia have also begun to take steps to ensure the safety of their people.Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has offered reassurances to India, and the Indian community here, that the attacks are considered abhorrent by Australians and are being taken very seriously. A multi-agency taskforce has been set up to deal with the issue, and tougher sentencing will be
introduced so that judges will take 'hatred for or a prejudice against a particular group of people' into account when punishing offenders.
A dedicated help line has been set up for Indian students who have been victims of crime, with advice being offered about how attacks might be avoided in future.
Members of the Indian community, who believe the police have not been supportive enough, have responded by gathering in large numbers at one of the trouble spots, St Albans station, to protect students travelling late at night.
Some have suggested that police have shown a 'lack of sensitivity', or have been slow in reacting to student complaints. However, police have given assurances that extra resources will be made available to deal with the problem.
Premier John Brumby will lead a 'harmony walk' through Melbourne on July 12 to demonstrate Victoria's strong support for multiculturalism.
Additionally there is concern that reports of attacks on Indian students studying in Australia will have a negative effect on the Australian tertiary education sector. Currently providing tertiary courses for Indian students is an important source of income for Australian universities and other tertiary institutions.
The education sector in New Zealand has moved to distance itself from attacks on Indian students, saying they were 'totally different societies'. The Chief Executive of the New Zealand Education Trust, Robert Stevens, has stressed to prospective students from India that New Zealand 'is a different country from Australia - in the nicest possible way', and is striving to market New Zealand to Indians in this manner. Education authorities in New Zealand are hoping recent attacks on Indian students in Australia will make New Zealand a more attractive option.