The Indian diaspora in Australia gathered before the Indian consulate here and held a peaceful rally on Thursday in support of the anti-rape stir in India and offered prayers for the recovery of the 23-year-old Delhi gang-rape victim.
Several Indian community leaders and other members prayed for peace, well-being and amity and also gave a memorandum to the consulate officials, demanding action to stop such incidents across the country.
The Melbourne Indians Solidarity Group said in the memorandum:
“We condemn the gang-rape of a medical student in Delhi and all such heinous acts of rape and molestation anywhere. We want to initiate a debate to create consciousness and consensus-building towards a solution. There are no hasty demands or requests.
“We feel strongly about this issue and respect all diverse views, in the true democratic tradition.
“However, we also feel that peaceful protest on this issue is legitimate. The physical and psychological damage to victims, as is happening now, is totally unacceptable in any civilised society.
“Our concern is a reflection of our love for India ... It is important that the Government of India acts in the most expeditious manner in relation to the above extremely serious situation.”
Organiser of the rally Manoj Kumar said, “The Indian government must take action against the culprits and take steps to stop such incidents. We urge the Indian government and State governments to initiate urgent steps to prevent rape and other crimes against women.”
In Thailand
In Thailand, hundreds of ethnic and expatriate Indians have signed petitions addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, urging him to take strong action against rapists.
“What happened to the young woman a few days back in Delhi is shocking,” Bangkok-based Vibha Kawatra, a restaurateur, who grew up in Delhi said.
