Australia has regretted the racist assault on an Indian driver that took place over the weekend. Following the attack, which is the second such incident against Indians in a week, Australia has begun an official investigation.
“We regret the attack on taxi driver of Indian-origin in Hobart which happened during the weekend. We understand he suffered minor injuries and has been discharged from Royal Hobart Hospital. We place great importance on the safety and security of everyone who resides in Australia, including our Indian community,” said a statement issued by the spokesperson of the High Commission of Australia in India.
The attack on the 33-year-old Li Max Joy, hailing from Kottayam in Kerala, was carried out by a group of teenagers who hurled racist insults at him while hitting him.
Mr. Joy is the second person to face racist attack in Australia within a week. Tomy Kalathoor Mathew, an Indian-origin Catholic priest was stabbed and injured in Melbourne last week in another apparent hate crime incident.
Similar to U.S. attacks
The attacks follow similar incidents in the U.S. where a number of Indians have been targeted in recent weeks. The attack in Hobart is however not the first in Australia as racist attacks on Indians have taken place in the past also. Between 2010 and 2013 a number of attacks on Indian students took place in Australia.
Tasmania police inquires
The government of Australia has, however, promised to look into the racial dimension of the latest attack. “The matter is current and under investigation by Tasmania police. Tasmania police takes all assaults seriously. We understand that whether the assault was racially-based will be a component of the investigative facts,” the spokesperson said.
The attack has also drawn attention in view of the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to India which is likely to take place in the first half of April.
