Monday, January 11, 2010

In the line of fire

The Herald Sun newspaper recently interviewed a number of people from different ethnic background to see if they thought Australia was a racist country. You can guess which ethnic groups feels the strongest about this issue. I am not about to take sides here, as this is a very sensitive issue. In this blog I just want to make a point with reference to the recent fatal stabbing of an Indian man and the furor this has unleashed in India.

Indian news reporters should take note that Indians in Australia dominate certain segments of the local employment scene, such as petrol stations, fast food chains and taxicabs. These industries, in particular, carry very high risks due to the high amount of cash involved (for petrol stations), wee hours (for fast food chains), and high personal exposure (for taxicabs). I might be wrong, but perhaps it is no coincidence that many Indians have been attacked as they stand in the line of fire, so to speak. It may be useful to look at the other employment areas where Indians have a significant presence, such as certain Centrelink offices, Immigration offices, and banks. Do the Indians in such places face any more violence than the other ethnic groups? I can't say for sure, but I think the reader should think about this and decide for himself.

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