Did Indian students falter in etiquette in Australia?
"When
in Rome, do as the Romans do." This proverb, a sort of mild warning to
visitors not to behave in a way that could come inconflict with local
sentiments, is probably as old as the city of Rome, believed to have been established
by Romulus nearly 3,000 years ago.
Did the attacks against a handful of Indian students, who are nearly a lakh strong, happen due to this etiquette problem coupled with their willingness to slog at a much lower salary?
Indian students, especially those doing courses in hospitality disciplines, live in single apartment flats paying $150 per head per week. They work hard and earn around $350 a week at $9 an hour, leaving them with extra cash to have fun. Most of them work in the night doing odd jobs and many, hailing from small towns, take time to get used to the glitter of the city and forget to behave like Australians.
There is another aspect to this racial attacks. Many Indian students are just out of school and join hospitality courses. A minuscule try to take advantage of the liberal Australian juvenile law, which prohibits arrest of those below 18 years, and indulge in crime bringing bad name to the entire community.
All these -- ability to work at low wages and save money, enjoy staying in decent localities and a few criminal elements -- invite the wrath of locals. The worst opposition to Indian students came from the Lebanese community, who had settled in Australia around 300 years ago and probably faced similar treatment before finding their feet in the mainstream.
Australia, like India, offers right to equality to all its inhabitants. This means that all citizens and foreigners will be treated equally before the law. However, this does not guarantee equal treatment from society, a factor which depends mainly on the ability of the settler to assimilate.
Did the attacks against a handful of Indian students, who are nearly a lakh strong, happen due to this etiquette problem coupled with their willingness to slog at a much lower salary?
Indian students, especially those doing courses in hospitality disciplines, live in single apartment flats paying $150 per head per week. They work hard and earn around $350 a week at $9 an hour, leaving them with extra cash to have fun. Most of them work in the night doing odd jobs and many, hailing from small towns, take time to get used to the glitter of the city and forget to behave like Australians.
There is another aspect to this racial attacks. Many Indian students are just out of school and join hospitality courses. A minuscule try to take advantage of the liberal Australian juvenile law, which prohibits arrest of those below 18 years, and indulge in crime bringing bad name to the entire community.
All these -- ability to work at low wages and save money, enjoy staying in decent localities and a few criminal elements -- invite the wrath of locals. The worst opposition to Indian students came from the Lebanese community, who had settled in Australia around 300 years ago and probably faced similar treatment before finding their feet in the mainstream.
Australia, like India, offers right to equality to all its inhabitants. This means that all citizens and foreigners will be treated equally before the law. However, this does not guarantee equal treatment from society, a factor which depends mainly on the ability of the settler to assimilate.
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