Indianexpress.com : comments : Dear parents and students

Dear parents and students

I have frequently visited India and have mentored Indian students for over two decades. I have supervised 11 Indian postgraduate research theses. Recent events compel me to pen these words. The easiest part of my visits to India is convincing good students to join my school’s well-regarded prog ....Read more

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EnforcementBy: Ric | Friday , 5 Jun '09 12:08:32 PM Reply | Forward Sensible article from an Australian professor defending Australia. But the fact remains that the hundreds of recent events of crime against Indians in Melbourne have not been addressed by the police. Had it not been for the concerted media effort in India to highlight this issue, would Australia have paid attention? Apparently despite Indian foreign ministry's request to Austalia last year to address this issue, nothing was done. What would the good professor suggest to ensure that the Victoria police take stern action against criminal assault, instead of blaming the victims of the assaults regardless of whether they came to Australia for genuine degrees or paper degrees?

mr.By: simran | Thursday , 4 Jun '09 11:26:16 AM Reply | Forward an excellently written and well thought out post... i lived in australia for 23 years... and its a very tolerating friendly place - this includes the recent migrants there. the hype is just the media having a field day, and amitab bachan etc, are just capitalising on it (he's an actor for heaven's sake!!! - what do you expect him to do!!!). some express genuine concern, but please apply a healthy amount of skepticism about what you read in the media, and by healty ... i mean doubt just about everything you read in the mainstream media these days (especially doubt its context).

Dear parents. .By: Kaushik | Thursday , 4 Jun '09 2:47:20 AM Reply | Forward As the professor suggests it would be very helpful for us to understand the different cultures better if we had an organised exchange programme for students with as many countries as possible and also for those looking to gain experience working in different countries. I know this as I am an Indian living and working for the last 5 years in Europe. It is a pity that inanimate 'goods' have so much more freedom to move around the world than the people that produce them. These disturbances happen periodically in all countries simply because we dont understand each other's cultures,sensitivities and determining factors.

Mr. Isaac BalbinBy: bull | Wednesday , 3 Jun '09 21:09:58 PM Reply | Forward I agree with everything Mr.Balbin has said in this article. I myself had studied in RMIT 8 years back. I used to go about Melbourne in those days with no regard to time and walk around the city with no incidents, except for a drunk or two passing comments. I went back on work to Melbourne last year and seen how much the city has changed. It is no more or less racist than it used to be back then, but violent behavior became much more prevalent. There were many violent incidents in the city especially during weekends. One more thing that Mr.Balbin bought up is very relevant and that is the quality of students coming into Australia. I've seen many Indian coming in for Mr.Balbin aptly mentions paper diplomas. The reason why the Indian diaspora is one of the most educated and prosperous ethnic communities in USA is mainly because of strict visa rules for students. Australia too needs to crackdown on rogue institutes and students who come just to find any means to stay in Australia.

Indians love sensationalizing everything2By: Yashasvi | Wednesday , 3 Jun '09 19:52:20 PM Reply | Forward It is quite understandable, why a few Australian youths would have got really annoyed if these Indian boys were playing loud music and did not pay any heed to the requests for putting it off. Though they should not have beaten the boys to pulp, however, it is for the country’s lawmakers to sort it out. The students bodies should stay clear of it. At the most they can represent their case through may be embassy, but trying to project it as a racial issue is stretching the things little too far. Even in Bhajji v/s Symond case, we all very well know what Bhajji’s utterances were. And even if Tendulkar was to be believed (that it was not the word monkey but “maa ki”), then it all the more goes on to prove the insensitive nature of Indians, who put race above mother, as race represents the male domination in the society.

Indians love sensationalizing everything1By: Yashasvi | Wednesday , 3 Jun '09 19:50:41 PM Reply | Forward Indians love sensationalizing everything. If any outsider has closely observed India, then he/ she would realize, what a bunch of buffoons we Indians are. Indians do not only love to sensationalize everything, but also end up trivializing everything. Indian media is only a representation of Indian culture so they are no different. Indians also tend to treat themselves with so much of self importance, and expect that the rest of the world should show reverence to them. The observation made by the writer about many youth just hanging around at the road side in the evening is so true and they do it in India too. Also in India, many families still treat male off-springs with so much veneration, as if they are the God’s gift to the humanity. Such boys, in the absence of right parental guidance, end up believing in the aura created around them. They become very belligerent and boisterous, which is likely to irritate a lot of people, more so if it is not in their own country.

Sensible commentBy: RAVI | Wednesday , 3 Jun '09 16:28:10 PM Reply | Forward This is the most sensible peice I've come across among the vast array of mindless sensational peices that have appeared in recent times. I write as an Indian who has been living in Aus for last 5 years.In times like this it is easy to sensationalize and refuse or deny the problems in the community. While this is not undermining or condoning the unfair attacks of the last few weeks it is undeniable that alarge number of students are really not studentsin the real sense. A number of them are sent with rosy promises by slimy operators and end without opportunities in the city in atime where everyday is to be counted in terms of costs involved in staying.Having said that there is a basket of rotten eggs as in every city that tars the reputation of the city. Also sensationalization by the media , irresponsible statements on both sides definitely add fuel to the minor pockets of racial fires.

Most Livable CityBy: Rohi | Wednesday , 3 Jun '09 11:54:37 AM Reply | Forward I have known Prof. Balbin personally, during my stay at RMIT University. I can vouch for each and every word what he has said. Melbourne is one of the most peaceful cities in the world,I remember taking early morning 1st train at 4:30 A.M from Flinders or walking late in night back home to St. Kilda if i missed my last train. I never felt insecure of loosing a cent, forget about racially being targeted. On the contrary i felt the local aussies were very emphatic and warm with me. Mel was crowned most livable city, and I knew it why. Although teen outlaws were always active, in look out for soft targets, to spice up their lives with money and fun (braging). I guess its prevelant across globe. I credit Indian media for doing a good job and bringing in notice of Fed Govt, but now i believe media should cool off. I am concerned about the multicultural fabric of Melbourne but not alarmed. Hope Fed Govt. sort this issue quickly, and Mel regains the title of 'Most Livable City' of the world

Education By: George P. Joseph | Wednesday , 3 Jun '09 11:09:22 AM Reply | Forward The Professors is a man of letters who knows what is education and how it should be delivered to make students to become a matrix of genius to explore the mysteries of the Universe and life to transform the human race as quite good tolerance as everybody can leave comfortably in the times to come. Viewing the modern students proceeding, while keeping pace with the times, will ultimately fetch a catastrophe that will degrade the human values and will revert to the civilization of vandalism and as barbarians. Good education and personal manner are the value of life than aggression everywhere in the world.

good observationsBy: Ramakrishna | Wednesday , 3 Jun '09 5:02:06 AM Reply | Forward The professor makes good observations and it is a well written article.