Adopt Gandhian way and remain calm: Indian community leaders

Two Australians were hospitalised on Sunday night after being beaten up by Indians whose car was vandalised and who were also allegedly racially taunted.

The incident took place at a car park outside Meadowglen International Athletics Stadium in Epping when a local skateboarder damaged the rear window of a car belonging to Indians,who were leaving the venue.

Federation of Indian Association of Victoria (FIAV) president Srinivas Vasan reiterated Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s appeal to people to abide by the law.

“I’m not saying what has happened is correct but we should not take law in our hands. We belong to Mahatma Gandhi’s country and we should follow non-violence,” he said.

Gautam Gupta of Federation of Indian Students Association described the incident as “bullying”,and said: “it was a handiwork of people who don’t understand multicultural society.”

“Police should punish the culprit,” he said,adding that racism should be dealt seriously by the state government.

“There were 5,000 Indians attending the Kabaddi match and the way this sort of provocation has been dealt and controlled was commendable,” he said.

Meanwhile,few Indian community leaders opted to refrain from making any comment on the latest episode saying it was something that being seen coming up.

A reputed leader of the community on the condition of anonymity said,”it was a self defence as the crowd was provoked by the locals.”

“One would have retaliated anyway if his or her car was being vandalised in front of her/his eyes,” he said.

Jag Shergill,who has been appointed as Victorian Multicultural commissioner by the state government,said,”any sort of violence was not going to help and should be avoided.

It is unfortunate that these things are happening here and that there are other means to look at the problem.”

Shergill said there was a need to get to the root of the brawl that erupted last night to find the exact picture of the incident.

Sydney-based cardiologist Yadu Singh said,”If I’m being bashed,I will use self defence as long as its within a reasonable force to avoid any further harm to myself or to my property. That self-defence steps has to be accepted and is ones’ rights.”

However,he said people should not take the law in their hand and maintain the self-defence action in a reasonable limit.

Meanwhile,Victorian police planned to interview the skateboarder who initiated the clash between the two groups,according to media reports here.