Indian students unsafe in Australia, says Nitin Garg's family

Jagraon (Punjab), Jan 5 : The killing of Nitin Garg, a 21 year-old Indian student living in Australia has shocked his family members, who insist that the attack was racist in nature.

Nitin Garg was stabbed to death at West Foorscray, a suburb of Melbourne by some goons on Saturday night, while he was on his way to work.

The police have said the motive for the attack, which they described as vicious, was not known.
Police added that Garg managed to stagger 300 meters to the restaurant before collapsing. He was rushed to Royal Melbourne Hospital, where he later died.

The news of his death has disturbed his family members, who live in Jagraon Township near Ludhiana city.

Annsh Garg, the uncle of Nitin Garg, said that they would launch a protest against the Indian government, as well as the Australian government, for failing to provide security to Indian students.

He added the Australian authorities did not provide Nitin with immediate medical aid.

"There is no security for our children in Australia. Why are we sending our kids there? Despite repeated assurances by our Prime Minister and Foreign Minister that such instances would not take place again, our children are not safe. We believe that there is a lot of racial discrimination in Australia and they are attacking Indians over there," said Annsh Garg.

"This time we will launch a protest through the media against the Indian government as well as the Australian government for failing to provide security to Indian students. He was not provided immediate medical aid and died two hours after the attack. If only they would have provided him with timely medical aid, he could have survived," he added.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna had on Sunday condemned the attack on 21-year-old Indian student Nitin Garg in Melbourne, and warned the Australian Government that if it did not take action on the ongoing attacks, India would be forced to take a firm decision.

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had also on Monday asserted the Central Government to take the attacks on Indians in Australia seriously.

A series of attacks on Indian students in 2009, attributed by police to opportunistic criminals, escalated into a diplomatic issue between Australia and India after some Indian students and Indian media labelled the attacks as racist.

The attacks prompted protests and calls for better protection of international students by local authorities, with some saying they no longer felt safe in Australia.

--ANI