Aussie task force to check attacks

Prime minister Manmohan Singh called up Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd on Tuesday to again express concern over the attacks on Indian students. Australia announced the setting up of a task force headed by national security adviser Duncan Lewis to deal with the violence.

The violence created ripples in the Australian parliament. Rudd reassured New Delhi that Australia isn’t racist and promised to bring to book the culprits.

External affairs minister SM Krishna confirmed that Singh expressed displeasure to Rudd. Krishna said the Indian mission in Australia has been told to be in touch with the student community so that such incidents are immediately brought to the notice of the Australian government.

The attacks have been occurring for more than a year but came into focus last weekend when Sravan Kumar Theerthala was left fighting for his life after being stabbed with a screwdriver.

The authorities in Victoria said they would look at changing laws so that judges can take account of prejudice against a group of people when sentencing for a crime. The move is an attempt to contain the fallout from a series of attacks on Indian students, although the changes would apply to hate crimes prompted by religion, sexual orientation, and gender, as well as race.