Advance Australia Fair
By: Geo (June 4th, 2009)
Australia, they say, is a whole new world packed into one continent, packed into one country. Unarguably, it is one of the most picturesque land masses on the planet with a variety unparalleled. If you are in Australia you can bush walk in the deserts, ski in the Alps, stroll on the Gold Coasts, bungee Jump in the gorges, snorkel in the barrier reef, or simple keep gasping at the amazing sights all around.
Though the Sydney Opera House is the most recognizable feature of Australia, the world’s largest monolith- the Ayers Rock, is not far behind. The Great Barrier Reef, the Pinnacles, the Tasmanian Wilderness, the Gold Coast, the wine growing valleys and the Sydney Harbour Bridge are few of the other breathtaking sights of this country-cum-continent. The kangaroos, the koalas, the platypus, the kookaburras, the emus, the echidnas are few of the wildlife species that defy imagination. A land that can surely make you go ‘away with the pixies’.
So much for the scenery. What about the people? They say, Australia is a “safe country with laidback people”. Australia does have a fascinating history of convict settlers, wayward sons and mail-order brides, but other than for the sledging on the cricket field, Australians have more or less been true to this description. And why not? Their anthem pledges, “For those who’ve come across the seas, we’ve boundless plains to share; with courage let us all combine, to Advance Australia Fair”.
A softer and easier alternative to US or UK, tens of thousands of people got pulled to the Australian territory to pursue higher education or to settle and take advantage of the opportunities galore in the cradle of nature. However the recent trends in contemporary Australia seem to have the potential to overshadow the appeal of it’s pristine natural beauty and exotic wildlife, or smear the canvas of its swelling economy decked with opportunities.
Some of those who came from across the seas - Indians, did combine in Melbourne very recently, but it was only to protest the unfair wave of racial attacks mainly on students of their community. Thousands of them joined to show the perpetrators and their supporters that they were not ’soft targets’. The marchers numbering over 5,000, also walked down to the Victorian Parliament House, holding placards with slogans reading `We want Justice’, `We are the Economy Builders’ and `End Racist Attacks’.
Seven Indian students were attacked one after the other in a span of few weeks by some ‘agro’ aussies taking the tally to over a hundred attacks in 12 months (some say 500 in 6 months!). Racial abuses were hurled at them. One of them was attacked with a screwdriver, other had a petrol bomb hurled at him, still another was robbed and then stabbed with a knife and yet another was mobbed and beaten up.
Though prominent Indians in Australia played down the incidents and blamed the Indian media for being hysteric and having blown the incidents out of proportion, coloring it with racist tints, anger built up back home with even prominent Indians thinking loud in reply. While Aamir Khan used his blog to voice his condemnation, Amitabh Bachchan turned down and honorary doctrate from Queensland University of Technology to protest the attacks. Shockingly but not surprisingly, the Aussie media didn’t notice the attacks till recently!
Despite the ‘Dinki-di’ singing by Indians in Oz land (all perhaps to keep their dilly bags future secure), the ’stickybeak’ Indian media kept harpooning its hysteria, the rellies (relatives) voiced their concern for their wards above the din of demands of UPA’s allies, the Prime Ministers talked, and finally the police said ‘You right?’, made some arrests but only after exposing system to be a ‘dag’ with undertones of ‘apartheid’. However, at the end of the day, the ‘back of beyond’ attacks are being tagged as being just ‘opportunistic attacks’ rather than ‘racist’. Hope they are right.
As of now it does seem that the hue and cry and whinging will die down soon. But the Lehmans, the Symmonds, the Haydens and Joe Bloggs will continue to sledge and exhibit shades of racism either in defense or to rub in their superiority. And this is happening not just in Australia, but all around us, everywhere on the globe. India itself being a perpetrator of it, in a different matter though, casteism (a not so distant cousin of racism).
Aamir wishfully said, “I don’t think any human being should be attacked. I don’t think any human being’s dignity should be attacked in this manner.” But can wishes like that of Aamir’s be fulfilled at all?
Jesus exposed the heart of man and said, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander”. So true. Can any good be wished for without a change in the hearts of men everywhere? It doesn’t matter whether you are in one the best places on earth like Australia, with plenty of opportunities, but evil hearts will continue to rob the peace and security of people everywhere.
Is there a hope at all? Will all these ever end? Why has not education and technology helped us to become better humans? What will be our state a hundred years from now? Any better? Why does the evil of racism and hatred never leave us?
As mankind wrestles with these questions, settlers in Australia can only confess with hope and continue to sing in joyful strains ‘Advance Australia Fair’.
Ooroo.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:02 am
Another great article from you. The recent attacks in Australia have been quite disturbing. Apparently travel agents are sending out an advisory for Indian students with dos and don’ts of travelling to Australia. One of them is- do not flaunt ur ipod, laptop or any other gadget! Sad but true
May 13th, 2011 at 9:06 pm
really fine. i want to read more.