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| Steps taken to ensure safety of Indians in Australia: Ravi
Last Updated: 2009-06-07 21:42:47
Kochi: Union Minister for Overseas Affairs Vayalar Ravi today said India has already mounted diplomatic pressure on Australia to ensure that students and other Indian nationals are safe in that country.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and he himself had spoken to the Australia authorities and were keeping in touch with the Indian High Commission there in this regard, he told a meet-the-press programme.
Ravi said, two years ago when he visited Australia he had discussed with Australian authorities on the social security of Indian students since such attacks were going on then also.
Indian students take out rally in Sydney
Asked whether it was a racial attack against the Indians, Ravi said, "It is not known, but there may be an element of racial abuse, we cannot generalise."
The Minister said anti-social elements in Australia were behind the attacks on Indian students.
He said the staff strength at the Indian Consulate General at Melbourne was less and he had suggested creation of a consulate for students alone.
Ravi said setting up an institutional mechanism to deal with the attacks on Indian students abroad and a project to help jobless workers returning from Gulf countries will be high on the agenda.
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