Malayali film star Navya Nair has had a brutal awakening on the struggles that every Indian-Australian faces at border security.
The actress has been fined Rs 1.14 lakh ($1980 AUD) at Melbourne International Airport for bringing in a string of jasmine flowers. She had flown in order to take part in Onam festivities organised by the Malayali Association of Victoria.
At the event, she jokingly recounted the incident, saying that the flowers had been innocently given to her by her father. “ He asked me to wear one in my hair from Kochi to Singapore, since it would wither by the time I reached. He told me to keep the second one in my handbag so I could wear it on the onward journey from Singapore. I put it in my carry bag,” she says.
Nair seemed to take the fine on her chin, admitting she had been unaware of Australia’s strict biosecurity laws. “What I did was against the law. It was a mistake I made unknowingly. However, ignorance is no excuse,” she said. She was ordered to pay the fine within 28 days.
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The incident comes amid heightened debate over migration. While Nair made a minor mistake, the public’s responses range from racist to dismissive. With some people questioning whether she had even read the form, to others using the mistake to justify reduced migration.
Some have even mocked Malayalis for their outcry against movies like The Kerala Story, and Param Sundari, both of which featured highly stereotypical images of women wearing jasmine flowers in their hair on a daily basis.
On the other hand, the incident has also educated the broader Indian community on Australia’s harsh biosecurity laws. Items which must be declared include:
- all food, plant material and animal items
- firearms, weapons and ammunition
- currency amounts of A$10,000 (or foreign equivalent), and
- some medicines
An incorrect declaration or a failure to declare can result in a fine of up to A$5,500.
The two time Kerala State Award winner is now back in India in the lead up to her upcoming film Pathirathri. Navya Nair
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