The events of the past week have undoubtedly shaken our community – one that I am proudly part of. However, what’s been especially striking to me is the sheer breadth of that impact across a broad cross section of Australian-Indians; be it young or old, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim or Christian or be it new, first or second generation migrants. Our WhatsApp groups (i.e. the Indian aunty/uncle messenger app of choice) have been exploding with messages sharing fears and clips featuring protest material specifically targeting Indian Australians. But these fears did not arise overnight from one single march. For many, it is the manifestation of an anti-Indian sentiment that has been present and normalised across TikTok, X and Instagram throughout the US, UK and Australia for over a year. Such fears have only been exacerbated by the offensive remarks by Senator Price that further feed the trolls seeking to target a minority. What’s especially heartbreaking is that, for the first time, I’ve seen family members and friends who have been here for decades question whether the place they call home and contributed so much to truly values them in return.
However, in what has been a tough week for so many in our community, it is important to keep perspective. The swift outpouring of support for Australian-Indians and condemnation of Senator Price’s ridiculous comments by government at both State and Federal levels is something that ought to provide comfort and should be applauded. And whilst I remain highly critical of the Liberal Party’s missteps in its delay in demoting Senator Price, the decision to feature her as a speaker for a recent party fundraiser and not to mention its concerning decision to preference One Nation at the last Federal election (a particularly troubling development that I wrote about at the time), there are still positives that should be acknowledged. Indeed, it cannot be denied that Senator Price has been roundly condemned and found herself politically isolated in her party room with virtually no allies across the mainstream political spectrum because of her comments.
At a time when much of the Western world is succumbing to the normalisation (and sometimes explicit encouragement) of racist tropes, stereotypes and fear mongering politics – Australia on this particular occasion has remained firm across the mainstream political spectrum. It’s something that should give us hope. However, that does not mean there is nothing to be concerned about. The events of the past week are symptomatic of an even broader security risk that we cannot afford to ignore.
For several years, ASIO has warned of the increasing threat of far-right extremist violence, white nationalist movements and the fact that a significant proportion of domestic anti-terrorism cases involve Neo-Nazi cells. The perpetrator of the horrific Christchurch massacre was himself heavily involved with far-right movements in Australia. My worry is that the shift in anti-Indian rhetoric on social media and the regular appearance of Neo Nazis at public protests are an indicator of more radical discontent. Undercover investigations have already revealed violent views and ‘training camps’ for Neo Nazi recruits at ‘Racism HQ’. It’s no wonder that many have a very real feeling of having a target on their back. Comparatively, the Jacinta Price saga is a mere sideshow at a time where markers for an increase in hate crimes are at play. Far-Right threat Australia
This is not to say that I believe recent events are in any way representative of wider Australia. However, what I am saying is that it ultimately only took only one extremist at Christchurch to deliver horror. With the scapegoating of migrants in policy debates, a toxic social media world combined with an emboldened extremist fringe element of our society – Australians of all backgrounds (and of course government and security agencies especially) must remain vigilant. That is the real worry and one our leaders must grapple with.
I am not suggesting that this means we cannot have sensible debates about immigration. But it is possible for us to do so without unfair and inaccurate scapegoating of entire communities or the normalisation of racism. It is possible to have those discussions with sense, facts, empathy and maturity.
That is, and must continue to be, the Australian way.
Read more: How second-gen Indian-Australians see Jacintagate and its fallout
