The perception in India that Australia is a racist country is prevailing, with a Bollywood screen legend refusing an honorary doctorate from a Queensland university because of recent violence against Indian students.
The stabbing with a screwdriver of Indian student Sravan Kumar Theerthala in Melbourne last week has led to a rage reaction in India. The Indian media described it as “curry bashing”.
Photos of Theerthala, lying in his hospital bed in a coma, were posted in front of pages of Indian newspapers at the weekend.
Amitabh Bachchan posted a notice on his website where he said he would be rejecting an honorary doctorate he was due to be awarded next month from the Queensland University of Technology.
The 66-year-old, Bachan, better known “The Big B” in movie-mad India, had previously requested feedback on the site about whether he should accept the honor, but said he had been overwhelmed by the strong response of Indians who argued that he should not accept it.
“Under the prevailing circumstances I thought it inappropriate at this time to accept this decoration,” Bachchan said in a letter to QUT posted on the site yesterday.
He also mentioned, “My conscience does not allow me to accept this decoration from a country that perpetrates such indignity to my fellow countrymen.”
There are more than 80,000 Indian students in Australia and the country’s international education sector gets a lot of money from them, which earned $15.5 billion last year.
Kevin Rudd has spoken with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the issue, and Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said Australia is doing everything to prevent further attack on Indian students.
In India, Australian high commissioner, John McCarthy, appeared on television to defend Australia.
“I would deny that we are a racist country. Australia is generally a safe country, ”he told the NDTV news channel.
Source : The Australian
