Close X
Thursday, December 12, 2024
ADVT 
International

'Go home Indian': Sikh restaurateur racially targeted in Australia

Darpan News Desk IANS, 16 Nov, 2023 06:44 PM
  • 'Go home Indian': Sikh restaurateur racially targeted in Australia

Melbourne, Nov 16 (IANS) A Sikh restaurateur living in Australia for 15 years, has been left shaken after he found excrement smeared on his car for several days in a row and racist letters that told him, "go home, Indian".

Jarnail 'Jimmy' Singh, who runs 'Dawat – The Invitation' restaurant in Hobart, Tasmania, said he has been continuously targeted for over the last two, three months.

"It's mentally very stressful when it comes to your house, and particularly (being targeted) with your name on it... It's too much mental stress. Something has to be done," Singh told ABC News on Tuesday.

Singh first assumed the letter had been written by a young person, and did his best to ignore it, according to the report.

Recounting the first incident, he said dog excrement was smeared on the door handles of his car for four or five days in a row, followed by a racist letter in his driveway, telling him "go home, Indian".

While the incidents were brought to the notice of police and video cameras were installed at his property, the spiteful letters continued to arrive.

He told ABC News that the next letter was received about a month later, and it was even more offensive than the first -- including comments like "you can **** off back to India".

His car was also scratched outside his workplace.

"This kind of thing has to be stopped. Definitely, we do need a change," Singh rued.

Tasmania Police Commander Jason Elmer said in a statement that the incidents had been reported to police and were being investigated.

He said current legislation allowed for courts to "consider that a motivation of racial hatred or prejudice can be an aggravating factor in sentencing".

Commander Elmer said there was "no excuse for any form of verbal or physical harassment" in the community, and that people were encouraged to contact police immediately if they believe they have been the victim of a prejudice-related incident.

Aimen Jafri, the chair of the Multicultural Council of Tasmania, told ABC that incidents like those experienced by Singh were far too common -- and increasing.

"It's definitely getting worse at the moment," she said.

Singh said he hoped speaking out about his experiences could help prevent others from facing anything similar.

After police opened investigation, Singh took to his social media page and wrote that "there is no space for racism in our beautiful country, Australia".

He also thanked his supporters and customers who "stood with him in hard times".

"I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible support I have received in many ways, phone calls, messages, and personal visits to our restaurant just to check on me," he wrote on Facebook on Monday.

 

 

MORE International ARTICLES

Tributes pour in for 5 victims of family who died in UK house fire

Tributes pour in for 5 victims of family who died in UK house fire
Tributes have been pouring in for the five members of a Hindu family, including three children, who died in a house fire during Diwali celebrations in west London. Seema Ratra died along with her three children -- Riyan, Shanaya and Arohi -- and a house guest in a blaze took hold in Channel Close, Hounslow on Sunday night.  

Tributes pour in for 5 victims of family who died in UK house fire

Charles at 75: Britain's king celebrates birthday with full schedule as he makes up for lost time

Charles at 75: Britain's king celebrates birthday with full schedule as he makes up for lost time
At an age when many of his contemporaries have long since retired, King Charles III is not one to put his feet up. The king will mark his 75th birthday on Tuesday by busily highlighting causes close to his heart.

Charles at 75: Britain's king celebrates birthday with full schedule as he makes up for lost time

No charges laid against driver of crash that left 5 Australian-Indians dead

No charges laid against driver of crash that left 5 Australian-Indians dead
No charges have been laid as yet against an elderly driver involved in a car crash in Australia that left five Indian-origin people, including two children, dead and five others injured, police said. The 66-year-old driver, an 'insulin-dependent diabetic' who has remained in medical care following the collision on November 5, was interrogated by the police on Tuesday.  

No charges laid against driver of crash that left 5 Australian-Indians dead

Blinken urges Indian counterparts to co-operate with Canada in probing Nijjar killing

Blinken urges Indian counterparts to co-operate with Canada in probing Nijjar killing
The U.S. secretary of state urged India again Friday to assist Canada's investigation into the killing of Hardeep Singh Najjar, something Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government has been calling for "from the very beginning." Antony Blinken wrapped up a whirlwind nine-day, eight-city overseas trip with a final stop in New Delhi, where he sat down with senior Indian government officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Blinken urges Indian counterparts to co-operate with Canada in probing Nijjar killing

Republican presidential hopeful wants to build a wall — along the Canada-U.S. border

Republican presidential hopeful wants to build a wall — along the Canada-U.S. border
It was a well-worn Canadian punchline during Donald Trump's tenure in the White House: someone should build a wall along the Canada-U.S. border.  Vivek Ramaswamy says he wants to do exactly that. On Wednesday, that was his proposed solution to arresting the flow of fentanyl into the U.S., even though the numbers show the bulk of the drug is entering the country at official border crossings along the southern frontier. 

Republican presidential hopeful wants to build a wall — along the Canada-U.S. border

'She deserves to be hanged': Son of British Sikh woman who murdered husband

'She deserves to be hanged': Son of British Sikh woman who murdered husband
The son of a 38-year-old British Sikh woman, sentenced to death in India for poisoning and slitting her husband's throat in 2016, has said that his mother "deserves to be hanged" for doing an "evil thing. Kaur reportedly connived with her lover Gurpreet Singh to kill Sukhjit for his 2 million pound life insurance and property in the UK and India.

'She deserves to be hanged': Son of British Sikh woman who murdered husband

PrevNext