Sydney: Concerned at recent attacks on Indian cabbies, mostly students, the Indian envoy in Australia is keeping a 'close watch' on the situation and has taken up the matter with authorities here who have assured they will resolve the issue.
"The attacks on Indian cab drivers are causing a great deal of concern, not only among students and their families, but the larger Indian community in Australia. We are keeping a very close watch on the situation both in Melbourne and Adelaide," Indian High Commissioner in Canberra Sujatha Singh told IANS Monday.
During a visit to Melbourne last week, Indian Minister for Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath raised the issue at federal level with Australian Minister for Trade Simon Crean and at the state level with Victorian Premier John Brumby.
'Our consul general in Sydney, Sujan Chinoy, will go to Adelaide to ascertain the situation this week, but if needed, I'll be very happy to go to Adelaide to take up this issue with the state government," Singh said.
Reports in a section of Indian media wrongly quoted a "spokesman from the Indian high commission" as saying that "the Indian high commissioner will travel to Adelaide to hold talks" with the taxi drivers demanding improved security.
Jalvinder Singh, a 23-year-old taxi driver, was stabbed and left to bleed in Melbourne April 29. He is recovering though he had little chance of survival.
Anita Nayar, consul general of India in Melbourne, told IANS: 'We are in touch with all concerned - such as the police, the transport minister, the representatives of the taxi drivers, as also Jalvinder Singh himself and his family and friends - to follow up on Jalvinder's welfare and to follow up on the demands of the taxi drivers.
'We shall continue to take up the issue with the Victorian authorities in the hope that a satisfactory resolution of the problems being faced by the taxi drivers would be achieved as early as possible,' Nayar added.
Read more story here
No comments:
Post a Comment