Indians hit back as car torched and show they’re… Not So Soft

By Melissa Meehan
“STOP painting us as soft targets.”
Spokesman for the Federation of Indian Students in Australia (FISA) Gautam Gupta says that Indian students will continue to be targeted while police continue to promote them as soft targets.
The latest attack on Indian students happened in Kelvin Grove, Springvale during the early hours of Sunday morning, with a car being deliberately lit.
Mr Gupta said while Kelvin Grove was well known in the community as a trouble spot, it “seemed to be a racially motivated attack”.
“The day before the car fire some Indian students were approached by a group who demanded money and cigarettes,” Mr Gupta said.
“When they refused they were worried for their safety and ran to their apartments.
“Obviously they were followed, and then the next day, it is my understanding, that the same group came back and set the cars on fire.”
Already a problem area, Mr Gupta said he believed that the focus on Indian students being soft targets caused the latest attack.
“They are the normal trouble makers,” he said.
“But this time they have taken it further.”
He said he had spoken to the students on Sunday about how to avoid confrontation, but said they were scared and angry and “unfortunately next time they would not take it lying down”.
“Our official line is that violence is not a solution,” he said.
“But the police need to do their job.”
A resident of Kelvin Grove, Guarmaddar Singh said he didn’t believe this attack was racially motivated.
“The group is always sitting in Springvale station,” he said.
“They always ask for cigarettes and if we don’t give it to them they want to fight.”
Police reported that the fire started at 1am in a common car parking area for a block of units.
Sergeant Creina O’Grady said the owner of the car, a 30-year-old man was asleep in bed when he was woken by his car horn sounding.
“When he looked out of his window he saw his car well alight,” Sgt O’Grady said.
“Two other vehicles, which were parked on either side of the burning car, also received damage.”
Region 5 Inspector Charlie Allen said police were treating the fire as any other crime in the area.
“We are treating it as a vehicle that was broken into and burnt,” Insp Allen said.