By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A COALITION promise to make Dandenong’s Little India the pre-eminent Indian precinct in Melbourne has divided traders.
Multicultural Affairs Minister Matthew Guy, exploiting the ALP’s failure to guarantee Little India’s future, made the promise before a gathering at India Museum in Foster Street on Wednesday.
He pledged up to “half a million” dollars – later revised down to $50,000 in a statement – towards moving the museum to a nearby masonic lodge as well as supporting a statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Settler’s Square and boosting marketing of the embattled precinct.
He told the Journal the ALP was “crazy” to consider locating a major Indian precinct elsewhere.
“Why would you move a precinct that’s gone through difficult times because the Labor Party compulsorily acquired the shops?
“They would now scrap it. It needs support not abolition.”
He told the gathering his government had put in “quite a lot of effort and money” to work with the council to “find a way forward to make this precinct work”.
The pledge was endorsed by Foster Street Traders’ Association member Steve Khan but drew sharp criticism from association spokeswoman Kaushaliya Vaghela.
She claimed the project would benefit India Museum – backed by former Liberal candidate Vasan Srinivasan – more than the precinct’s traders.
“Why didn’t they invite the traders (association)? Because this isn’t about Little India. They want to build another musuem for Vasan.”
Mr Srinivasan said his mission was not political, citing his work with the Brumby ALP government to brand the area Little India in 2006.
“My community was my number one,” he said.
However, he conceded he felt “uneasy” about Labor’s current stance on the precinct.
He said the new musuem site, which would house benefactor Dinesh Parekh’s vast art, stamp and ancient coin collection as well as a borrowing library, would draw interest from schools and bus tours.
“There’s nothing like this outside of India. Together with the Mahatma Gandhi statue, it will bring people here and strengthen Little India.
“Some of the traders are too negative – I’m not running a shop in Little India. I’ve got no personal interest.”
Dandenong Liberal candidate Joanna Palatsides told last week’s gathering that Dandenong needed to be “brought onto the map”.
She said the project would be a “start” for the economic stimulus needed.
ALP candidate Gabrielle Williams said her party viewed Little India as a “compelling choice – and one I will push hard for”.
She questioned the timing of Mr Guy’s intervention.
“Traders feel he hasn’t been dealing with them and been non-responsive to their concerns.”
* THE Liberal Party has pledged to build an employment and training centre in Dandenong if it wins Saturday’s state election.
The Work and Learning Centre is one of three promised by the government at a cost of $3.15 million.
It will host clients who are long-term unemployed, have a disability, suffer mental illness, drug and alcohol abuse or are new arrivals to Australia.
Dandenong Liberal candidate Joanna Palatsides said it would provide career guidance, job-search support and access to vocational and education training.
The centre will be supported by charitable organisation Brotherhood of St Laurence.
According to the government, five previously built centres have provided 900 people with employment and placed more than 2000 into training.
