Indians slam Oz top cop's advice to 'look poor' to avoid attack

Indian students living in Australia have slammed Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Simon Overland's advice that they should not work as taxi drivers and should "'look as poor as you can" to avoid being assaulted.

Overland had made the comments at an international students' safety forum attended by about 150 people in the city on Saturday.

"Don't display your iPods, don't display your valuable watch, don't display your valuable jewellery. Try to look as poor as you can," Overland said before adding that foreign students should try to avoid living in Melbourne's poorer suburbs where crime rates are higher.

The Federation of Indian Students of Australia secretary Gautam Gupta blasted the advice, saying that Indians should not have to look "poor" to feel safe.

I agree with Mr.Gupta. Why should we Indians look poor to avoid being assaulted? Why are the Australians hell bent on disagreeing with the fact that the attacks are racist in nature. If a person is displaying his iPod or valuable watch he is more likely to get assaulted and mugged than just get assaulted.The cases of mugging in Australia of the Indians are much lesser than cases of assaults. 

Foreigners around the people have an impression that India is a very poor(and i mean poorest of the poor) country in the world(thanks to the way India is depicted in foreign movies). So any show of wealth makes them angry. Isn't that what you are saying Mr. Overland? Sorry Mr. Overland you have with this comment proved that you belong to this category of people.

As for asking the Indian students to not stay in poorer suburbs well only students who are born with a silver spoon in their mouth can afford the luxury of not staying in the poor suburbs.

Mr Overland,instead of trying to pretend that these attacks are not racially motivated you had better do your job properly and try to investigate the cases of murder and assaults on Indians.

JAI HIND.