Of Aussies and Indians

Thing is, the Aussies don’t like us much. And off late we too are not liking them that much.

I am no expert on Aussie psychology. There are many reasons because of which they may not be liking India and Indians in particular but none of them explain the huge hatred they have for us.

From Indians getting beaten up by  Aussie teenagers to Aussie police officers circulating derogatory emails about Indians to refusal of Aussie athletes to compete in India, the Aussie India relations hit a new low every month. Mind you these are the not the Governments but the ordinary people and various institutions who show the disrespect.

Off all the western countries I think Australia is the one with which substantial people to people contact started a bit late. Having seen what Indians have achieved in US and UK, they at some level do feel threatened. And we are not the only one’s they feel threatened from. Chinese get under their skin just as easily. After all it’s China which locked up Aussie businessmen jail and not us. But the problem is, the Chinese don’t play cricket. And the Chinese Government has a no-nonsense approach to almost anything in this world. Like many countries (India included) Aussies are shit scared of the Chinese Government and to a large degree this fear has has reached the psyche of Australians.

India on the other hand represents a soft target. We play cricket and now often beat them in it. Aussie university may as well start accepting the fees in INR and slowly more and more Aussie businesses and professional services have a strong Indian connection. Our Government shows apathy only to it’s own citizen and is yet to gasp the power, capabilities and hopes of the ‘New’ India. Our democratic values also stop us from hiding are faults and shortcomings. Case in point was the whole CWG fiasco. Aussie media had a field day. We don’t have censorships and media control. To add to this new young India doesn’t see itself as anything less. The docile colonial India is fading. We are now hitting back just as strongly.

This is not to say this is happening with India and Indians for the first time. Indians have faced the same in South Africa, England and US. Till they realised how good we and how much value we add to their culture and economy. My bet is that in next few years Aussies will buy peace with us. They will realize that we are NOT as bad as we look. And all we want to do is to earn enough so that we can eat our vege meals send our kids to university and afford an odd visit to the theater to see the latest bollywood flick. It is now proven beyond doubt that Indian Diaspora anywhere in the world is the most law abiding, the most educated and yes the highest tax payers.

Time will come when the Kangaroo will have it’s grass where the tiger roams… peacefully. Till then lets beat them in cricket…