Jyeshtha Shuddha Chaturdashi
Hindus have asked for one million dollar compensation for critically injured Shravan Kumar Theerthala and 100,000 dollars each for other Indian victims of recent incidents of racist violence in Australia.
Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that Australian Prime Minister Kevin Michael Rudd should immediately tender a formal apology on national television for these incidents, visit victim Shravan Kumar Theerthala in hospital, and assure the Indians and other minorities that urgent measures would be taken to prevent these in the future.
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, argued that it was highly disturbing and appalling. Anti-racism initiatives were urgently required in Australia and racist violence and growing culture of racial intolerance should be immediately curbed.
Rajan Zed stressed that Australia needed to do deep introspection of her heart and be kind to immigrants, minorities, indigenous people, and other vulnerable groups. Culture of exclusion, intolerance and rejection should come to a halt. What happened to basic rights and freedoms guaranteed to all Australians like "The right to be protected by the government against violence or bodily harm", Zed asked.
Australia is one of the few Western countries that does not have a charter of rights. Constitution does not explicitly provide for freedom of speech or of the press and rights of peaceful assembly and association are not codified in law.
