Australian Lessons

We the Student-Faculty Cell and the Peer Group members of the Indira Gandhi National Open University welcome the statement of the Australian PM Kevin Rudd that he will do all he can to prevent hate attacks and that even a single racist attack is 'unacceptable'. This statement comes after another Indian student and an Indian taxi driver were attacked in Melbourne.The Indian government too has responded well by suggesting a facilitative mechanism for students seeking work in Australia to help in carrying on their studies.Meanwhile welcome confidence building measures are being taken by the students such as harmony walks and even a Victoria police and Indian students cricket match. As we have been pointing out the spaces for building racial harmony are there and student bodies like FISA should move to consolidate them.Our concern by doing all this is to advance the process of studying in Australia. It is indeed ironical in this context that the student, Mr.MKA Khan, who was racially assaulted in Melbourne was in the process of studying hospitality management.Is it that the process of studying and teaching-learning is not getting its due weightage in the current context? Is this a result of racial or other kinds of narrow stereotyping which is hampering the educational process?Here we could well draw a lesson from Australia's past where the the narrow minded proponent of political economy, E.G. Wakefield ,was astonished to find that in Australia in the 19th century bourgeois socio-economic relations were in the process of becoming and were 'neither present by nature nor are they things'-a common presupposition in the already industrialised countries in the 19th century. Ofcourse we will not follow the disastorous path of imperial economics he imposed on Australia. But we could very well draw upon the lessons of socio-economic 'becoming' as a part of our studying process.A cooperative emphasis on the processes of studying to overcome our individual limitations on our own could help in building a study process.This approach could also help in participating in the broader multicultural processes of which both students in India and Australia could become a part. Afterall multicultural processes too are processes of becoming. In the current contexts in Australia and India this is often overlooked and it is often assumed that socio-economic relations are either present by nature or they are things.Thereby a whole range of educational options are missed. (SFC and Peer Group members of IGNOU with the help of Mr.Ajay Mahurkar and Dr.Dolly Mathew)

Further Lessons From Australia

We the Student- Faculty Cell (SFC) and the Peer Group members of the Indira Gandhi National Open University congratulate the large number of people who turned out in thousands to campaign for an effective environmental policy for Australia in different Australian cities.These included people of diverse nationalities and ethnic groups.The attempt was to create an alliance of students, members of trade unions, members of different religious groups and environment campaigners who could strongly counter" the fossil fuel industry that currently has such a strong grip on climate policy in Australia". Multiculturalism thus acquired an environmental dimension.It is the greed of the fossil fuel industry which in the past and in the present has been held responsible for the threat of droughts, global warming and the threats to the survival of the coastal communities in Australia.This they do by opposing cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.This rally accused the current PM of Australia of surrendering to this lobby and showed a white flag.Now corporate greed backed by the state have been held responsible for the rise of fascism and racism in various historical contexts such as Germany in 1930s. It is in this context that the alliance of multiculturalism and environment is such a positive contribution of the 'emergency rallies ' today in Australia.If the struggle for survival against racism is to succeed in Australia the FISA must take a stand on the environmental issues and educate the Indian students on its links to their struggle to study in Australia.We in IGNOU too should draw appropriate lessons on this issue. (SFC and Peer Group members of IGNOU with the help 0f Mr. Ajay Mahurkar and Dr. Dolly Mathew)

The Way Forward

We the SFC(Student-Faculty Cell ) and the Peer Group of Indira Gandhi National Open University condemn the violent path taken by some Indians to counter racial abuse in Australia. We refer to the stabbing incident highlighted by the media today. While we support all the peaceful means to establish racial harmony, we totally deplore the way today's incidence was caught up in the cycle of violence we have been witnessing in Australia.By being caught up in these revenge attacks the very purpose of students being in Australia will be defeated. That purpose we have stressed is to continue to study in Australia by creating a racially harmonious atmosphere or by contributing to the goals of multiculturalism of that country and its people.This also builds up the confidence of people back home in India.The racist groups all over the world operate by spreading fear , terror ,vengeance and violence. To fall in to that trap by indulging in violence is to defeat the very purpose we are trying to achieve-that is to build a conducive study atmosphere.The students of IGNOU should take particular note of this lesson we are drawing from the Australian incidents.(The members of the SFC and the Peer Group,IGNOU, with the help of Ajay Mahurkar and Dr.Dolly Mathew)