The Indian government has officially thanked Australia’s two major parties for condemning last weekend’s March for Australia protests, and declared its support for multiculturalism.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesman Randhir Jaiswal revealed on Saturday that the two governments had discussed the concerns of Indian immigrants in Australia about the rallies, and that India was working with diaspora organisations and committed to protecting them.
Both the Labor government and the Opposition have repeatedly spoken out against the nationwide rallies, despite more Australians marching than weeks earlier on the Sydney Harbour Bridge in a uniparty and corporate media-backed pro-Palestine protest.
“We have a large diaspora in Australia, almost about a million, before the protests took place our High Commission conveyed whatever concerns that were shared with them by the Indian community members to the Australian government,” Mr Jaiswal said.
“We actually received a formal response from the Australian side, where they acknowledged that the protest in Australia may be of concern for Australia’s diverse communities.
“At the same time you would have seen that senior leaders and politicians both from the Australian government side and also from the opposition side, they have issued statements supporting the multicultural identity of Australia.”
Mr Jaiswal went on to claim that both major parties recognise, appreciate and acknowledge the role Indian immigrants have supposedly played the the “overall progress and development of Australia”.
“On our side we continue to firmly believe that diversity is strength, we value our comprehensive strategic partnership with Australia, of which our people to people ties are a very important element, and in fact it bolsters our strategic ties,” he said.
“The government of India remains committed to securing the welfare and wellbeing of all Indians abroad, and we are in touch with the Australian government, as also with our diaspora organisations in Australia in regard to the developments that are happening.”
His comments came a day after Liberal leader Sussan Ley shared a video pitched at Indian immigrants where she declared: “You contribute as Australian Indians so much to our country.
“We know how hard you work, your family values, and the contribution you make across this country, and as Opposition leader I value that incredibly.”
Ms Ley made a similar video pitched to Chinese immigrants on Chinese Communist Party-controlled social media and messaging app WeChat, where she said: “Our Australian-Chinese communities contribute enormously to our economy, education, culture, and society.”
She made the videos after Liberal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price acknowledged widespread concerns about mass Indian immigration due to the fact that most Indian immigrants end up voting for Labor.
Mixed-race Liberal Senator Devanand Sharma, who is half ethnic Indian and goes by the Anglo name “Dave”, criticised Ms Price for her comments, saying he “fundamentally rejected stereotyping of any migrant community”.
The Indian-born population of Australia was 916,330 as of June 30 last year, according to the latest official estimates, in addition to another 200,971 “second-generation migrants” born in Australia with Indian ancestry, and 113,947 “secondary migrants” who were born in other countries but have Indian ancestry, putting the Indian diaspora at about 1.23 million.
But Australia’s Indian-born population is expected to hit 1.1 million in 2026 as high immigration levels continue, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, up from 95,000 in 2001.
The Albanese government and the previous Coalition government have signed three major deals with India that have contributed to record levels of Indian immigrants arriving in Australia.
A top pollster recently revealed that 85% of the Indian diaspora voted Labor during the May federal election, and a 2022 survey found 60% of Indian migrants supported Labor.
Header image: MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal (The Print).
