Indian ‘racially’ abused, beaten up in Australia

Melbourne/Kottayam, Mar 26

An Indian man was allegedly assaulted by a group of teenagers, including a girl, who hurled racial abuses at him at a restaurant in Australia’s Tasmania state, a week after a Catholic priest of Indian heritage was stabbed at a Melbourne church.

Li Max Joy, 33, pursuing a nursing course and working as a part-time taxi driver, alleged that five people hurled racial abuses like “you bloody, black Indians” at him and assaulted him at the McDonald’s restaurant at North Hobart.

Joy, who belongs to Puthuppally in Kerala’s Kottayam district, said the incident took place when he went to the restaurant for a coffee after returning from a trip. He alleged the five were arguing with a worker inside the store but soon picked on him.

When others in the restaurant telephoned police, the attackers left, but they returned later and assaulted him again. Joy was admitted to Royal Hobart Hospital, from where he was later discharged. He then reported the incident to police.

“They were angry at the McDonald’s staff but turned their anger on me in the car park and then inside the store,” he said.

Joy, who has been living in Hobart for eight years, was quoted as saying by Australian media that “the racial mood is definitely changing. It is continuous now”. — PTI