In Australia, tensions between Sikhs and Modi-supporting Hindus simmer on the back of farmers’ protests in India

Name: Tens of thousands of Indians rally against new farm laws as protests last nearly three months
Uploaded: 2021-03-17T01:30:11.000Z
Duration: 1 min 37 s
Description: Tens of thousands of Indians rally against new farm laws as protests last nearly three months

Members of the Indian community in Australia say divisions have become wider after Sikhs there backed the farmers demonstrating in India

There have been attacks on Sikhs in Sydney and calls to boycott Sikh-owned businesses, while the community’s alleged support of a separatist movement is another flashpoint

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Indian farmers shout slogans as they take part in a demonstration and move towards New Delhi to join the protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent agricultural reforms. Photo: AFP

Sonia Sarkar

Published: 9:30am, 17 Mar 2021Updated: 4:26pm, 17 Mar 2021

On February 28, in the western Sydney suburb of Harris Park, men armed with wooden bats and hammers attacked five Sikh students in their 20s who were driving home from dinner. They escaped unhurt, though their car suffered severe damage. One of the victims told This Week in Asia he believed the group – clearly identifiable as followers of the Sikh religion because of their turbans and beards – had been targeted by supporters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The episode has cast a spotlight on growing tensions within the Indian community in Australia, following a pattern in countries across the world with a sizeable Indian diaspora, such as the United States.

Analysts say one factor behind the situation is that Hindu nationalists around the world have been emboldened by the erosion of civil liberties among members of minority faith groups in Hindu-majority India, particularly Muslims. Another, they say, has been the demonstrations against the Modi government’s new farm laws by mostly Sikh farmers outside New Delhi, who have been accused by Indian police of having links to a movement rallying for an independent Sikh homeland called Khalistan.

“A couple of Sikh students have received calls from public phone booths [threatening] them with dire consequences if they don’t stop supporting farmers,” said the Sydney attack victim, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing concerns for his safety. He said he might return to India if the attacks continued, but “the situation there is scarier”.

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Tens of thousands of Indians rally against new farm laws as protests last nearly three months

The ABC, Australia’s public broadcaster, on Tuesday reported that leaders of Sydney’s Indian community were meeting alongside New South Wales Police Assistant Commissioner Peter Thurtell over growing concerns about tensions related to the farmers’ protests. The police are also continuing their inquiry into the February 28 attack.

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