“It is not all racism”

Ever since news reports of attacks on Indian students in Australia began making the headlines with sickening regularity over the last few weeks, Natasha Chopra is an anxious woman. For, she is not just the Managing Director of The Chopras, a private consultancy for students seeking admissions in foreign universities, but also a mother of two children pursuing higher studies in Australia.

Having already spent about eight years of her married life in Australia in the 1980s and 1990s before returning to India, Mrs. Chopra is convinced that racism is not the only reason for which Indian students are being subjected to attacks. “It is not all racism. There is definitely an element of crime also involved. A society can’t become so racist overnight so as to let loose such vicious attacks,” she told The Hindu EducationPlus during their annual Overseas’ Education Fair held at Bangalore recently.

She felt that the immigrant population needs to be careful and cautious on foreign soil. There is a need for them to be aware of their civic responsibilities and the rules prevailing in a foreign country.

“It is not sensible for students to remain out till late in the night. You can’t walk about in the streets at 2 a.m.,” she sought to advise students aspiring to pursue higher education abroad.

“It is not uncommon to find Indian students flaunting their fancy iPods and flashy mobile handsets,” she said, adding such exhibitionism would make them prone to attacks by criminals. The need for students to refrain from flaunting their belongings becomes all the more important in the in the wake of recession, which has left many youth jobless.

Asked whether she completely ruled out racism to be the reason for the attacks, Mrs. Natasha said racism existed everywhere in one form or another. “Racism exists almost everywhere in different forms. But, the physical attacks are an extreme form of racism,” she said.

She also sought to throw more light on how Indians were exploiting the higher education route to Australia as a “back-door entry” for jobs. “Several students often join diploma courses to train as hair dressers, chefs and other jobs. But, that is only a ruse for job-hunting. After joining courses, they begin driving taxis late in the night and doing other jobs.”

Asked whether recession had made any impact on the number of students taking up higher studies abroad, she said the contraction in the job market had forced several students to take up higher studies to upgrade their skills till better employment avenues came their way. In fact, the number of students applying for higher education in foreign countries through their consultancy had increased by almost 40 per cent this year, she claimed.

“The situation is quite favourable for students to join a foreign university. For, the Indian rupee has strengthened against many currencies including the British pound in the last six months. After the U.S., it is the universities in the U.K. which attract the highest number of Indian students,” she said.

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