What went wrong, mate?

The recent attacks on Indians in Australia are not racist. Anjaan tells you why as he describes his sojourn in the land of kangaroos, koalas and kinship

What went wrong, mate?

The recent attacks on Indians in Australia are not racist. Anjaan tells you why as he describes his sojourn in the land of kangaroos, koalas and kinship

My month-long adventure in the 'land down under' has made me fall in love with the country and its people. Like they say, 'Home is not where you live, but where everyone laughs with you'.u00a0

Australia is a country where people love laughing at themselves and will break out into a guffaw at the drop of a hat. Humour, being a universal language, made me feel at home from the word "go".

Laughter

Australians remind be of the Bangalorean ability to laugh at oneself. Australians are blessed with an endless capacity for self-mockery, always a welcome healthy trait. From the surfing instructor at Byron Bay to the park ranger at a heritage tropical rainforest near Cairns, all the Australians I came in contact with have had a fantastic sense of humor and always maintain a pleasant disposition. I have experienced their warmth and it's difficult to perceive an "Angry Australian", and hard to believe that they can be racist. Australia is truly the land of smiles.u00a0

I still recall the customs officer at the airport asking me if I had anything to "declare" and when I said "nothing" she said candidly, "What about your sense of humour, mate?"

Mate-ship

Once your friend, the Australian is characteristically your friend for life, for better or for worse. Loyalty and mate-ship is very important for an Australian. There probably isn't a better friend in a physical crisis than an Australian. At the sight emergencies or calamities, the typical Australian will always roll up his shirt-sleeves (or more typically, take his shirt off) and charges in to help, oblivious to his own personal safety. Mate-ship is what makes the difference even to the most conservative Australian.

Trust

Australians have learnt co-exist and live in harmony with many cultures. This comes from the basic "settler" behaviour and is sometimes perceived as naivete but I think it's truly a matter of respectu2013like a Scout's Honour. Australians trust you, no matter where you are from or what you do. Once you are on their soil, you are their "mate".

You can call up Telecom Australia and open a new account without any paperwork or further ado, sight unseen. You can leave your passport at the immigration office or deposit a huge amount in a bank with no receipt. Why? Because this is a matter of trust. One of the most famous Aussie catch phrases, 'No worries mate', comes from this trait.u00a0

Cultural burps

Reading about the recent racial attacks in Melbourne disheartens me. But to brand Australia as racist would be silly. It is up to a foreigner to sensitise oneself to the things that can trigger Australian hostility. Considering the rapid social change in Australia and the large-scale Asian immigration over the past decade, it is but natural for an Australian to be worried. Add to this are certain behavioural traits that are "not done" in Australia.u00a0

>>Like the Chinese man I saw spit on the marbled pavements of a luxurious casino in Melbourne. "Not done".

>>Like the Thai lady I saw haggling over a few cents at a simple Australian neighbourhood second-hand sale fair. "Not done".u00a0

>>How can one explain to the offended Australian vendors the long tradition of bargaining in South-East Asia? How can one explain to the Thai lady that there was an unspoken agreement that's such friendly markets were fixed-price.

>>Or like the Asian shoppers who transferred their market customs to Australian supermarkets, poking their fingers into fruits and vegetables and sometimes even test-eating them. "Not done".

>>Or like the Indian students I saw, yelling in Hindi at an Australian university bus-stop, without any regard for how uncomfortable it made the Australian commuters feel.

All this is "not done" in Australia. Somewhere maybe all foreigners need to sensitise themselves to local flavours, customs and traditions. Would we, as Indian's tolerate, it if a Westerner didn't follow our basic customs and traditions? Of course not!

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I'm not saying the attacks on Indian students are justified. Don't get me wrong. But it would be immature to assume that sporadic events like these reflect the temperament of a nation. Just because a few Mumbaikars didn't want Biharis in their midst, doesn't mean everyone in Maharashtra is racist.u00a0

Just because Goa has multiple episodes of foreigners being abused, it doesn't mean all Goans are rapists.u00a0

While expressing my deepest sympathies to the families of those hurt, I think these attacks are rightly defined as opportunistic and are one-off strikes by certain criminal elements. Just like any other First world nation, even Australia (especially big cities like Sydney, Melbourne) has an underbelly of criminal, anti social and racist presence.u00a0

Students become easy prey and media sensationalism creates further furore. These attacks should be classified as attacks on humanity and not racism.u00a0

Australians have a history of co-existing with various cultures. It would be wrong to brand them as racists. On the contrary, we as Indians are "prejudiced to colour" more than Australians will ever be. We look down on dark skin color in our own country. From Bollywood to fairness product advertisements to marriage, the fairer Indian has the upper hand. But that's another story in itself isn't it?u00a0

I have experienced the Australian hospitality first hand. My suggestion would be for you to witness the Australian warmth for yourselves. Take a trip to down under and you will feel at home. See her fascinating sights, dive into the Great Barrier Reef, jungle surf over the tropical rain forests, catch some waves on the east coast, and meet the localsu2014kangaroos, koalas, dugongs, crocs, and earn your right to say, 'G'day Mate'!u00a0

The writer is Sr. Programming Manager and Radio DJ with Fm 94.3 RadioOne

He was also runner up for the 'Best Job in the World' competition held in Australia recently

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