Indians in Oz set up new body to promote community interests

The newly-formed National Council of Indian Australians (NCIA) will work towards variety of issues including racism, raising consciousness about the community, enhancing solidarity among all other Indian communities and recognising the centrality of Indian identity.

NCIA has been announced a day before a high level community leaders meeting to be held at Indian High Commission in Canberra. It also aims to secure the rights and interests of all Indian Australian and Indian communities and to defend them wherever they are denied, violated or threatened.

According to NCIA statement, it will encourage and assist the creative development of Indian social, religious, and cultural life throughout Australia, to support Indian education and the development of Indian values, and to ensure Indian continuity and the transmittal of the Indian legacy from one generation to another.

Ravi Bhatia, founding co-chairperson of NCIA and Primus Telecom CEO said, "Indian Australians have made wide ranging and significant contributions to many aspects of the Australian society, economy and culture.

NCIA will be a non-political organisation representing and supporting the entire spectrum of people of Indian-origin regardless of their state or region of origin in India.

"NCIA will interact with various agencies and elements of Australian Federal, State and with elements and organs of Indian government to promote its objectives and assist with policy development as appropriate," Yadu Singh, founding co-chairperson of NCIA further said.

"An important aspect of the activities of NCIA will be interaction with Australian and Indian media to promote and present a balanced perspective on various issues of interest to the Indian Diaspora," he added.

Founding President and the Secretary of NCIA, Vasan Srinivasan, added that the rationale behind forming NCIA was due to an urgent need for a single unified body that represents the interests of the Indian community in Australia and NCIA will fulfil that role.

The NCIA will hold a series of meetings and functions in each state across Australia in coming months, as well as seek high level meetings with State and Federal Government.
Over 100 incidents of attacks on Indians, including racial, have come to light since May last year in Australia. 21-year-old student Nitin Garg, who was stabbed to death here, was the first victim of such assaults this year.