A Sikh restaurateur residing in Australia has alleged that he faced racial targeting on multiple occasions in recent months, including incidents of being told to “go home” and having his car smeared with dog excrement, reported news agency PTI.
Jarnail Singh, the owner of a restaurant in Hobart, Tasmania, shared that he has been subjected to continuous targeting over the past two to three months, PTI quoted the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as having reported.
Singh expressed his distress, stating, “Never, ever has this happened to me before, and it’s been continuous over the last two, three months.” He further explained the mental toll of the incidents, especially when they occur at one’s home, and with the inclusion of his name, adding, “It’s too much mental stress. Something has to be done.”
The initial incident involved dog excrement being smeared on the door handles of his car for four or five consecutive days outside his home. Subsequently, racist graffiti was discovered in his driveway, bearing the message “Go home, Indian.”
Singh reported the matter to the police, but with no video evidence, little progress could be made in identifying the culprit.
Filled with racist comments, Singh initially assumed the letter was written by a young person and, after reporting it to the police, attempted to ignore it. However, a more offensive letter arrived about a month later, containing explicit remarks like “you can **** off back to India” and threats of damage to his car, either at his workplace or home, PTI reported.
Having lived in Australia for approximately 15 years, with 10 of those in Tasmania, Singh is now confronted with the need to address these incidents and seek support.
In response to the incidents, Tasmania Police Commander Jason Elmer issued a statement confirming that the matters had been reported to the police and were under investigation. He emphasized that existing legislation allows courts to consider racial hatred or prejudice as an aggravating factor in sentencing.
Commander Elmer asserted that there is “no excuse for any form of verbal or physical harassment” in the community. He encouraged individuals who believe they have been victims of prejudice-related incidents to contact the police promptly.
(With PTI inputs.)
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