Perhaps it was the recent election that enthused so many Indian Australians, but flush with this recent victory, they protested firmly in favor of the Labor Party, rejoicing in the party’s victory as a significant victory for multiculturalism in Australia. Melbourne resident Prerna Karnani confidently predicted Labor’s success, stating that it resonated deeply with the values of diverse communities across the nation. Karnani’s feelings express a broader perspective reflected by many Indian Australians. This community has since grown to over 916,000 and recently overtook the Chinese community as the second-largest migrant group in Australia.
This year’s election results show a paradoxical and compelling relationship between culture, economy, and representation. This is particularly so for Indian Australian voters. This demographic’s diverse needs and priorities have increasingly shaped their political affiliations and choices, especially in an era marked by polarization and divisive politics.
Diverse Voices in Politics
Sukhmani Khorana is an Associate Professor at the University of New South Wales. She fiercely studies migration, cultural diversity in media, and the ways in which young people of color self-represent. She insists that economy, healthcare, and education continue to be the most important issues to South-Asian voters. Through her research, Jessie makes it clear how these global worries overlap with the lived experience here in Australia.
According to Australian MP Tim Watts, who served on PM Gillard’s taskforce, this specific outreach and engagement multicultural communities is critical. Above all, he has focused on ensuring that the Australians living in these communities have their voices heard. For anyone trying to represent Australia today, engaging with them critically and constructively is a must. This approach reflects a growing recognition among politicians that understanding diverse perspectives is vital for effective governance.
Jason Wood, the member representing La Trobe in Melbourne’s outer south-east supports this kind of thinking. He points out that Indian Australians are vital members of the community and make up a large portion of skilled immigrants in sectors including technology and health. Wood continued, “Indian Australians from our community have long had a presence on my personal staff, and their perspective, unique to Indian Australians, deeply informs my thinking and enables me to represent our community in Canberra.” He further emphasizes their contributions: “They make up our doctors, our engineers, our businesses.”
Economic Concerns and Political Alignment
While many Indian Australians found common ground with Labor’s policies, some voices within the community are critical of the party’s approach to small and medium businesses. Business owner Anu Bedi expresses these frustrations succinctly, claiming that Labor “got the nuance of what small/medium businesses actually wanted at the grassroots level…wrong.” This critique opens up broader questions about the extent to which Labor has been successful at walking its multi-cultural and economic growth lines.
For Akshay — a lawyer of Indian origin living in Sydney — the Labor Party is the one which stands for and values migrants. He considers the outcome of the election to his community. As he puts it, “Like thousands of other migrants and multicultural Australians, we knew that if Labor was successful that was a victory for us.” This lens highlights the relationship between political representation and community trust.
Born in India, Lalith Krishnamurthy became an Australian citizen in 2018. He recently voted for the first time in the 2019 federal election and is now speaking out, calling attention to the Liberal Party’s policies on major issues like climate change and Indigenous rights. He cautions that “the world is growing more segregated and polarized.” The majority of voters today are looking for candidates who stand for bringing people together rather than tearing them apart.
A Shared Future Amidst Challenges
For most Indian Australians, the recent election was a reminder of the need for solidarity and representation. Prerna Karnani expressed her relief at the election results, stating, “as a woman of color, the biggest relief was to see that Australians didn’t vote the MAGA way.” This declaration reflects a larger community desire in her city, and many more like it, for more welcoming acceptance and inclusive city governance.
Also, personal stories shine a light on how these changes – often political – affect people’s lives. Anika cut laps with her dad to celebrate Labor’s election win. She explained further, “My frail 82-year-old father is over the moon that Labor won the election. She noted his gratitude towards a nation that allowed him to build a permanent home: “I know he feels a deep sense of gratitude to them for allowing him to make a permanent home in Australia.”
These narratives emphasise the complex identities of Indian Australian communities. They communicate a joint hope for a future founded on respect and understanding.
