Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price opened the floodgates of vitriol with her incendiary assertions regarding Indian migration to Australia. She said that on her Wednesday appearance on ABC’s Afternoon Briefing. She alleged that the government was allowing in “swells of” Indian migrants to increase Labor’s support base. These comments have drawn outrage from all sides. That’s particularly the case among the Indian Australian community, Australia’s second largest and fastest growing diaspora.
The backlash has been swift and severe, with many expressing disappointment and frustration over the implications of Senator Price’s statements. As you can imagine, members of the Liberal Party and community leaders have reacted strongly to her incendiary assertions. It has generated a firestorm of comment and contention all over social media.
Outrage from Community Leaders
Jacob Vadakkedathu, a former Liberal ACT candidate, described Senator Price’s comments as “disappointing”. His initial reaction captures the overwhelming sense of joy felt across the Indian Australian community. These comments went viral, leading to legitimate outrage from the concerned community members who felt painted, crushed and hurt by these words.
As one MP lamented, it was a “head-in-hands moment.” This served to elevate what had happened into state and national political circles. In addition, understandably, Senator Price walked back her comments, calling them a “mistake,” after realizing the storm they’d created.
Her comments set off a firestorm of anger. The same thing came to pass when they abandoned her colleagues in the Liberal Party, after leaving them all wracked with mental anguish. Many were surprised that such comments would damage the liberal Democratic ideal of inclusivity and respect for diversity, values that the party has always promoted.
Condemnation from Political Figures
Opposition Leader Sussan Ley publicly shamed Senator Price in public, on a breakfast television show. She emphasized that messages such as those sent by Price would lose valuable parts of the community. She subsequently went on social media to praise the “wonderful contribution” that the Indian diaspora has made to Australia.
Anne Aly, the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, made the statement after weeks of community pleas from within the Indian diaspora. Members expressed that they do not feel safe or secure following the most recent rallies. She stated, “they did not feel safe and they did not feel secure,” addressing the emotional impact of Senator Price’s comments. Aly reaffirmed Australia’s commitment to a non-discriminatory migration policy, clarifying that such comments have no place in the national discourse.
She asserted, “The scapegoating of Indian communities designed to undermine their sense of safety and belonging is wrong.” Aly’s statements were meant to address and calm the fears of the Indian Australian community that their contributions are appreciated and celebrated.
A Call for Measured Dialogue
Several political leaders have called for a more measured and thoughtful approach to discussions surrounding migration. Shadow Immigration Minister Paul Scarr underscored the need for a more considered debate about Australia’s immigration policy. He noted that a “measured and considered” approach to these critical issues would be needed. This sentiment was echoed by Dave Sharma, a Liberal frontbencher with Indian heritage, who remarked, “It was very poorly expressed and I’m glad that Senator Price has since clarified, and withdrawn, the remarks because they were hurtful to the Indian Australian community.”
Sharma criticized the notion that certain ethnic or migrant groups uniformly vote in specific ways, saying, “never mind whatever prejudice you might be revealing, you are making a pretty deep analytical error.” He emphasized his goal of making sure that all Australians wanted to be in Australia and felt that they belonged there.
NPR’s Tim Watts was another to defend us. He argued that Senator Price’s argument fails to acknowledge the Indian-Australian community’s positive impact across all fields of industries, both in the public and private sectors. Needless to say, he was deeply concerned. Her rhetoric suggests a person more focused on political calculations than celebrating Australia’s multiculturalism.
