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Prithpal Singh (name changed), who has been living in Vancouver in Canada for over three decades, is a worried man. The recent case of a racial attack by four men on a group of Indian-origin boys in Langley, on the outskirts of Vancouver, has shocked the sizeable population of Indians residing in the city.
"I came here three decades ago. I initially drove a taxi and did other odd jobs to provide for my family. I am glad that the Canadian police took action fast and arrested the culprits. I am sure that they will crack down on the racial attacks on Indians heavily," he said in a telephonic conversation with this correspondent.
The attack in Canada has come in the wake of a spate of racial attacks, targeting Indian students, in Australia.
However, Sunil Tyagi, an Indian businessman in Melbourne, blamed Indian students and the media for inviting trouble. Tyagi, who owns three hotels in the city, says, "There may have been a couple of racial incidents. Majority of these attacks take place in the night".
He alleged that the attackers were teenagers and often involved with drugs.
But he added, "Our boys are no less. They hire a room for two and then ten of them share it. This leads to brawls and subsequently neighbours call the police".
While Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has asked the Indian students to exercise restrain and not retaliate, Union Tourism Minister Kumari Selja has postponed her Australia visit in the wake of the racial attacks.