Poland non-responsive to racial violence against Indians: Veteran Indian academic

In the recent past, Indians have witnessed violence in several countries like Canada, United States, U.K. and the Government of India has taken up these issues with the respective governments and urged them to stop the hate attacks

The Government of Poland has been non-responsive to racial attacks that took place against members of the Indian community, a veteran Warsaw-based Indian academic has alleged. Prof. Surender Bhutani, who has taught at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and the Polish Academy of Sciences, said that the Ministry of Justice of Poland has not responded to the growing incidents of violence and discrimination against the Indian community in Poland which has sharpened against the backdrop of the crisis in Ukraine.

"It's a year since I was robbed at home by two Polish persons who came dressed like policemen. They forced us to open the door by accusing us of harbouring terrorists at home. My son and I were tied up and beaten, while they looted the house. I wrote to the Government of Poland asking them to find the perpetrators, but they have not helped so far," said Mr. Bhutani, who is the brother of the late Indian diplomat Sudarshan Bhutani.

In the recent past, Indians have witnessed violence in several countries like Canada, United States, U.K. and the Government of India has taken up these issues with the respective governments and urged them to stop the hate attacks. In September an Indian traveller was abused in public and was called a "parasite" in a video that went viral. Mr. Bhutani said that such incidents have become common in Poland in recent years which used to be known for inter community harmony.

"A prominent Sindhi businessman Prakash Rekhani had his warehouse robbed some weeks ago. Thankfully there has been some progress in that case," said Prof. Bhutani informing that the racial abuse and slurs peaked earlier this year when Indians from Ukraine took refuge temporarily following Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 24.

The racial attacks, stated Mr. Bhutani, would be triggered by causes that were not entirely rational and even India's neutrality in the Ukraine conflict was by these attackers as a reason to hurl racial slurs at Indians in Poland. "I have written to Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziebro seeking his personal attention to the rising incidents of intimidation and violence against Indians but so far there has been no action on my request," said the senior academic.