Killed Indian student's family feel let down by Govt

Sydney: An Indian student Nitin Garg, 21, was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants on Saturday night in Australia.

Garg, an accounting graduate who migrated from Punjab to work part-time at a fast food joint in Melbourne, was attacked on his way to work. He died in hospital, tragically a few days after his birthday.

Garg's friends and family in Australia feel let down by the Indian High Commission and they say no one has reached out to them even as External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said that Indian will be forced to act.

"If the attacks don't stop, Government of India will be pushed to take other measures," said Krishna.

Garg's friends in Australia now say that they will be forced to defend themselves if no measure by the authorities are taken.

"They punched him and when he fell down they kicked him in the stomach," said victim's friend.

"If we are to live in Australia we have to protect ourselves by ourselves. No one is going to protect us," he added.

However, police insist the recent attack wasn't racially motivated.

Tourism Australia in its latest project has said that the spate of racial attacks on Indian students will result in fewer Indians coming to study in Australia this year.

"We are an accepting, tolerant, multicultural nation. We have got no toleration for racism in any form. We want to make sure that people who come to our country, whether they come as new migrants, as students, or as visitors, are made welcome. And certainly I would condemn this kind of violence against anyone, and I am obviously very, very disappointed to have seen an act like this occur in Melbourne's west, so close to my part of the world and the place I call home" — Australian Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard

The fall in numbers, will cost Australia $70 million in revenue.