Noting that India was "deeply anguished" over continuing attacks on its students in Australia, Union Minister Shashi Tharoor today said New Delhi expects "better measures" from that Government. "We are deeply anguished over the attacks.
India wants to see better measures taken by the Australian government," the Minister of state for External Affairs said. "We have conveyed our concerns at the highest possible level.
Our Prime Minister has spoken about it to his Australian counterpart," he said at a meet-the-press programme here organised by the Ernakulam Press Club. However, Tharoor said the Australian government has reciprocated with certain measures.
Referring to the controversy over his earlier comments that it was a domestic issue, he said certain remarks of his were taken out of context and "misinterpreted" by some people. "This is a domestic issue and it is not equivalent to the South African apartheid where we were opposing the measures taken by the government and in Australia we are working on the same side of the government," the minister said.
Indian government cannot protect their students in Australia as it is a sovereign country. In the same way, India will not allow foreign countries to protect their citizens in India.
Some of the attacks have racial connotations, he said.
India has appreciated the steps Australia has taken for the safety of Indian students, some of whom have faced allegedly racist attacks, even as it released a list of do's and don'ts for Indians studying in that country.
'We hope that the Australian government will succeed to stop the attacks. It is a terrible thing that the attacks are continuing,' Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told reporters here Friday.
He signaled appreciation for the efforts of the Australian government and said that New Delhi and Canberra were in touch during the crisis.
'we have a cooperative helpful government (that is) trying to stop these attacks,' said Menon.
The guidelines issued by the external affairs ministry have also been put up on the website of the Indian high commission in Canberra.
It includes a comprehensive list of do's and don't's for the students before and after arriving in Australia for studies.
The students have been asked to make sure that they have adequate finances to cover their living cost. 'You may need at least A$1,200 a month for food, accommodation, transport etc. No matter what any one or the agent tells you, it is difficult to earn enough to meet all your expenses including tuition fees,' said the guideline.
On arriving in Australia, the students should send in their details to the Indian embassy or consulate. They should also get details on the security situation around the campus and accommodation, according to the guidelines.
'Don't carry more cash than required, especially when travelling alone or late at night. Avoid flaunting expensive items, such as mobile phones, iPods or laptops,' according to the guidelines.
Nearly a dozen Indian students studying in Australia have been attacked in the past month, with many alleging the attacks were racially motivated.
Those people who kicked off their dieting regime at the start of the year are likely to fall off the wagon today, which has been dubbed as 'Death Of The Diet Day'.
The survey led by insurer Pru-Health showed that two-thirds of Britons had planned to begin a diet or a get-fit regime in January.
Of those, 30 per cent have already abandoned their regime and more than a quarter caved in after less than a month.
Psychology and health professor Cary Cooper at Lancaster University believes that during recession, people tend to look after themselves better.
"Anyone with a stressed spouse would tell them to cut back on the cigarettes and drinking and to start eating healthier and do more exercise," the Daily Express quoted him as saying.
"They want them to be able to cope with the added strain," he added.
But many lose motivation to stick to the regime.
The survey revealed that Brits were the weakest willed with 14 per cent quitting their diet within seven days.
One in 10 of the Welsh quit after just a week with just nine per cent of Scots and the Northern Irish abandoning their regimes
However, majority of people stuck to their diets for 45 days more than they did last year. Most dieters sol-diered on for an average 123 days - around four months.
Forty five percent managed to make it far. Of those 55 per cent planned to keep up their new healthy lifestyle forever.