{"id":596575,"date":"2026-04-09T22:19:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T22:19:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/596575\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T22:19:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T22:19:22","slug":"racism-erupts-after-melbourne-announces-little-india-plans-but-some-indians-say-it-will-build-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/596575\/","title":{"rendered":"Racism erupts after Melbourne announces Little India plans, but some Indians say it will build connection"},"content":{"rendered":"

Warning: This article includes racist language some readers may find distressing.<\/p>\n

When Ashi saw the announcement that a “Little India” precinct would be created in Melbourne, she “didn’t dare” read the comments on social media.<\/p>\n

“Initiatives for the Indian community like this inevitably become the subject of ‘jokes’ about curry and the smell,” she told the ABC.<\/p>\n

She was not wrong.<\/p>\n

Social media posts about the City of Melbourne announcing its $1.2 million Little India precinct in Docklands were flooded with racist comments.<\/p>\n

“These f***ers are trying to take over Australia and take over our businesses and homes,” one user wrote on Facebook.<\/p>\n

“This place will be no different to a small village in India. Dirty, crowded, spitting and poor hygiene. Do we want little India’s [sic] anywhere?” another wrote on Instagram.<\/p>\n

“Get them all in there and set the place on fire,” a user wrote on X.<\/p>\n

Ashi, a 33-year-old who has frequently been the target of racism in Melbourne, said she was worried about a Little India being established.<\/p>\n

One experience that still plays on her mind happened when she was looking for a rental property.<\/p>\n

“One of the agents or landlords asked if I was Indian. When I confirmed, they literally told me, ‘Hell no, get out,'” she said.<\/p>\n

“Given the current climate and how some people have reacted to similar initiatives in the past, I worry that this could make the area a target for racism or similar sentiments.”<\/p>\n

Mixed feelings for some<\/p>\n

Melbourne has the largest Indian population in Australia, with about 36 per cent of all Indian-born migrants in the country residing there, totalling more than 240,000 people, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).<\/p>\n

“Racism has no place here. Little India will be a vibrant celebration of our diversity, bringing people together through food, festivals and culture,” Lord Mayor Nick Reece told the ABC.<\/p>\n

“Little India is a chance to celebrate the cultural and economic contributions our Indian community make every day.”<\/p>\n

Racism support services:<\/p>\n

Australian Human Rights Commission<\/a>: 1300 2 9284 9888<\/p>\n

Victoria Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission<\/a><\/p>\n

Embrace Multicultural Mental Health<\/a><\/p>\n

Lifeline<\/a>: 13 11 14<\/p>\n

Beyond <\/a>Blue<\/a>: 1300 224 636<\/p>\n

Consultation on the plan has involved 15 community organisations and associations, the City of Melbourne said.<\/p>\n

Scoping for the precinct has begun and recommendations will be brought to council for consideration in mid-2026.<\/p>\n

For 45-year-old Indian woman Purva Guulyani, the Little India announcement gave her “mixed feelings”.<\/p>\n

She acknowledged it was a recognition of the Indian community and culture.<\/p>\n

“But on the other hand, I do question whether this is where resources should be prioritised,” she said.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Purva Guulyani believes investing in community health programs would have a greater impact than a Little India precinct. (Supplied: Purva Guulyani)<\/p>\n

Purva, an accredited dietitian, believes investing in health research and community health programs “would have a far greater long-term impact”.<\/p>\n

“We have significant gaps in culturally appropriate health care, especially for South Asian communities, who are at higher risk of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease,” she said.<\/p>\n

“If we’re serious about supporting communities, we need to invest in their health and future, not just their visibility.”Cultural understanding ‘brings people together’<\/p>\n

Dr Ali Saha, a media sociologist who has researched race and migration, said she was aware of the resistance and backlash the precinct had received.<\/p>\n

“However, I would argue that the acknowledgement of cultures and the promotion of cultural literacy are more valuable than continued ignorance and lack of representation,” Dr Saha told the ABC.<\/p>\n

\"Dr<\/p>\n

Ali Saha says the challenge of a Little India precinct is avoiding a hegemonic understanding of Indian culture. (Supplied: The University of Melbourne)<\/p>\n

She said Little India would help increase conversations around “Indianness and Indian identity”.<\/p>\n

“Such engagement can contribute to a more respectful environment and more inclusive dialogue in the future,” she said.<\/p>\n

Many in the community, like Bharat Kalyan, agree.<\/p>\n

“With Chinatown and Koreatown already thriving, a Little India precinct feels like a natural and exciting addition,” he told the ABC.<\/p>\n

“Culture is best experienced, not just read about, and precincts like these give everyone that opportunity.”\"Bharat<\/p>\n

Bharat says he was excited when he found out a Little India precinct would be created in Melbourne. (Supplied: Bharat Kalyan)<\/p>\n

Bharat, who recently relocated from the UK to Melbourne for his partner’s job, said he had faced some racism in Melbourne.<\/p>\n

“It’s always a small minority, wherever you go in the world, that choose to spread hate,” he said.<\/p>\n

“But I truly believe that learning about each other’s cultures is one of the most powerful ways to bridge that divide.”<\/p>\n

Reassuring Bharat was the success of Melbourne’s long-established Chinatown and newer Koreatown.<\/a><\/p>\n

“I genuinely believe Little India will follow suit and give people a window into how vibrant and rich Indian culture truly is,” he said.<\/p>\n

“That kind of experience tends to bring people together far more than it divides them.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

India has 28 states, eight union territories, 22 official languages and many cultural festivals, like colourful Holi. (Supplied: Tim Watts MP)<\/p>\n

When Mrinaal Datt saw the news of a Little India precinct, she thought, “it’s about time!”<\/p>\n

The 30-year-old, who works in the news industry, has lived in Melbourne for three and a half years.<\/p>\n

She said the city was “a melting pot of people from different cultures throughout the world”.<\/p>\n

“We already have Chinatown and streets that remind you of Thailand, Korea, Italy and Vietnam,” she told the ABC.<\/p>\n

“Indians and people of Indian descent form a significant part of the Victorian population. So having a place to celebrate one of the most vibrant cultures feels phenomenal.”<\/p>\n

\"Mrinaal<\/p>\n

Mrinaal says having a dedicated place to celebrate Indian culture will be a great addition to Melbourne. (Supplied: Mrinaal Datt)<\/p>\n

‘Precincts don’t create racism’<\/p>\n

Dr Saha said while cultural precincts had a positive impact, there were also challenges.<\/p>\n

“India encompasses 28 states and eight union territories, 22 officially recognised languages, hundreds of festivals, and thousands of distinct communities,” she said.<\/p>\n

“The challenge lies in avoiding the representation of only dominant groups, which can, in turn, marginalise others.”<\/p>\n

Community organisation the Australian South Asian Centre (ASAC) echoed this.<\/p>\n

“The South Asian diaspora is not a monolith. It spans generations, genders and religions,” ASAC told the ABC.<\/p>\n

“If councils want to get this right, they need to involve that full spectrum, including women, young people and community builders, in shaping how the precinct evolves over time.”<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

The Australian South Asian Centre says it will be important to consult a wide range of groups when shaping Little India. (Supplied: Australian South Asian Centre (ASAC))<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the online racism the Little India announcement received, ASAC said “precincts don’t create racism”.<\/p>\n

“It already exists and is becoming more visible.<\/p>\n

“We talk a lot about social cohesion in Australia, but for many communities, belonging still feels conditional and that’s the gap we need to address.”Law enforcement alone not enough<\/p>\n

For Australia’s race discrimination commissioner, the racist responses to the Little India proposal were “saddening but unfortunately, not surprising”.<\/p>\n

“We have seen an increase in racism towards people of Indian origin, who were especially targeted and singled out in the anti-immigration rallies,” Giridharan Sivaraman told the ABC.<\/p>\n

Mr Sivaraman said there were many communities facing racism.<\/p>\n

“We saw a surge in racism towards people of Chinese origin during 2020, racism against First Nations people during the [Voice to Parliament] referendum,” he said.<\/p>\n

“After October 2023, there were surges in anti-semitism, anti-Palestinian racism and Islamophobia.<\/p>\n

“The fact that the target keeps changing but the problem remains, indicates that our systems are fundamentally broken.”<\/p>\n

\"a<\/p>\n

Giridharan Sivaraman says the current approach to tackling racism is not working. (ABC News: Lucas Hill)<\/p>\n

Mr Sivaraman called on state governments, and particularly the federal government, to endorse the National Anti-Racism Strategy from the Australian Human Rights Commission.<\/p>\n

“Law enforcement alone is insufficient. We need a whole government and societal approach to tackling racism.”<\/p>\n

He also said there needed to be a better understanding of how migrant communities had been a part of the Australian identity for two centuries.<\/p>\n

“In response to our rich history of migration, there’s been an equally rich history of racism that’s trying to erase those stories from the national narrative,” he said.<\/p>\n

“When actually, those communities have been part of the Australian identity for a very long time.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Warning: This article includes racist language some readers may find distressing. When Ashi saw the announcement that a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":596576,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,291209,74789,139062,1209,89830,128182,291207,291208,291210,647,282044,44,2966],"class_list":{"0":"post-596575","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-australia","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-cultural-precinct","11":"tag-docklands","12":"tag-giridharan-sivaraman","13":"tag-india","14":"tag-indian-australians","15":"tag-indian-community","16":"tag-indian-migration-australia","17":"tag-little-india","18":"tag-little-indian-precinct","19":"tag-melbourne","20":"tag-melbourne-city","21":"tag-news","22":"tag-racism"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=596575"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/596575\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/596576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=596575"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=596575"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=596575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}