India-Australia News and Discussion

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 04 Nov 2010 02:21

After the Aussie hooliganism at the CWG..imagine if something like this recent bloomer had happened at the CWG..what would the average Aussie have said? The Miss Australia 2010 bloomer bang before the CWG:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHcnw7qWLIg

However do appreciate the way the R/U took it.

Mahendra · Post by **Mahendra** » 04 Nov 2010 04:13

^
looks fake

vish_mulay · Post by **vish_mulay** » 05 Nov 2010 07:38

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victor ... 5948223052

A THUG who carried out one of the race related attacks that caused outrage in Melbourne and India has been spared a jail term today.

Judge Meryl Sexton told Shayne Casey Comensoli, 20 his random attack on Indian student Lucky Singh was "quite outrageous" but there was insufficient evidence to conclude it was a "race hate crime".

Sentencing Comensoli the judge said he accepted the victim's account that as he and another man bashed Mr Singh unconscious he called him an "Indian dog" and said "shut up you Indian motherf-----, shut up".

"This attack occurred during a spate of reported offences of violence against men of Indian ethnicity in the western suburbs of Melbourne," Judge Sexton said.

"I am satisfied that at the point in time when you were attacking Mr Singh you hated him.
"However it is difficult to be satisfied to the same degree that your offence was wholly or partially motivated by hatred for Indian people in general."

I have lost all respect for Australian law and Police. I was hoping against all odds that at least the law will not be biased and we will see severe punishments handed down to these racist thugs but alas. Time to seriously start thinking about moveing out of this white pakistan.

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 06 Nov 2010 06:00

^^Surprisingly the judge didn't even consider assaulting someone is crime.

shukla · Post by **shukla** » 06 Nov 2010 07:28

vish_mulay wrote:http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victor ... 5948223052

Judge Meryl Sexton told Shayne Casey Comensoli, 20 his random attack on Indian student Lucky Singh was "quite outrageous" but there was insufficient evidence to conclude it was a "race hate crime". Sentencing Comensoli the judge said he accepted the victim's account that as he and another man bashed Mr Singh unconscious he called him an "Indian dog" and said "shut up you Indian motherf-----, shut up".
I have lost all respect for Australian law and Police. I was hoping against all odds that at least the law will not be biased and we will see severe punishments handed down to these racist thugs but alas. Time to seriously start thinking about moveing out of this white pakistan.

LAW or Common sense.. The judge seems to lack both. I hope the Lucky appeals in the higher court.

shukla · Post by **shukla** » 16 Nov 2010 11:30

Pledge to sell uranium to Russia, not India, 'hypocrisy'
The Australian

Julia Gillard and her Russian counterpart, Dmitry Medvedev, exchanged notes in Seoul on Thursday night ahead of the G20 meeting, allowing for Australian uranium to be enriched in Russia and used in its nuclear reactors. "The agreement will help Russia to meet its expanding energy needs as it seeks to reduce its greenhouse emissions by diversifying its energy sources and shifting away from a reliance on fossil fuels," the Prime Minister said.

Opposition resources spokesman Ian Macfarlane welcomed the announcement but added that if the government wanted to help other nations cut greenhouse gas emissions, "one of the most effective things it could do would be to agree to export uranium to India for use in electricity generation".

Coalition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop said it was "highly insensitive" of Ms Gillard to make the announcement on the sides of the G20 meeting when the Indian Prime Minister was also in Seoul. "The decision to announce Australia will supply uranium to Russia while maintaining a ban on sales to India exposes the hypocrisy of Labor's stance on uranium exports," she said. "Julia Gillard has effectively said at the G20 meeting that the government trusts Russia to use our uranium for peaceful purposes but that it doesn't trust India."

Australian National University lecturer in international relations Michael McKinley said while the decision would offend India, that country was not a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, unlike Russia. "If Russia is to be regarded as part of the responsible global community, why not sell them uranium?" Dr McKinley asked.

MMS is expected to visit Australia in late 2011, hope that common sense prevails by then.

shukla · Post by **shukla** » 16 Nov 2010 11:44

Scrutiny for Australia's India uranium ban
The Australian - by Geoff Hiscock, who writes on Indian business and is the author of India’s Global Wealth Club and India’s Store Wars, both published by John Wiley & Sons.

Australia's long-standing ban on the sale of uranium to India faces scrutiny again following the commitment this week by US President Barack Obama to support India's full membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Speaking in New Delhi on Monday at the end of his high-profile visit to India, Obama promised to back India’s entry to the NSG in a “phased manner,” while India moved towards full adoption of the NSG’s export control requirements.

since the mid-1970s, Australia has had a bipartisan approach that it would not sell uranium to India because it was not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. That policy was briefly overturned in August 2007 when then-Prime Minister John Howard agreed in principle to allow uranium exports to India, on the condition the uranium was used for peaceful purposes and India signed safeguard agreements with Australia and the United Nations.

When Howard lost office in November 2007, the incoming Labor government led by Kevin Rudd reverted to the policy of no uranium sales to non-NPT members.Prime Minister Julia Gillard has continued that policy since replacing Rudd as Labor leader in June this year. During a 2009 visit to India when she was Deputy Prime Minister, Gillard said the policy was not directed specifically at India. “As a principle, we don’t sell uranium to countries that have not signed the NPT,” she told Indian media

India is likely to need 8000 tonnes of uranium a year as it boosts its nuclear power output over the next decade. Its own domestic mines have limited capacity, so it buys additional uranium from France, Russia and Kazakhstan. It has signed civilian supply agreements with other producers such as Canada and Namibia, while Mongolia, South Africa, Nigeria and other African nations are viewed as potential sources.
Australia’s Liberal Opposition is in favour of selling uranium to India, arguing that New Delhi has now signed an international convention covering nuclear accident liability, known as the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage.

Deputy Liberal leader and shadow minister for foreign affairs and trade Julie Bishop said on October 28 that Labor’s ban on uranium exports to India was “illogical, hypocritical and depriving the Australian mining sector of access to a key and growing market in the important early stages of development.” Former Liberal PM John Howard told the Foreign Correspondents Association on November 5 that he regretted that the Rudd government abandoned the process of possible uranium sales to India.

Howard said that after his visit to India in March 2006, he set in chain a process for uranium sales, even though India was not a signatory to the NPT. By August 2007 Howard had received sufficient Indian assurances on safeguards for him to announce the Liberal coalition government’s decision to allow sales. “I believe we should sell uranium to India,” Howard said last week. “India doesn’t have the NPT, but it has other protocols, and India will get its uranium from elsewhere. It is a great pity that it is not buying uranium from Australia, when we are prepared to sell uranium to China and Russia.” Howard said he wished he had reached his “2006 mindset” towards India much earlier.

“When we met in 2006, Dr Singh made a remark that resonated strongly with me. He said that India and Australia were two countries that had a lot in common, but very little to do with each other,” Howard said. Though Labor shows no sign of changing its policy, it is likely to be a subject of discussion ahead of the visit to Australia by Prime Minister Singh next year, following an invitation issued by Gillard when the two leaders met at the East Asia Summit in Hanoi on October 30. Singh’s visit would be the first by an Indian prime minister since Rajiv Gandhi in October 1986. Singh is likely to be in Australia in October 2011, when the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting is due to be held in Perth.

The Australian Uranium Association, representing interests across the industry, says it sells uranium only to countries that have both signed the NPT and entered into bilateral export treaties with Australia. But it has given itself some “wiggle room,” arguing that Australia’s diplomatic effort should aim to help bring the non-signatories into the NPT or, at least, to find other mechanisms that align their behaviours with the expectations of the NPT.” If those “other mechanisms” align Indian behaviour with NPT expectations in a way that convinces Labor, a policy shift is a possibility.

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 16 Nov 2010 13:33

^^^Wow!!!...the self righteous white man....again carrying the burden of humanity...BS. These buggers need to be shown their place in the comity of nations.....

RamaT · Post by **RamaT** » 16 Nov 2010 15:54

vish_mulay wrote: I have lost all respect for Australian law and Police. I was hoping against all odds that at least the law will not be biased and we will see severe punishments handed down to these racist thugs but alas. Time to seriously start thinking about moveing out of this white pakistan.

Disagree completely, if anything we should be using our commonwealth status to send more and more Indians there. No reason why in 20 - 30 years this place can't be South South India. There's only 21 million of them.. easy to grow into, specially if the ones who go there make an effort to have kids.

Once there are enough of us there, the racist b*stards won't be able to pull this BS without repercussions.

RajeshA · Post by **RajeshA** » 16 Nov 2010 16:55

RamaT wrote:Disagree completely, if anything we should be using our commonwealth status to send more and more Indians there. No reason why in 20 - 30 years this place can't be South South India. There's only 21 million of them.. easy to grow into, specially if the ones who go there make an effort to have kids.

Once there are enough of us there, the racist b*stards won't be able to pull this BS without repercussions.

Australians have some strong immigration controls. My suggestion is following:

When there is an immigration liberal regime in Australia, either due to ideological tilt or due to good relations into Australia, emigrate to Australia.
Choose a couple of cities in Australia, and emigrate only to those first, turning them into Indian-majority cities. Try not to spread out everywhere. If one spreads out everywhere then the Indian density would be low, and it would allow White racists to pick out the Indians one by one. So try to build up the density of Indian émigrés in one or two cities only where one can show strength.
Once sufficient Indians have migrated to one city, then they can start spreading out to some other city in big numbers, so that again the Indians can overwhelm the whites.
Due to high densities in some areas, Indians would also be able to enter politics and the Parliament. So Indians should get involved in politics of Australia.
During the times, when the Australian immigration controls are tight or they are not welcoming Indians, Indians should migrate to New Zealand and Fiji. Those places are still far more open to migration.
Once Indians have New Zealand or Fiji citizenship, they can migrate to Australia, which is far easier.

shukla · Post by **shukla** » 27 Nov 2010 17:55

30,000 Indian students have left Australia: Student federation
Times of India

A spate of attacks, tough visa norms and denial of permanent residency have caused around 30,000 Indian students, mostly based in Melbourne, to leave Australia in the past year, claims the Federation of Indian Students in Australia (FISA).

"Other significant factors include that there are no jobs and students can't survive without that. Denying permanent residency to many Indians despite fulfilment of conditions has also been a reason," says Gupta.

"Even though strengthening of the Australian dollar is welcome for Indians who live there permanently, for students coming from India it has become very expensive," said Bhasi who launched the magazine four years ago. "Two years ago, one Australian dollar fetched Rs.30 and yesterday it was around Rs 44. The average fee for a two-year study in Australia currently stands at Aus$36,000 and just look at the difference in the past two years that the Indian student has to bear."

"The latest figures point out that the education industry in Australia fetches the country close to Aus$18 billion annually and this industry is either the second or the third biggest earner. "With the Australian dollar strengthening like never before, the cost of education today in the US, the UK or Canada is the same as in Australia and with the denial of permanent residency, the education industry there could suffer heavily," added Bhasi.

shukla · Post by **shukla** » 28 Nov 2010 17:39

Manmohan may visit Australia in 2011
Times of India

In what will be the first visit by an Indian PM to Australia in almost 25 years, Manmohan Singh is likely to visit the country late next year. Sources confirmed that Singh has "in principle" accepted the invitation extended to him by his Australian counterpart Julia Gillard during the recent East Asia Summit in Hanoi.

The last time an Indian PM went to Australia was in 1986 when Rajiv Gandhi visited the country. Singh will hold bilateral talks in Australia at a time when ties between the two countries have increasingly come under strain, not least because of a series of violent attacks against Indians in the country. Gillard again assured Singh in her recent meeting with him that Australia was taking all corrective measures to prevent such incidents.

On several occasions in the recent past, such incidents have threatened to flare up into a diplomatic row. Apart from that, the Labour government's reversal of an earlier decision by the John Howard-led Conservative government to sell uranium to India has also not been of any help in arresting the downslide in relations.

However, while the Labour government continues to maintain that it will continue with its policy of not selling uranium to any country which has not signed the NPT, it has come under extreme pressure of late from the Opposition to change its "illogical" stand. With US President Barack Obama even backing India to become a member of NSG, the government's policy has come under further scrutiny.

mnag · Post by **mnag** » 30 Nov 2010 20:52

reported in ibn: CWG shame: $ 20 mn owed to Aus companies
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cwg-shame-20 ... ml?from=tn

New Delhi: In a major embarrassment for the government, fourteen Australian companies have claimed that they have still not been paid for their services rendered during the Commonwealth games 2010. These companies include contractors, equipment suppliers, vendors and consultants.
Australian contractors have claimed that they are yet to receive payments between 10-20 million dollars for the various services performed during the opening and closing ceremonies.
Intervening in the matter, The Australian government has asked the Govt of India to ensure the companies are paid their dues

The Australian Government has raised with the Indian Government and the Organising Committee the situation of a number of Australian companies which have not been paid for various services performed for the games. We have asked for early finalisation of these accounts in accordance with the relevant contracts," an Australian High Commission Spokesperson said.
The Australian contractors have also complained that 100 freight containers of equipments are still stuck in New Delhi, including audio, lighting and staging equipments because the OC hasn't been able to complete the paperwork regarding these equipments.

shynee · Post by **shynee** » 06 Dec 2010 07:30

Australian Classrooms Face Many Empty Seats

Australian universities are bracing for a significant drop in new international students next year as they struggle to confront multiple challenges, from a stronger Australian dollar to tough visa requirements and increasing competition for students.

One university has begun cutting staff numbers to cope with a decline in revenue from international students.

The projected decrease is generating concern over Australia’s ability to retain its share of the international student market, which officials estimate is worth 18 billion Australian dollars, or about $17 billion, annually and represents the country’s third-largest export industry.

The latest government figures show that the number of new international students embarking on degree programs increased by 1.9 percent from January to October, compared with the same period last year, and total enrollment of international students grew by 8.4 percent.

But the number of new international students joining Australian institutions — a number that includes not just universities but also high schools and vocational colleges — declined by 9.5 percent in the same period.

The number of Indian students — Australia’s second-largest market behind China — starting university degrees has plunged by almost half from January to October compared with the same period last year. A spate of violent attacks on Indian students in Melbourne last year, which were widely reported in the Indian press, have largely been blamed for the decline.

Surya · Post by **Surya** » 08 Dec 2010 18:10

Sydney morning herald is playing psy ops

The last few days its web sites main headline was the charges against a doctor of Indian origin for murdering a prostiture and an Indian guy killing his wife on honeymoon.

On closer examination the second was a UK man and the incident occurred in South Africa

Yet Smh headlined it

Ba$tards

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101208/ap_ ... ist_killed

arun · Post by **arun** » 10 Dec 2010 20:20

US Embassy cables leaked by Wikileaks characterises former Australian PM Kevin Rudd as a “control freak” who committed foreign policy blunders one of which is related to Australia’s refusal to support strategic dialogue between the US, Japan and India due to Australia’s relationship with PR China.

Unfortunately no light is thrown on Australia’s sale of Uranium to nuclear proliferator and undemocratic PR China while refusing the same India which has an impeccable record regards proliferation and is a democracy as well:

Kevin Rudd a control freak and mistake-prone, leaked US cables reveal

arun · Post by **arun** » 10 Dec 2010 21:07

India's fury at Pakistan training by Australia

Matt Wade NEW DELHI
December 11, 2010

THE Indian government has reportedly queried Australia's training program for Pakistani military personnel and re-emphasised its displeasure at the Labor government's ban on uranium sales to New Delhi.

The concerns were raised during meetings between top level diplomats from both countries in New Delhi, according to reports in the Indian media.

A spokesman for the Australian High Commission in New Delhi said it does not comment on private official discussions with other governments but did not deny the reports. ……………………

SMH

shukla · Post by **shukla** » 11 Dec 2010 05:42

^^^From above link..

''Australia's position on uranium sales to India is well known,'' the spokesman for the Australian High Commission said.

Its NOT Australian position but LABOR party's hypocritical position (allow sale to China and Russia but not India). I can't wait for the next set of elections to vote for the Liberals..

shukla · Post by **shukla** » 17 Dec 2010 15:52

Haneef returns to Australia for compensation talks

My wrongful arrest and detention in 2007 was a traumatic experience for me and for my family as a whole. It has impacted on all areas of my life, especially on my career and my reputation. Coming back to Australia represents a very important step for me and for my family.

The compensation which will be sought for Dr Haneef will be significant and it will be commensurate with the effect upon his career, his reputation and his life in general. This is a case without precedent and substantial compensation is warranted for the way Dr Haneef was treated in 2007.

mmasand · Post by **mmasand** » 17 Dec 2010 18:56

shukla wrote:^^^From above link..

''Australia's position on uranium sales to India is well known,'' the spokesman for the Australian High Commission said.
Its NOT Australian position but LABOR party's hypocritical position (allow sale to China and Russia but not India). I can't wait for the next set of elections to vote for the Liberals..

Little can be expected in terms of relations as long as ALP is in govt.What else can your expect from a socialist left party ? Although KR doesnt call the shots anymore JG hasn't shown any indication of a shift in policy from China to India.Her visit was merely consolation.

shukla · Post by **shukla** » 18 Dec 2010 05:54

mmasand wrote:
Little can be expected in terms of relations as long as ALP is in govt.What else can your expect from a socialist left party ? Although KR doesnt call the shots anymore JG hasn't shown any indication of a shift in policy from China to India.Her visit was merely consolation.

Couldn't agree more..

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Dec 2010 15:48

Gratters DR.Haneef! Had you been arrested in the US you would still be in Camp Gitmo being waterboarded! You must thank your lucky starts that you were wrongly incarcerated in Oz,which has righted a wrong to its credit.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... ntion.html

Indian doctor reaches $1m settlement with Australian government over wrongful detention
An Indian doctor who was arrested over suspicion of involvement in the 2007 Glasgow airport bombing has secured a "substantial" compensation settlement from the Australian government.

By Bonnie Malkin in Sydney 7:00AM GMT 22 Dec 2010
Under the deal, reported to be worth $1m (£644,000), Mr Haneef has agreed to drop a defamation case against a former minister in John Howard's government and to cease prosecution of a civil case against the Australian government.

He will also receive a public apology from the government.

After two days of mediation with government representatives in Brisbane, Mr Haneef said he was "very pleased and happy with the resolution of this matter".

"My wrongful arrest and detention in 2007 was a very traumatic experience and settlement is a chance to end that part of my life and move on with my family."

He said he planned to return to live on Australia's Gold Coast in the next 12 months with his wife and daughter, pending medical registration and approval of a work visa.

JE Menon · Post by **JE Menon** » 22 Dec 2010 18:59

A fair settlement. Credit to the Aussies for that...

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 23 Dec 2010 17:40

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 23 Dec 2010 17:40

Guilty!

Islamist fanatics plotted Australia's worst terrorist attack on army base
Three Islamist fanatics plotted to attack one of the country's largest army bases and kill as many people as possible in what would have been the worst terror attack on Australian soil.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... y-base.htm

By Bonnie Malkin, Sydney 11:25AM GMT 23 Dec 2010
The radicalised Muslim men were yesterday found guilty of planning the brazen attack on Holsworthy Army Base, a training area and artillery range on the outskirts of Sydney that can host up to 2,000 soldiers at a time.

Wissam Mahmoud Fattal, 34, Saney Edow Aweys, 27, and Nayef El Sayed, 26 – all Australian citizens of Somali or Lebanese origin – plotted to walk into the base with high-powered weapons and shoot scores of soldiers until they had either used up their ammunition or had been killed or captured.

The men, who were also accused of having ties to al-Shabab, the powerful al-Qaeda-linked Somali terror group, wanted to carry out the suicide attack in revenge for Australia's role in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The audacious plot was uncovered last year after one of the biggest police operations in Australian history. The ten month-long operation involved 400 officers and hours of phone tapping.

More than 2000 conversations were played to the jury during the three-month trial. In the discussions the men expressed their support for Islamic fighters and said they would be willing to become a martyr to advance the cause of Islam.

The trio, and two other men who were cleared of any involvement in the plot, were arrested in a series of predawn raids in Melbourne in August 2009.

The group, which met at a mosque in Melbourne, had identified the Holsworthy army base as a "soft target" and decided to carry out the attack because they believed Islam was under attack from the West.

They were so determined to go ahead with the plan that they sought approval for the "fatwa" from Somali sheikhs on a visit to the African country, the Victorian Supreme Court heard.

The group's contempt for Australia was laid bare in the trial.

Prosecutors said Aweys had described Australians as "infidels" and said that the 2009 Black Saturday bush fires, which killed 173 people, were punishment from Allah.

In one encounter with an undercover officer, Fattall had said: "If I find way to kill the army, I swear to Allah the great I'm going to do it."

The court was shown CCTV footage of Fattall walking around Holsworthy's sprawling perimeter.

"There are about six guys ... 20 minutes will be enough for us to take out five, six, 10 ... I don't know. Until they will use up their weapons. Is that permissible?" Aweys said, according to a transcript of phone intercepts read out in court.

Tony Negus, the Australian Federal Police Commissioner, said had the plot been successful, it would have been the most serious terror attack ever carried out in Australia.

When the guilty verdict was handed down, the men did not react, but as the jurors were being led away Fattall said: "Islam is truth religion.

Thank you very much."

They now face life sentences in jail.

Australia was a staunch supporter of the war on terror and sent troops to Iraq as well as Afghanistan, where about 1,550 personnel are currently based in the country's south.

While there has never been a terror attack on Australian soil, 92 Australians were killed in the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings, while three died in blasts at luxury hotels in July 2009 in Jakarta, where extremists also carried out a deadly car-bombing on Australia's embassy in 2004.

In February, five Muslims who plotted a guns-and-explosives attack on an unknown target in protest against Australia's part in the war on terror were jailed for up to 28 years, after the country's longest extremism trial.

Nihat · Post by **Nihat** » 20 Jan 2011 16:46

Australia rejects India Uranium Sale prospect

Maram · Post by **Maram** » 20 Jan 2011 22:03

I thought we had deals with Kazakhstan and Niger in place to supply yellow cake to us. Infact we seem to have got substantial amount of it too post the nuke deal... Why repeatedly ask them. I am sure, they will supply us in the not too distant future.We can wait for the ozzies to come of their high horse..... its a matter of when rather than whether.. so we should stop asking them,MMS should cancel state visit until movement on the deal.....

sanjchopra · Post by **sanjchopra** » 10 Feb 2011 02:42

Secret uranium talks with India

Mr Ferguson also said that the former prime minister and serving Foreign Affairs Minister, Kevin Rudd, had been ''careful … to leave the door open'' for uranium sales to India.

Yesterday Mr Ferguson told Parliament that at a meeting last month with the Indian Minister for External Affairs, S. M. Krishna he had ''reaffirmed that the position of the Australian government is that we are not in a position to sell uranium to India''.

However, a ''sensitive'' US embassy cable passed to WikiLeaks reveals that in November 2009, the US ambassador, Jeffrey Bleich, reported to Washington that Mr Ferguson had said an arrangement to sell uranium to India could be concluded within a few years.

svinayak · Post by **svinayak** » 22 Feb 2011 12:58

Deadly Earthquake Strikes New Zealand
People walk past rubble as they help the injured evacuate after an earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, in this

Video: Raw Video: Powerful Quake Strikes New Zealand The Associated Press
Christchurch quake: Tales of miracle survival begin to emerge New Zealand Herald

shynee · Post by **shynee** » 26 Feb 2011 09:22

Asia primed for a new Cold War

Gaurav_S · Post by **Gaurav_S** » 07 Mar 2011 13:44

Indians mining a success story down under

SYDNEY: Kolkata's Arun Jagatramka is a popular figure in government circles here. Officials of the New South Wales government never tire of quoting him as an example of what foreign investors can do in this resource-rich country. Jagatramka owns what is arguably coal mines with the best view - the mines overlooking the beautiful sea, some 70 kms from Sydney. "These were century old mines that were being closed, but I took a risk and bought them at throwaway prices. Now we find there are reserves of premium hard coal worth 550 million tons and life for 50-60 years,'' Jagatramka told TOI. He adds: "Jobs have been created and incomes generated making the local community happy.''

In neighbouring Queensland state that has the largest coal reserves in the world, Ahmedabad's Gautam Adani is fast rising to eminence. For Adani has bought the rights of coal mining in the Galilee Basin aiming to establish a huge 60 million ton per annum facility. A 150 km rail line to the port that will also benefit other coal miners in the region is part of the Adani charter. Adani's Gallilee mines now renamed Carmichael project after a river that runs in the region will yield coal for over one hundred years.

A Lanco proposal to mine coal in Western Australia is also in the final stage of approval.

"We welcome Indian investments in huge quantum... Australia is built on the back of foreign investments and there is no way that we can do this on our own,'' says Australia's federal minister for resources, energy and tourism, Martin Ferguson. So keen is the minister for India's investment that recently he went public with the demand that an Australian ban on uranium exports to India be lifted.

Director of Access Economics, Ian Harper, explains the Australian need for Indian investments. "Australia is huge country rich in minerals-iron, bauxite, uranium and coal. But with a population of merely 22 million, there is none to mine this stuff. Two decades ago we welcomed China and they set up huge mining facilities. They carried the iron ore back home and we got the moolah. Though we may have become rich, there is a growing economic and geopolitical concern about this Chinese overdependence and its implications. This is where India comes in. India can become a counterveiling force to China,'' says Harper.

Concern over this Chinese overdependence is a subject of great debate in Australian newspapers these days although every one realises that this huge Chinese demand for Australian resources all through the global financial crisis saw the latter country boom. This has led to the Australian dollar touching a value that is equal to the US dollar and unprecedented prosperity Down Under. "So huge is the Australian dependence on China that bankers often use value of the Australian dollar as a proxy for the Chinese currency. But clearly the Aussies are now a bit concerned about the geo-political impact of this relationship,'' says CEO of SBI's Sydney operations S Salee. Government officials are of course more circumspect. "Let's put it like this, China has supported us through the financial crisis. Now we are looking towards India,'' says Eric Roozendaal, treasurer and minister for state and regional development of the New South Wales government.

The treasurer says that the Indians are welcome not only to prospect for minerals and exploit them, but also free to buy up land for farming. "In India corporates have been wanting to go into farming for long. They can exploit the opportunity in Australia,'' says Salee. Not surprisingly the Chinese have huge land holdings Down Under though no estimates could be obtained.

All analysts say that Australia may present a great opportunity but Indian businessmen should gear up to strong corporate governance and environmental norms. They point to Pankaj Oswal who had set up a $700 million fertiliser plant in Western Australia a few years ago and became well known for the $70 million mansion that he built and the parties that he threw. Now he has run away leaving behind his company in debts and with charges of financial misdemeanour. "The India investment story is unlikely to be halted by the Oswal episode,'' says Hamish McDonald, Asia Pacific editor of the Sydney Morning Herald. But as they say, in Rome do as Romans do.

Link

The company mentioned above is Gujarat NRE coke..run by Arun Jagatramka. Recently they have bought mines around South of Sydney near Wollongong.

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 07 Mar 2011 14:32

^^^And its a really beautiful area...The drive from Sydney to Wollongong is really nice..

Klaus · Post by **Klaus** » 07 Mar 2011 20:41

IMO, for any tactical moves by Indian businesses to be entirely successful in an Australian setting would require second generation Indians similar to Nikki Haley and Bobby Jindal emerging in politics. I dont see this happening as long as Oz does not sever all ties with Britain (hence becoming a sovereign, independent republic). The quote in the above post "In Rome, do as the Romans do" in present-day Oz has only one interpretation: bend over backwards to keep the Anglo-Saxons happy!

arun · Post by **arun** » 07 Mar 2011 21:07

X Posted.

The BBC World Service along with Globe Scan and PIPA has released a poll on views about the influence of countries, namely if it is positive or negative.

India has done not too badly:

The ranking of India by the different countries polled, including Australia, is here:

Read it all:

Positive Views of Brazil on the Rise in 2011 BBC Country Rating Poll

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 07 Mar 2011 23:52

Klaus wrote:The quote in the above post "In Rome, do as the Romans do" in present-day Oz has only one interpretation: bend over backwards to keep the Anglo-Saxons happy!

Or rather, "Climb, but not too far." That same trend is there even in Amrikan day2day life, it is innocently couched as "aspiring to the amrikan middle-class dream." You have to lose yourself individually and become a part of the melting pot of amrika to be considered holy and respectable enough. What is worse, many Injuns do it too, some knowingly, some annoyingly. Do the same thing in India, you will be called names from this extreme to that. That is the power of the gora world, they get away with bullshit and dont let others get away with the same.

Klaus · Post by **Klaus** » 08 Mar 2011 20:32

Just met a suburban railway expansion planning engineer today with respect to possible new rake/rolling stock design technologies for intercity transport between Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane rail corridors comprising the eastern seaboard of the country. During the discussion, he told me a few facts which I wish to share (because IMO this has got implications for establishment of minority ethnic groups similar to the American-Indian diaspora)

1. Average speeds of suburban trains have come down steadily since the middle 1980's. Trains are running 15 kmph slower today than what they were in the 1930's

2. There is absolutely no emphasis on increasing speeds of current trains or new design trains which will be introduced later this year. Public consensus is that the trains are fast enough @ 20 kmph at peak hrs and 25 kmph at off-peak and that nobody is delayed commuting to and fro from work. The emphasis on the annual report was on airconditioning, cleanliness/general hygiene and re-introduction of dustbins in major stations now that terror threat has been downgraded by MI6.
3. Studies on new routes are being deliberately put on hold, instead funding and projects involving tram routes (along disused rail corridors) are going ahead. Trams are slower and carry fewer passengers.
4. The aim seems to be consolidation of people closer to the city centre to maximise tax gains for the government instead of allowing the city to grow. This is true of Sydney and Brisbane, thankfully Melbourne escaped this rubbish policy.

What (4) means is that immigrants are going to be covertly discouraged to buy property, instead they will have to rent (in the inner city suburbs) and pay a higher tax (% wise) on their savings minus rent. Also, with work locations not really far in the inner city suburbs, it really will not matter if the public transport is efficient or not. Obviously, the lip service to own and invest in real estate will be there but a first gen immigrant is going to feel the heat with high rent in metro areas. The investment activity is thus left to be capitalised upon by opportunistic Anglo-Saxons. This is a scheme devised by them to stay in power in the face of anticipated demographic changes through immigration from Asia. There is also frequent lip-service paid to developing High Speed Rail networks but the Anglo-Saxon politicians (be it Labor/Liberal/Green) will not go through with it as they know that keeping the country as primitive as possible is their best bet to keeping Asian immigration down to a trickle. The intention seems to be to control/own/concentrate all real estate in the vast open spaces in Anglo-Saxon hands.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 09 Mar 2011 01:59

Looks like Mummar Gaddafi policy being applied. Gaddafi developed only Tripoli and let rest of country be underdeveloped.

vina · Post by **vina** » 09 Mar 2011 05:46

The Australians have started a Paki like "Positive Neuj" and "Enlightened Moderation" image campaign on TV. I get to see spots about an Indian restaurant owner guy overlooking the Sydney Harbor and Opera house talking about Australia and Australian people in terms which I simply dont think I wouldn't relate to Australians at all!

And there is another TV spot about (I think an Indian couple..sound like well traveled/have lived abroad Jarnail level IT/Vity /Eye Panker /PissNess types) go on and on about how Australia is so welcoming, the "culture" (surely there is a joke hidden there somewhere in the culture bit), the "openness of it's people" and everything.

Somewhere the Paki like behavior seems to have backfired and the White Pakis have taken it in their gonads in terms of perception, public image and more importantly tourist, business and other stuff for them to have started this "Positive News" campaign in India. A far cry from the days of "All is well" , we are the best place on earth, F*ck off, we are full kind of head in the sand, ar*e in the air rubbish that we saw Julia Gerard put up during Kevin Rudd's days as Prime Minister.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 09 Mar 2011 06:04

There are, as in every thing, two Australias. I have seen really humble folks somewhere far away from the main cities on the highways, quite jovial, helpful, decent to boot, happy to yakkitak about AFL/NRL than mucho whine about the Queen's game and who they have beat to-die. The ones in the cities that I have come across are boorish as hell, I have had folks (including drunk and not-so-drunk women) spit right near my feet in a not-so-disguised attempt to show takleef that I was there. The more they have come in contact with Injuns, the more boorish they sound/act/behave. This is especially true of Melbourne and Sydney (with a HUGE Injun population), but even more true of the tru-blue racists in Perth and Brisbane (with microscopic to non-existent Injun population).

Rest assured that this hatred/racism is not targeted at Injuns alone as one recent survey showed. In the pecking order will be Lebanese/Muslims (who have a good enough reason to get the hatred running most of the shady gangs and indulging in petty thievery), Asians/Viet Namese/Chinese (who as usual have taken over the CBD with their variously scheming/unscheming moneyed ways), Aborigines/Native Australians (for no crime of their own), Somalis/Africans/refugees (for having the gumption to indulge in demographic warfare once the Assies have generously allowed them to come to Astralia), Injuns (for taking over the cab driving business from goras esp in Melbourne and for staying in poor neighborhoods that are the forte of the goras), Sri Lankans (for being what they are, an arse at times). So you see, it is an omni-directional antenna of hatred, you cant blame them if they are fair and square in dishing out racism/hatred, no?! Oh btw, Welcome to Astralia.

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 09 Mar 2011 07:18

My experience is limited mostly to Sydney, but I have seen all types...Most of the "professoinals" I dealt with would be same anywhere in the world..There is a segment that does display racism, but not of the overt type..In fact I was in a pub watching the India-Australia match during World Cup 2003 (the league match that we lost) - most of the guys there were actualy cheering for India! The Aussie cricketers were taken to be overpaid, overhyped and arrogant SOBs...I was therefore quite surprised at the incidents that happened in Melbourne last year...

I know of quite a few Indians settled in Australia, they have gone on to fairly senior positions in their resp organisations...But there is a glass ceiling that is distinct - you will almost never see a non-caucasian, in fact a non-aussie in the top echelons of any aussie organisation...