Indian Consulate in Melbourne Defaced; High Commission Seeks Swift Action from Australia

The Indian Consulate in Melbourne has been vandalized in an incident, with the Indian High Commission in Canberra bringing the issue to Australian authorities on Friday.

This is not the first time the Consulate building has been vandalized, according to The Australia Today. This has happened before in past years, usually when global tensions are high, with slogans spray-painted on the building.

Victoria Police said they found the graffiti on the front door of the Consulate about 1:00 am on Thursday. "The graffiti was apparently applied overnight, between Wednesday and Thursday. It is being investigated," a police spokesperson replied.

The Indian High Commission reacted quickly, tweeting on X (formerly Twitter) that the matter had been brought to Australian authorities. "The Consulate General of India in Melbourne incident of defacing by miscreants has been brought to Australian authorities. Every possible action is being done to ensure security and safety of Indian diplomatic and consular installations and officials in the country," the post said. Police did not confirm if suspects have yet been identified.

This event has revived concerns among the Indian-Australian community, which has become increasingly upset with a trend of targeted assaults on Hindu temples and Indian government property in Melbourne. Community members have seen these incidents not only as acts of vandalism but as intimidation of their cultural and religious institutions.

One resident stressed, "It's not graffiti - it's a message of intimidation directed at our community," of the frequent assaults on sites of worship and cultural importance as deeply distressing.

The Victorian government, under Premier Jacinta Allan, had enacted anti-vilification laws earlier this year to double punishments for hate or religiously motivated acts. But the Indian-Australian community is still expressing anger and frustration over the perceived delays and inconsistency of responses, particularly against the backdrop of similar incidents against other communities.

As one resident put it, "This is not about politics. It's about safety, respect, and equal protection under the law," pointing to the continued struggles of the Indian diaspora in Australia.