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Victorian police have charged two men with inciting racial hatred during a 45-minute drunken assault on an Indian student on a bus.
The president of the Federation of Indian Associations of Victoria, Vasan Srinivasan, said that while the charge had yet to be proved, it would send a strong message that crimes motivated by race, religion, or colour would not be tolerated, news.com.au reported.
"It's a sad day to teach the community what to do and what not to do," he said.
"It is not only symbolic, it is sad . . . that we have to go this far to educate the community."
It is alleged that graphics student Rajan Kumar Katkam was travelling on a bus from Frankston to Rye, south of Melbourne on the afternoon of February 6 when he was punched and kicked and subjected to drunken racial taunts from three young men for 45 minutes.
He said yesterday that during the assault, which took place on a crowded bus, only one young woman attempted to intervene, but was told, "if you're going to support him we are going to bash you first".
Mr Kumar alleged the men kicked him in the back, punched him in the head, made comments about his colour and said black people "need to be like slaves".
He said he became so fearful he asked the men whether he could get off the bus, although he did not know where he was, but this only incited them further and one of them came towards him carrying a bottle and shouting, "you people are racists; we're not racists".
At that stage, Mr Kumar appealed to the driver for help and he stopped the bus and called the police.
Two of the suspects, aged in their 20s, have received summonses to appear at Frankston Magistrates Court on September 1, charged with intentionally causing injury, unlawful assault, assault in company, offensive language and inciting racial hatred.
Police said yesterday the third man was also expected to be charged.
