The red spray paint that stained the Shree Swaminarayan Mandir in Boronia may have been washed off, but the unease it left behind hasn’t faded. As investigations continue into the recent defacement of the temple and nearby businesses, members of Victoria’s Indian community say the act cuts deeper than property damage. It reminds them that even in a country long praised for its multiculturalism, vulnerability lingers.
Brad Battin, Leader of the Opposition in Victoria, called it an act of hate that “has no place in Victoria.” In a public statement, he urged authorities to find and charge those responsible, and said, “All decent Victorians will join with me in extending their support to the Hindi community in condemning this appalling act.”
The temple, part of a global network with deep roots in Melbourne’s growing Indian community, was among several locations in Boronia targeted on 21 and 22 July. Police have confirmed they are treating the graffiti as hate-motivated incidents that are likely linked.
For many, the Boronia case doesn’t stand in isolation. Just days before, a 22-year-old Indian student was hospitalised after an alleged racist attack in Adelaide. The convergence of these stories, along with others still lingering in memory, has reignited national and international attention on how safe Indian migrants feel in Australia today.
Tarun Bhattacharya, who migrated to Australia over three decades ago, says the country has changed in meaningful ways. “The racism towards the Indian community has come down quite a lot,” he said. “That’s because people now see a lot more Indians around. Many of the younger Indian migrants here work in IT. If they were to leave Australia today, the country’s systems would collapse.”
He recalls a time when being a person of colour in the Australian workforce was isolating. “Thirty-five years ago, I worked for a multinational company, and I was the only dark-skinned person there. It wasn’t uncommon for people to say things like, ‘You Indians…’ and it wasn’t seen as wrong. Today, if someone said that in a workplace, they’d be reported to the Anti-Discrimination Commissioner. There are real consequences now.”
Jyoti, a young migrant herself, says she hasn’t faced open hostility but has witnessed what it looks like when things go terribly wrong. She shared the story of a fellow Indian student from Assam who, after landing a part-time job in Tasmania, went out to celebrate. “Someone randomly walking past made a comment and then hit him on the head very hard,” she said. “He fell into a coma and remained that way for six months.”
His parents flew to Australia and struggled to piece together what had happened. With no clear CCTV footage, justice felt out of reach. She believes the student is now supported by the NDIS, but the emotional cost remains enormous.
The pain and fear aren’t just about physical safety. They touch something deeper: the struggle to feel fully at home. That tension is heightened during moments like this, where hate crimes are splashed across walls and headlines, reminding communities of their perceived otherness.
Ash Aashish, Director of Yimiri, a not-for-profit organisation, believes this isn’t the time to retreat but to assert the community’s voice more clearly. “The situation can be somewhat ameliorated through more active advocacy by the Indian government. It should vociferously link trade, defence and mutual support in international forums to treatment of its diaspora in foreign lands.”
The question that remains is how Australia responds next—not just through police investigations, but in how it listens to the voices emerging from its temples, campuses, and neighbourhoods. Because what’s at stake isn’t just a temple wall. It’s the promise that people of all backgrounds can live here without fear.
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