A wrong place for increased presence

You may want more persons of Indian Origin in Honours List, Parliament, employment, business and perhaps even in the news.

But there is one place where you wound not want them to be in large numbers - our prisons and remand homes.

You would not want them to be the Guests of the State; you would rather see a qualified medical or engineering graduate driving a taxi, rather than washing dishes and clearing gardens.

The reality is unfortunately different.

Information made available to Indian Newslink suggests that the number of people of Indian origin in prisons is on the rise.

They are not petty thieves and bag snatchers.

Among the inmates are rapists, drug pushers, convicted murderers and wife beaters.

In comparative and absolute terms, their numbers are no match to those from other ethnic groups but they are in double digits in Mt Eden Prison alone.

A Corrections Department statistical report says every prison and remand home in the country has at least one or two persons who call themselves Indian.

In Mt Eden, the country’s busiest institution for convicted criminals, there are more than 20 Indian prisoners.

“A number of them were involved in family violence, perpetrating life-threatening injuries on their wives and children. We are not talking of large numbers here but a community that prides itself of people who are law-abiding and followers of traditional values should take pause and reflect,” an official said.

A senior member of the community described it as a wakeup call.

“Community organisations and voluntary bodies should address the issue of crime in the Indian community and mobilise public opinions. So far, none of them has done anything tangible for the community other than organising Bollywood shows. It is time to consider Indians not only as victims but also as perpetrators of crime. We should not shy away from reality,” he said.

Indian Newslink is facilitating a seminar of family violence in Auckland on April 10.

Officials of the Auckland City District Police will participate in the event being organised jointly by Shanti Niwas Charitable Trust and the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (see Page 5 for details).