Key Points
- Online hate comments have been directed at businesses with Sikh or Punjabi-sounding names in Melbourne.
- Faith leaders appeal for peace and calm following tensions in Australia's Indian community.
- 'Violence and acts of hate of any kind are unacceptable,' says Victorian Government spokesperson.
Gurpreet Singh’s ‘Singh Sweets and Punjabi Restaurant’ in Melbourne’s west is among a list of unsuspecting businesses targeted by online boycott calls since the divisive non-binding referendum on 29 January.
The event, which organisers say witnessed a significant turnout, was marked by violent clashes widely condemned by Australia’s Indian community.
In the days since, a number of Melbourne business owners say they have been on the receiving end of fake online reviews, abusive phone calls and "hate messages".
SBS Punjabi has viewed multiple posts targeting businesses by anonymous internet users on a prominent community group on Facebook called ‘Indians in Melbourne (IIM) – Official and Original’, which has over 96,000 followers.
Snapshot of a message posted on a Facebook group for the Indian community in Melbourne. Credit: Supplied
“We are being hit by fake reviews and have also been receiving calls from random customers telling us 'we had called to place an order, but since we have learnt that you are a Khalistani supporter, we are not going to give you business',” he said.
Mr Singh said he fails to understand the motive behind the boycott calls.
“Our employees, customers and even suppliers are from varied backgrounds. We have not been significantly impacted because people understand these are fake reviews.
"The government must stop these hate messages,” he said.
Image for representation only. Source: Getty / Getty Images
“We have taken multiple screenshots where our business was specifically named on the Facebook group, mostly by owners of fake profiles. We have reported it to the cybercrime cell. They have assured us that action will be taken against those involved,” he said.
The business owner added that the hate was being spread by a handful of “anti-social” elements.
The recent violence and the resultant boycott calls are rooted in a global political campaign to create Khalistan, an independent Sikh state in India's Punjab region.
Last week a brawl broke out between Khalistani supporters and a group of people carrying Indian flags at Federation Square, half an hour before voting closed in the Melbourne chapter of the ‘Khalistan referendum’.
While a similar scuffle was reported a few hours earlier, organisers said the event was largely peaceful and attracted a big turnout.
Victoria Police, which continues to investigate the matter, made two arrests on the day.
Community leaders appeal for calm
Jang Singh Pannu is the secretary of the Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council (VSGC). Source: Supplied / Supplied by Mr Pannu.
Appealing for calm, the secretary of the Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council (VSGC), Jang Singh Pannu, said community members must not let a small group of "hate-mongers" destroy the harmony built over many years.
“We must not forget that we all are economic migrants who came here for a better life, irrespective of our backgrounds. And we have been living with unity and dignity in this beautiful multicultural country for many years.
I would like to appeal to the community to avoid falling prey to the misinformation and hatred being spread on social media and work towards promoting peace and harmony.Jang Singh Pannu, Secretary, Victorian Sikh Gurduaras Council (VSGC).
Deepak Joshi is the co-founder of the not-for-profit organisation The Humanism Project.
He said they have been monitoring social media groups and have alerted authorities to the threat these boycott calls pose to social cohesion within the Indian community.
“Some diaspora groups, including media platforms, have maliciously used these incidents to spread fear and to vilify entire communities. This call for a boycott appears to follow the same predictable pattern,” Mr Joshi said in a statement.
He said it should be viewed as a law and order situation and urged strict action against the perpetrators.
We also condemn the hate messaging, fear-mongering and opportunistic vilification of the Sikh communities by certain groups, which we believe pose a serious threat to harmony within the Indian diaspora.Deepak Joshi, The Humanism Project
“We also urge the Victorian Government to assist different religious and secular groups in the Indian diaspora to come together and find peaceful ways to protest as well as resolve issues,” Mr Joshi said.
SBS Punjabi has also reached out to the Hindu Council of Australia for comment.
‘Violence and acts of hate of any kind are unacceptable’
Commenting on the boycott calls, a spokesperson for the Victoria Government said they have been clear that violence and acts of hate of any kind are unacceptable in the state.
Victoria is the proud home to thousands of members of the Indian diaspora, and while people have the right to peaceful protest, violence and criminal acts are never acceptable.Spokesperson, Victoria Government
“Government grants that support Victoria’s multicultural communities cannot be used for political activity,” the spokesperson said in a statement to SBS Punjabi.
Boycott calls on social media
An admin of the Indians in Melbourne (IIM) – Official and Original Facebook group, responded to SBS Punjabi's query regarding the online boycott calls.
In a statement, the admin said the group does not support spreading hatred or disrespect towards any religion or race.
"Please keep in mind that this group is not a platform for political differences and agendas. Let us use the platform to help and support each other and keep the mission of the group alive," the statement read.
The statement further read that the group does not support any "extremists, including the Khalistani movement", and asked anyone aligning with the campaign to exit the group.
"The promotion of separatism within the Indian-origin community in Melbourne weakens the principles of unity and diversity that make our society strong," the statement said.
Meg Coffey, social media expert. Credit: Lanie Sims
"You can't put things out on the internet that you know to be false and hopes to ruin someone's reputation," she said.
Ms Coffey said she lives by the rule that you should never write something online that you wouldn't want to be read in court.
"I think people have a right to give an honest general review of a business. For example, 'I don't like this business because x happened to me', or again it depends on the case and the tone, but I think it's okay if a business publicly has its owners listed, then I don't have a problem with that information being shared because it was already public.
"But when you start saying things that aren't true or when you are worried it might incite violence, that's where we have a problem," she added.
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Indian community condemns campaign to 'boycott' businesses following 'Khalistan referendum'
SBS Punjabi
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