Both major Australian political parties — Labor and the Coalition — have pledged millions to religious, cultural, and volunteer-based initiatives within the Indian community.
This includes funding for the 2026 Sikh Games, Shri Durga Mandir Community, Culture and Education Centre in Melbourne, a Hindu faith school in Sydney, Turbans for Australia, a multi-purpose community centre in Canning Vale, Sikh Volunteers Australia, Gurdwara Nanak Darbar in Officer, upgrades to the Hoppers Crossing Sikh temple, and several other projects across Australia.
These commitments have stirred discussion about sincerity and the long-term impact of such funding promises.
A section of people from the Indian diaspora has raised questions about tokenism and whether these promises will translate into lasting change.
Many community leaders have welcomed the announcements, calling the faith-based spaces, gurdwaras and temples, vital hubs for learning and community support.
Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia (FECCA)'s Chairperson Peter Doukas, however, cautioned against using migrant communities as political pawns, urging leaders to prioritise long-term policies over election-time gestures.
Notably, according to the latest ABS data, Indian migrants are set to become the leading country of origin for overseas-born Australians.
To hear more about these promises, tune into our podcast and listen to Hon. Matt Thistlethwaite and Jason Wood's election commitments to the Sikh Games, along with an analysis of these pledges by community leader Harpreet Kandra.
Click on the audio icon to listen to the full report and interview in Punjabi.
🔊 For news, information and interviews in Punjabi from across Australia and the homeland, you can tune in to SBS Punjabi live from Monday to Friday at 4pm onon digital radio, on channel 305 on your television, via the or stream from our .
