Mr Singh, a prominent community leader and the president of Turbans 4 Australia, has expressed concerns over the recent online onslaught that he claims is leading to "divisions and spreading hatred" within the Indian-Australian community.
In an interview with SBS Punjabi, Mr Singh alleged that a group of unknown people has been spewing hatred against the community ever since the last year's Harris Park street fight that broke out between a group of men from Punjab and Haryana, two neighbouring states in north India.
"It is unfortunate that after the Harris Park brawl, some people have tried to further their hateful agendas to spark unrest within the community.
"On two separate occasions, two Sikh youth were beaten up by a group of people who have a certain ideology and one-sided views as a result of some previous set of events," Mr Singh claims.
Mr Singh claims of late he was also made a target of hate speeches on video-sharing platform TikTok by a group of detractors after he made efforts to resolve the matter following the Harris Park incident that occurred on 28 August last year.
Amar Singh from Turbans4Australia Source: Supplied
"I've received many phone calls from concerned community members from all over the country alerting me to some videos on TikTok. I'm worried that my photos and videos are being fabricated and misused on the platform.
"Many people involved in the Harris Park brawl and subsequent incidents have been tagged in these videos which are littered with abuse and derogatory words," he alleged.
Mr Singh said he has grave concerns for his safety and the reputation of his charity organisation.
"These actions need to stop here. These hate campaigns undermine the democratic values of our Australian society and create rivalry among the youth factions," he said.
Mr Singh has since lodged a complaint with the New South Wales Police against some unidentified people for allegedly spreading online hatred and using "anti-social and vulgar language" against him on social media.
Mr Singh said he has participated in numerous discussions with the NSW Police, Multicultural NSW and other Indian community leaders to help resolve the community's tensions following the Harris Park incident.
"Other community members and I have been attending several meetings with the state government representatives to promote peace, mutual understanding, and co-operation. But this whole scenario doesn't help this situation which is already so tense," he said.
Mr Singh said he wants people to refrain from making hateful, sensitive and derogatory comments.
"These are challenging times, and tensions have further flared up due to the ongoing farmers' protest back in India. There have been so many protests here in Australia as well.
"Australia allows everyone the democratic right to express one's opinions. We should respect each other's viewpoint and should be wary of people who impose their views on others with the intention of spreading hatred and unrest," he added.
To listen to the full interview, click here or on the player at the top of the page.
LISTEN TO
Sydney-based community leader expresses concern over spread of ‘online hatred’ after Harris Park brawl
SBS Punjabi
07/01/202107:28
