Event in Dublin postponed as organisers ‘concerned about safety' after spate of attacks as ‘time to stand up' call made
SAFETY FEARS Event in Dublin postponed as organisers 'concerned about safety' after spate of attacks as 'time to stand up' call made
ONE of Ireland's top clerics has slammed the recent spate of unprovoked attacks on members of the Indian community in the capital and raged: We must call out racism when we see it.
This comes as India Day in Ireland has been postponed following a 'spate of violent attacks' on members of its community in recent months.
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Chair of the Ireland India Council Prashant Shukla said the decision was 'very difficult'
Credit: PA
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Aparna Shukla has asked for a cross-departmental taskforce to address the violent attacks
Credit: PA
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Archbishop of Dublin Dermot Farrell said the recent attacks 'have been truly shocking'
Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk
The co-chairman of the Ireland India Council, Prashant Shukla, said making the decision was 'very difficult' and 'emotional', but that the safety and security of the community was more important.
He said the event has been held in Ireland since 2015 and this had never happened before.
Hundreds of performers had been preparing for the event at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park on Sunday.
Mr Shukla said: 'We are not too much concerned about the safety at the event, we are more concerned about the perception on social media.'
He said that there has been an online perception created that Indians have 'taken over the state' and caused housing problems.
He continued: 'So we want to actually balance these counter narratives, they are very very negative.
'We will review the situation and we will announce new dates for India Day this year.'
Separately, Archbishop Dermot Farrell today released a statement urging people to stand up to the thugs terrorising the immigrant community in Dublin.
The Ireland India Council met with Tanaiste Simon Harris this afternoon to ask for a cross-departmental taskforce to address the recent spate of violent attacks.
Archbishop Farrell said: 'Recent attacks on members of the Indian community in Dublin have been truly shocking.
Five people killed in 48 hours on Irish roads as Gardai issue safety appeal after telling 'dreaded news' to families
'These unprovoked attacks on people, including a child, who were apparently targeted solely because of their ethnic identity, have generated understandable fear and alarm among the Indian community.
'The truth is that the Indian community in Dublin comprises many people who have come to Dublin to make an important and valued contribution to our society.
'We are all familiar with the vital presence of Indian professionals in our healthcare system, without whom many healthcare needs simply could not be met. Others apply their skills in other important sectors of the economy and also contribute to funding public services through their taxes.
'It is time to call out those who peddle racial hatred. It is time to stand up to those who seek to divide our community through rumour and malice.'
VIGIL HELD
The issue has been highlighted after an Indian man was the victim of an unprovoked attack in Tallaght, Dublin, last month.
A silent vigil was held outside the Department of Justice by Friends Of India in response.
The Indian embassy in Dublin has also issued a warning that there has been 'an increase in the instances of physical attacks reported against Indian citizens in Ireland recently'.
PRECAUTION URGED
They said Indian citizens in Ireland should take 'reasonable' precautions and avoid deserted areas.
Fine Gael leader Harris has said he was 'deeply concerned' about the incidents and that he was particularly affected by a reported attack on a six-year-old girl in Waterford.
He said one of the most concerning things was the 'very young age of those that have been involved in some of this racist activity'.
The Ireland India Council said they wanted assaults on members of the Indian community to be recognised as hate crimes, to ensure the offences are 'appropriately recorded and addressed'.
On Sunday, Minister of State Colm Brophy said he wanted the incoming Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly to prioritise addressing these incidents.
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Extra.ie
32 minutes ago
- Extra.ie
'India Day will not be ruined' as council insists celebration is postponed -- not cancelled
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We are not giving the far-right what they want by not going ahead, but we are also not giving them the opportunity to ruin the celebration or harm any members of our community.' This week, one of the largest newspapers in India, the Hindustan Times, carried the headline: 'Harassed by a child: Indian family in Ireland recounts disturbing racist encounter.' The report was about how two boys, aged about seven or eight, had grabbed the crotch of a 60-year-old Indian man and repeatedly harassed him at a Dublin bus stop. An Indian tech worker was beaten, stabbed, robbed and partially stripped by a gang in nearby Kilnamanagh, Tallaght. Pic: Seán Dwyer On August 1, Indian data scientist Dr Santosh Yadav suffered a broken cheekbone and had multiple injuries all over his body after he was attacked by a group of teenagers in Clondalkin, south-west Co. Dublin, and in July, an Indian tech worker was beaten, stabbed, robbed and partially stripped by a gang in nearby Kilnamanagh, Tallaght. Gardaí are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime. Tánaiste Simon Harris and Immigration Minister Colm Brophy met with the IIC yesterday and other groups representing Indian citizens here. Mr Harris condemned the number of racist assaults taking place, many of which have been orchestrated by juveniles. Attacks in recent weeks included an alleged assault of a six-year-old Irish-Indian girl in Waterford. The assault, along with numerous other attacks on Indian people, is currently being investigated by gardaí. Speaking yesterday afternoon, Mr Harris described the attacks on Indian citizens of recent weeks as 'abhorrent'. Pic: Olivier Hoslet/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock The volume of violent attacks has led to the Indian embassy in Dublin issuing an advisory to citizens, urging them to avoid isolated areas in Ireland and to be generally more conscious of their security and surroundings. In the hours before meeting with Government representatives, the IIC announced its decision to postpone India Day. The celebration has been held in Ireland since 2015, with hundreds of performers and volunteers preparing for Sunday's event at Farmleigh House, adjacent to the Phoenix Park. Speaking yesterday afternoon, Mr Harris described the attacks on Indian citizens of recent weeks as 'abhorrent'. The Foreign Affairs Minister acknowledged the number of juveniles perpetrating these assaults and said that he would be in favour of introducing tougher penalties for teenagers involved in racist attacks. Ganesh idols ahead at the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Kolkata, India, on August 10, 2025. (Photo by Sudipta Das/NurPhoto via Getty Images) While Mr Harris said he does not want to 'cut across' the work of Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan, he said that there should be a review of existing legislation to ensure the laws of the State protecting people from assault are being enforced. 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Mr Shukla said Mr Harris and Mr Brophy committed to outlining actions they would take to combat racist attacks in two weeks. Members of the Federation of Indian Communities in Ireland also attended the meeting. They said that families feel 'insecure' about leaving their homes because of recent attacks. Dr Jasbir Singh Puri, who has been in Ireland for 38 years, said when he arrived in Ireland, people would have helped guide them. He said: 'It was a land of a thousand welcomes, but now it looks like values have been eroded.'
Irish Independent
33 minutes ago
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Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
India Day in Ireland postponed following 'spate of attacks' on community
India Day in Ireland has been postponed following a "spate of violent attacks" on members of its community in recent months. Hundreds of performers and volunteers had been preparing for the event at Farmleigh House in the Phoenix Park on Sunday. The co-chairman of the Ireland India Council said making the decision to delay the celebration was "very difficult" and "emotional", but that the safety of the community was more important. Prashant Shukla said the event has been held in Ireland since 2015 and this had never happened before. He said they believe there is an "organised" social media campaign against the Indian community in Ireland and the number of violent attacks has intensified since January this year. "We are not too much concerned about the safety at the event, we are more concerned about the perception on social media," he said, adding that a perception had been created that Indians had "taken over the state" and had caused housing problems. "So we want to actually balance these counter narratives, they are very, very negative. "We will review the situation and we will announce new dates for India Day this year." Tanaiste Simon Harris speaks to the media outside the Government Buildings in Dublin following his meeting with representatives of the Indian community in Ireland who have asked for a cross-departmental taskforce to address the "recent spate of violent attacks". Picture date: Monday August 11, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire The announcement was made after representatives of the Indian community met with Tanaiste Simon Harris at Government Buildings on Monday. Members of the Federation of Indian Communities in Ireland said that families feel "insecure" about leaving their homes because of recent attacks. Dr Jasbir Singh Puri, who has been in Ireland for 38 years, said when he arrived in Ireland and needed directions, people would have helped guide them. "It really was a land of a thousand welcomes, but now it looks like the values have been eroded, whether it is inside or outside," he said. Mr Shukla said he raised their concerns about what he said was "organised propaganda" online targeting the Indian community in Ireland. He said incidents of violent assaults began after the Dublin riots in November 2023, but had increased significantly since January this year. Mr Shukla said the ministers in the meeting outlined actions they would take in the next two weeks. "The Dublin riots was actually the first time when these things actually started," he said. "But I feel after actually January this year, there's a lot of propaganda going on. So social media accounts created and closed in a few days. "That gives me the indication that it is some sort of organised agenda, organised propaganda, that is specifically targeted to Indians, because whenever we have the situation, this time only, the Indians are attacked and identified. "In the past, there was casual violent incidents, that I can understand, they can happen anywhere in the world. But behind there was no such campaign of hate and incitement of violence." Aparna Shukla, a midwife who first came to Ireland in 2003, is the cultural co-ordinator for the Ireland India Council. "I know this is not our Irish people. I love India. I love Ireland," she said. "I'm here to say that all Irish people are really nice people. I'm also here for all mothers who are now concerned because of the little six-year-old child who was attacked in Waterford. "Her mother is also a nurse. She came here to work, and it is wrong that she has to go through this. "I'm (hearing) from a lot of nurses who are planning to leave Ireland because now they are worried about their children's safety and security." Thousand gather to protest against racism following the recent assault of an Indian national in the Tallaght area. (Image: Mostafa Darwish/Anadolu via Getty Images) Mr Harris said he would support tougher consequences for teenage gangs who have been reported to be behind some of the attacks against members of the Indian community. He said: "I think it's required. I don't want to cut across the work of my colleague and Minister for Justice (Jim O'Callaghan), who I know is eager also to engage with the Indian community, and they've been in contact with him. "I think we have to come at this from a number of angles, for want of a better word. Firstly, the enforcement of the existing laws. "There's already very clear laws in Ireland in relation to assault, attack, racism, those laws need to be enforced. "I trust the gardai will do that job, will apply the appropriate level of attention and resource, because this is serious. "Secondly, I think we have to have a legitimate question as to, are there further sanctions that are required, particularly when you're seeing attacks being carried out by children or young teenagers. Members of the Federation of Indian Communities in Ireland Senthil Ramasamy, Dr Jasbir Singh Puri, Babu Lal Yadav and Sanjeeb Barik speak to the media following their meeting with Tanaiste Simon Harris at the Government Buildings in Dublin. Representatives of the Indian community in Ireland have asked for a cross-departmental taskforce to address the "recent spate of violent attacks". Picture date: Monday August 11, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire "Where's our system in relation to that? And do we need to look again at some of our laws. Then, thirdly, where's this hatred coming from? Like, no child is born a racist. "So what's what's happening here? This is not who we are. I must say, in my meeting with the Indian community, they're very clear too, that this is not what Ireland is. "The overwhelming majority of people in this country and understand that we are better as a result of people from India and other countries coming here, making Ireland their home and contributing positively to society. "But it is quite frightening when you see children engaging in activity that is clearly racist." The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week Attacks against members of the Indian community in Ireland have been highlighted in recent weeks after an Indian man was the victim of an unprovoked attack in Tallaght, Dublin, last month. A silent vigil was held outside the Department of Justice by Friends of India in response. The Indian Embassy in Dublin has also issued a warning that there has been "an increase in the instances of physical attacks" reported against Indian citizens in Ireland. They said Indian citizens in Ireland should take "reasonable" precautions and avoid deserted areas. Mr Harris said on Sunday that he was "deeply concerned" about the incidents and that one of the most concerning things was the "very young age of those that have been involved in some of this racist activity". The Ireland India Council said it wanted assaults on members of the Indian community to be recognised and recorded as hate crimes, to ensure the offences are "appropriately recorded and addressed". It has called for a cross-departmental taskforce on hate crime and youth violence and "legislative reform" to hold parents more accountable for the actions of their children. Aparna Shukla of the Ireland India Council speaks to the media following the meeting with Tanaiste Simon Harris at the Government Buildings in Dublin. Representatives of the Indian community in Ireland have asked for a cross-departmental taskforce to address the "recent spate of violent attacks". Picture date: Monday August 11, 2025. PA Photo. Photo credit should read: Niall Carson/PA Wire It also called for enhanced policing, swift prosecution of offenders, and an outreach programme to affected communities. On Sunday, Minister of State with responsibility for migration Colm Brophy said he wanted the incoming Garda commissioner, Justin Kelly, to prioritise addressing these incidents. "We actually have seen a drop in serious crime, but in this particular area, we have seen a rise in the type of attacks," he told RTE Radio. "I think there needs to be a stronger policing response in this area because there's two aspects to these attacks, which I think are very, very unacceptable. "The first is obviously the attack itself, and the second then is the recording and videoing of it and the disseminating of it on social media and there's a role that has to be dealt with there as well." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
