Amid a rise in incidents of violence against the Indian diaspora in Ireland, an man from India was attacked by a group of teenagers in Fairview Park, Dublin, over the weekend.
According to a report by The Journal, the man said that the assault happened at nearly 5.30 pm (local time) on August 10, when one attacker on an electric scooter kicked him in the stomach. As he tried to walk away, two others joined in, hitting him repeatedly until he fell to the ground, where they continued kicking and punching him.
One of the attackers reportedly struck him above the eye with his own metal water bottle, causing a deep cut and heavy bleeding. He received eight stitches in the hospital.
Following the attack, the man said many of his friends in Dublin’s Indian community are now “scared to go outside". He has also arranged to return to India, saying his parents were deeply concerned and urged him to come home, News18 reported.
Amid the rising incidents, earlier on Tuesday, Ireland President Michael D Higgins “unequivocally” condemned the “despicable attacks” on members of the Indian community. In a statement, Higgins highlighted the immense contribution of Indians across all spheres of Irish life, saying the attacks were in stark contradiction to the values of Ireland.
Meanwhile, the Ireland India Council has said it has postponed its annual “India Day” celebrations in Dublin, scheduled for Sunday, due to a recent spate of violent attacks on members of the community.
Prashant Shukla, co-chairman of the diaspora group working on closer India-Irish relations, said on Monday that it was not a “conducive” time to hold the event, coinciding with Indian Independence Day, amid safety concerns for Indians in Ireland, PTI reported.
It came after a spate of violent attacks on Indians in Dublin and other cities, which the Irish police (Garda) said was “being fully and thoroughly investigated”.
Earlier, a 40-year-old Indian man was brutally attacked at Parkhill Road in the Tallaght suburb of Dublin last month. There have been several more reports of similar targeted attacks on the community across Ireland.
Kerala nurse Anupa Achuthan’s six-year-old Ireland-born daughter Nia Naveen being assaulted outside her home in Waterford, south-east Ireland, and violent assaults on hotel chef Laxman Das, taxi driver Lakhvir Singh and entrepreneur and AI expert Dr Santosh Yadav are among those under investigation by the Irish police.
An Indian Embassy advisory urged citizens to take "reasonable precautions for their personal security and avoid deserted areas, especially in odd hours". On Tuesday, the embassy organised an “Open House” in Dublin inviting Indian nationals to raise their concerns and grievances.
(With inputs from PTI)
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