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.”

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.”

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.

“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.”

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.

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.”