Several years ago, I had to stay for some days at a hotel in Adelaide, Australia. At the hotel reception, during the day sat an elderly white Australian woman, and in the evening sat a young Indian man. That elderly woman simply could not tolerate the presence of the young Indian. After a few days, I realised the real reason behind her anger. The Indian youth had got the job for which her son-in-law had also been a candidate.

Her son-in-law had not been selected. The elderly woman told me, “Indians are coming to this country and taking away all our jobs.” Something very similar was conveyed just a few days ago through several protest rallies held in different Australian cities under the banner of “March for Australia.” Large gatherings were organised in Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, and other cities. In Sydney, between 5,000 and 8,000 people, many draped in the national flag, assembled near the city’s marathon route.

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The flyers for the rallies particularly highlighted Indian-origin residents, who now make up more than 3 per cent of the population. A pre-event Facebook post also singled out Indians. Census data shows that between 2013 and 2023, the number of Indians in Australia doubled, reaching about 845,800. As a counter-response, the Refugee Action Coalition organised rival rallies attended by hundreds. What are the core demands of the March for Australia organisers?

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At the protest in Melbourne, a neo-Nazi figure, Thomas Sewell, said bluntly: “If we do not stop immigration, then our death is certain.” At the Sydney rally, a participant, Glenn Allchin, said: “It’s about our country bursting at the seams and our government bringing more and more people in. Our........

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