Indian students attacked in Italy say assaults were racially motivated

NEWDELHI: India on Tuesday said it had taken up with Italian authorities several cases of attacks on Indian students in Milan, with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj saying she was personally monitoring the situation.

At least three Indian students in Milan told a TV news channel that they were victims of “racist” attacks in the northern Italian city. One said he was repeatedly punched in the face by some Italian men and told to “go home” on October 17, while another said he was threatened with a broken beer bottle and hit on the head on October 29. In a statement posted on Twitter, the Indian consulate in Milan said it had taken up the “unfortunate incident of attacks on the Indian students” with the “highest level of law and order authorities” in the city.

“All Indian students are urged not to panic,” the statement said. The consulate asked students to report all such attacks as it would help officials to take up the issue with authorities in Milan “so that all efforts can be made to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future”. The statement advised Indian students “to be in touch with each other (particularly when they go out) as well as with the consulate and spread the information among other students about the areas where they face such incidents so that such areas can be avoided”.

In a tweet, Swaraj said she had received a detailed report on the attacks. “Pls do not worry. I am monitoring the situation personally,” she added. Later in the day, the minister said: “Attack on Indian students in Italy — I have spoken to the Indian student concerned in Milan. He has told me that it was a case of robbery and not a racial attack.” Italy is home to a 180,000-strong Indian community, the third largest in the European Union after the UK and the Netherlands. News of the attacks emerged as Italian PM Paolo Gentiloni was visiting India during October 29-30.