Two kilograms of minced beef was found dumped on a cricket pitch at Modbury Heights in Adelaide, South Australia in a hate crime targeting Hindus who played on weekends at the community ground.
As per local media reports, a Hindu group used to play cricket at Hargrave Reserve Pitch every weekend which apparently upset some local residents who think the Hindu Indian migrant players have ‘taken over their playground’. The meat was found dumped on the community cricket pitch last weekend when Hindu players reached to commence their match.
One of the cricket players Nupur Shah told a local news network that whosoever has done this knew that Hindus worship cow as mother. “I would describe it as a racist attack because we believe the cow is a motherly figure. So it’s like a holy thing for us,” Shah said.
Now, the local council is considering ripping up the cricket ground following the Hinduphobic attack.
In a statement, Tea Tree Gully Council Deputy Mayor Lucas Jones said, “Council strongly condemns all acts of racism and damage to public property, which are not only unacceptable but illegal.” But players and residents say it’s ridiculous that the council is considering removing the cricket pitch. Locals will be given a chance to have their say before the council makes a final decision about the pitch.
People living close to the ground told local newspapers, “We are ashamed that such an incident happened in our suburb, we welcome all communities and will not let these thugs destroy the fabric of being inclusive Australia.”
Rajendra Pandey, the president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad in South Australia, had this to say: “The government of South Australia should intervene and investigate this Hinduphobic racist attack. We categorically condemn this Hinduphobic act of dumping beef on a cricket pitch to ward off a group of Hindus from playing cricket.”
He explained that while most non-Hindu Australians are respectful towards our beliefs yet almost all Hindus have faced innuendos and offensive statements against our Gods, practices, or traditions.
“It is important for all Hindu community groups to take responsibility of standing up to such attacks on our faith but also to respectfully engage with the local community and councils to resolve differences before it escalates to intolerable heights”, he added.
Both Pandey and Shah seemed to disagree with the local government’s decision to tear up the pitch. Pandey said that “When you thought it couldn’t get any worse, the council, rather than brokering a solution, responded by deciding to remove the pitch, which directly penalizes the group (the Hindu cricket players) who faced the attack.”
This is what cricketer Nupur Shah said, “As per my understanding ripping off the cricket pitch will cost more than $20,000 and affect the local community. I think the police need to intervene. They should find those responsible for this act and I think a fine is an appropriate thing to be done.”
Chirag Trivedi a member of the Hindu Council of Australia says the council’s decision to rip the pitch is also part of the racism problem within the administration.
Australian cricket grounds have an air of racism that surrounds them and is written off as ‘drunk behavior’ by both the authorities and the police. As recently as January, a Bharat-born Australian businessman Darshak Mehta recalled the acts of ugly and blatant racism during the third Test between India and Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).
Speaking to a Sydney newspaper, Mehta said that he has witnessed racism at SCG various times numerous times in his life. “Going back from the ground to our cars is the most horrific experience,” he said. “There is a deeply ingrained sense of superiority or envy or dislike or whatever words you want to use,” Mehta added.
Racial abuse of Bharat’s national team members happens every time they go to Australia to play a cricket series and continues till this day.
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