A letter to the editor of The West from twelve months ago:
"My response to a letter in the Sunday Times last week regarding racism inter alia. The original letter is in the pic below. Here's my response:
"I wish to respond to the questions raised by Bob Loftus in last week’s The Sunday Times. In his letter he asks a series of questions and I answer them below: 1. No, it is not only white people who are racist. When the changes were made to the racial vilification provisions of the Criminal Code here in WA in 2004/5, the first action that was taken was against a young Aboriginal lass, aged 14. That is merely an indication that racism is universal. However, in Anglo societies you would expect that the dominance of one group over the others will see racism more likely to be perpetrated by those of the mainstream community. 2. No, it is not wrong or racist to celebrate the achievements of Australians of all colour, creed or religion etc. on Australia Day. The issue at hand is that Australia Day is currently celebrated on a day commemorating when White Man came to Australia and subjugated the original inhabitants of this country and has perpetrated overt and systemic racism towards them ever since. 3. No, it is not wrong or racist to say that Australia has a duty to have strong border controls. The issue is that that border policy is applied inconsistently. At the present time the border policy is applied to arrivals by boat. There is also the issue of this country having an obligation to observe the human rights conventions they are signatory to. There are significant breaches of those obligations currently being perpetrated by us and that is inappropriate. 4. No, it is not wrong or racist to say charity should begin at home. However, we are a country that is considered to be a first world nation from an economic standpoint. There is no reason that we could not comfortably afford to address the issues that Mr Loftus appears to be interested in as well as contribute to alleviating the suffering that may be occurring in our region and in our trading partners’ countries. And, finally as to Mr Loftus’s comment in regard to self-serving politicians, I do not think that he is likely to receive any form of push back from anyone I know.
Yours sincerely
Suresh Rajan"
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