My letter to the editor published today. "06/09/2023
There is a strong element of hatred that exists in our society here in Australia that remains one little veneer level down from the surface. It seems to resurface every time there is a question of human rights being restored for a particular group in our community.
That hatred surfaced when we considered the plebiscite to allow LGBTIQ+ people the right to marry. In that instance all we were doing was allowing them access to a human right that all of us in the non-LGBTIQ+ community already had.
And now we are doing it in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) community space.
Recognising them in our constitution and allowing them to have input into the process of developing policy and legislation that impacts on them is a right all of us have. Many of us are on various committees at the State and Federal government levels representing communities of people that are like us. I am on all variety of committees and can place the perspective of people of a culturally and linguistically diverse communities to state and federal parliaments. It is this representation that we are now trying to accord to ATSI people in respect of policies and laws that impact on them. I just remind all the no-sayers that granting ATSI people this right does not diminish in any fashion your own rights in any way. And to all my Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters, I am desperately sorry to have to subject you to this hatred and anger that has been created by a simple question in this referendum.
Suresh Rajan
