Australia’s Indian diaspora wants greater political representation, but is there a glass ceiling?

Despite the efforts of individuals like Joshi to build bridges between communities and advocate for migrant rights, a recent Victorian survey found that Indian diaspora are significantly underrepresented in Australian politics and leadership roles. It became clear that

This gap is highlighted by the finding that most state residents are unaware of the presence of Indian leaders in these fields, and the institutional structure in a country where Indians form the second largest immigrant group It points to the challenges and the urgent need for more inclusive representation.

Survey results released last month found 81 per cent of 2,532 respondents in Victoria were not aware of the Indian diaspora in political or business leadership roles, and more than 80 per cent did not know or It shows that they did not believe there was sufficient representation. Indian-Australians in leadership roles.

Surjeet Dogra Dhange, a postdoctoral researcher studying Indian diaspora and migration at the University of Melbourne, said many Indian-Australians were highly educated, had “relatively high incomes” and were fluent in English. “He has a good understanding of the democratic political process,” he said. Few have made it into Australia’s legislative bodies.

“This is not the case for other countries, including the US, UK and Canada, where the Indian diaspora is also large,” said Dhange, lead author of the report.

Dhanji said individuals often gain party membership shortly before seeking nominations without deep knowledge of how the party works, party gatekeeping or how to navigate factional competition.

He said potential candidates may not have the strong social and professional networks or financial resources to articulate a compelling policy agenda.

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Indian diaspora leadership has become more visible at the community level, especially in terms of social and philanthropic work during the COVID-19 pandemic, but not at the political, CEO, and board level. added Danzi.

Sukhmani Khorana, associate professor at Scientia, Faculty of Arts, University of South Wales, said there was an “unconscious bias” in all areas of society that prevented people of Indian descent from advancing into leadership roles.

Mr Khorana said Australia had always viewed India as a trading partner and Indians were often not seen in terms of “human beings” and treated as “equals”.

Indian-born residents account for approximately 2.9 per cent of Australia’s population of 23.4 million, or 753,520 people, according to June 2022 census data. Approximately 40 per cent of Australia’s Indian immigrants settle in Victoria.

But from a political perspective, 96 percent of the country’s members of Congress are white, with very little representation of people of color, much less of Indian descent.

Currently, only three of the 76 senators in the Australian Federal Parliament are of Indian descent, and only one of the 151 members of the House of Representatives is of Indian descent.

Manoj Kumar, 57, an Indian-born electronics engineer, moved to Australia in 2005 and ran twice on the Labor ticket. He ran against former Defense Minister Kevin Andrews in the 2013 federal election and against two-time Liberal candidate Neil Angus in the 2018 Victorian state poll. Mr. Kumar lost in both cases.

Kumar said it felt like there was a glass ceiling for people of color in the major political parties, with members of minority groups having little chance of being nominated to winable seats.

In 2022, the Green Party fielded more candidates of color from Indigenous communities and women than the Liberal and Labor parties combined.

Kumar said he is networking with various multicultural organizations and working together to ensure that at least 20 percent of the available seats in all political parties are held by people of color.

According to Kumar, political parties consciously fill unattainable seats with non-whites in order to feel “morally satisfied” that they have given non-whites a chance “in the name of multiculturalism.” He is reportedly fielding candidates of South Asian descent.

Still, some Indian politicians refuse to give up. Shwetali Sawant, who finished 10th from Point Cook in the Victorian state election two years ago, said she was still working to “empower” women in business.

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Despite calls for greater representation in politics and society, Indian-Australians remain silent on the rise of Hindu extremism, minority persecution and human rights abuses in India, while continuing to support the country’s diaspora. They claim that they do not want to use their Indian identity to gain more votes.

It would be “unconscionable” to do so, Joshi said.

Last year, Australia’s Indian Muslim community launched a campaign demanding the resignation of Indian Wyndham councilor Sahana Ramesh, who had invited Indian politician and Hindu nationalist Tejasvi Surya to speak.

“The global rise of Hindu nationalism is dividing the Indian diaspora and potentially threatening Australia’s social cohesion and internal security,” Mr Joshi said.

“Infighting over Indian politics in Victoria and Australia is dividing the Indian diaspora and is likely to undermine positive perceptions of the diaspora,” added Dhanji, from the University of Melbourne.

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Former Australian senator Lee Rhiannon, who advocates for greater Indian participation in politics, said that if political parties pre-selected candidates, it would only benefit the interests of upper-class and upper-caste Indians. So, I’m concerned that this will turn out to be an adverse situation for the diaspora. whole.

Rhiannon is concerned that pro-India Bharatiya Janata Party candidates – conservatives who do not represent the values ​​and needs of Muslims and lower castes of the diaspora – are making inroads into the mainstream.

She said the Indian diaspora and most Australians would not benefit from these far-right political representatives.

Historically, most Indian immigrants, including Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims, arrived in Australia in the 19th and 20th centuries. They worked as peddlers, lascars (sailors), domestic workers, and agricultural laborers, and were collectively called “Hindus.”

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The Sikh community of Woolgoolga, New South Wales remains one of the largest early Indian rural communities in Australia.

After the end of the White Australia policy in the 1970s, the next wave of Indian immigrants arrived, mainly doctors, teachers, technical professionals and entrepreneurs. Indian immigrants also came from Southeast Asia, East Africa, Britain, and the United States. More Indians arrived after Australia introduced two-stage immigration in the late 1990s and early 2000s, offering students employment and settlement.

Joshi said most Indians prefer to focus on ensuring economic stability and a better future for their families, and there is little room for politics to play a part in that.

People of Indian descent tend to internalize prejudice in society and the workplace, he added, and work hard to be accepted as a “model minority” distinct from other immigrant communities.

Victorian Greens senator Janet Rice said people of Indian descent were participating in community groups and engaging with politicians at city council level to improve basic public facilities. He said the second-generation Indian diaspora was more likely to be involved in civil society.

Zaneta Mascarenhas, an Indian-Australian engineer, will become the first woman and person of color to be elected to federal parliament in 2022. The 43-year-old said she was “grateful” for every opportunity Australia had given her. She was born to Indian immigrants.

But Mr Mascarenhas, the Labor leader in Swan, Western Australia, said society must ensure its decision-making bodies reflected “the diversity of communities everywhere, from company boardrooms to local councils and parliaments”. Stated.

With politicians like Mascarenhas at the forefront, Joshi hopes a new generation of Australian-born Indians will have a greater influence on local politics by connecting with the diaspora and integrating into Australian society. ing.