Attacks on Indian students must stop: India

Sujata Singh, the Indian High Commissioner in Australia has met the country's deputy PM Jillian Gillard. After the meeting, she addressed a press conference where she indicated that the attacks on Indians students appear to be motivated going by the frequency of these incidents.

The Indian High Commissioner is in constant touch with the Australian government and wants to see results of their action at the earliest.

PTI adds: Sujata Singh, who met premier of Victoria John Brumby and top police and educational officials of the province, said there is a "racist element in some of the attacks" but many of them were "opportunistic".

"The fact of the matter is that whatever the motive behind the attacks, they seem to be Indian students," she told a crowded press conference in Melbourne.

Observing that the Indian students are seen as "soft targets," Singh said it has been made clear to the Australian government and police that they will have to come up with a solution to prevent such attacks.

"It is my earnest hope that these attacks stop now. And that is precisely what we are all trying to work towards," Singh, who was accompanied by Indian Consul General to Melbourne Anita Nair, said.

Australia has recently seen a series of attacks on Indian students, the most serious being the assault of Shravan Kumar, a 25-year-old student from Andhra Pradesh who is battling for life in a hospital, after being stabbed by a screwdriver by a group of teens in a weekend attack that also left three of his friends injured.