A group of Indian-Australian seniors on their regular morning walk in Melbourne’s west were allegedly subjected to days of racial abuse before the confrontation turned violent, with a few men claiming they were struck by a car after standing up for other elderly walkers at Sanctuary Lakes Shopping Centre.
Rohit Singh, son of an elderly morning walker, told The Australia Today, the abuse had been building for days before the incident escalated.
The Australia Today understands 12 elderly Indian Australians regularly gather for their usual walk, coffee and conversation at the parking area of Sanctuary Lakes Shopping Centre.
Mr Singh said many elderly parents meet at the shopping centre each morning for companionship and routine, but over the past few days, a woman had allegedly been approaching them and abusing them with insults like “go back to your country” and that they “don’t belong here”.
Singh alleged the same woman returned and began abusing the group. He said he intervened to defend his father and the other elderly people who had been targeted.
The woman then bought a bag of rubbish and threw it at them, and deliberately drove her car toward him, hitting them.
“I am lucky to be alive,” Singh said, describing the moment as the culmination of repeated abuse directed at vulnerable older members of the community.
Rohit was badly injured in the incident and was taken to the hospital via an ambulance. A video shows the brutality as the car can be seen hitting Rohit and his father.
Victoria Police attended the attack site, and a report has been filed by the group. Despite having an off-duty police officer witness the whole incident, the police have not made any arrests.
The alleged attack has sent shockwaves through the local Indian Australian community because it was not just an ugly exchange in a public place, but an alleged intimidation campaign targeting elderly people during one of the most ordinary parts of their day.
Mr Parmar, who does not want his first name to be published, told The Australia Today that morning walks for many older migrants are more than exercise.
“It is a space for us to socialise, language, friendship and a sense of belonging. That is what makes repeated racist harassment so deeply disturbing.”
Victoria’s own anti-racism strategy acknowledges that racism and discrimination occur in daily interactions, workplaces, schools and public spaces, and says all Victorians should be central to efforts to prevent and address it.
For many Indian-Australian families in Melbourne’s west, the alleged incident resonates far beyond Point Cook. It raises a raw question about whether elderly migrants, who should be able to enjoy a simple morning walk without fear, are being left exposed to racist hostility in public spaces.
Singh said he was speaking out not for sympathy, but for awareness and action, adding that no elderly person should feel unsafe going for a walk in their own community.
As anger spreads through local community networks, there will now be growing pressure for the incident to be taken seriously, for Victoria Police to talk to the two witnesses who have come forward.
This is a chance for the Allan government to send a clear message that abuse targeting elderly people because of who they are or where they come from has no place in multicultural Victoria.
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