“This is a foreign policy humiliation and diplomatic crisis of Mr Albanese’s own making. Mr Albanese should act immediately to begin repairing this vital relationship.”

“This vile act does not reflect who we are as Victorians. Our strength lies in our diversity and our respect for each other."

In contrast, Air India’s current CEO is a New Zealander—Campbell Wilson—whose appointment in 2022 attracted no such backlash in India.

The Shree Swaminarayan Temple, a sanctuary for Melbourne’s Hindu community, was defaced with hateful graffiti, including a slur demanding “Go home brown c**t” painted in red.

Dr Parmar criticised a summer internship programme which states that applicants of Māori, Pasifika, Aboriginal, or Torres Strait Islander descent would be fast-tracked directly to the interview stage.

Ann Watson argued her dismissal was excessive, especially after 12 years at the company, and suggested it was motivated by her medical condition at age 55.

“It is this extremist hatred which is not welcome and has no place in Australia.”

Praveen Param said he experienced the incident at a local restaurant on 31 May when he walked up to the counter and was immediately typecast.

The legacy of that system still lives in the bones and bloodlines of Fiji’s people, shaping identity, relationships, and national narratives.

The Indo-Fijian community, once comprising 52% of Fiji's population in the late 1970s and 1980s, has now dwindled to approximately 33%.