Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says attacks on Indians in Australia are regrettable, but believes such incidents should be kept in context.
India's Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna has warned the latest in a series of attacks on Indians in Australia did not "augur well" for already cool relations between the two countries.
A number of recent attacks against Indian nationals, including the fatal stabbing this month of a Punjab-born man in Melbourne, have inflamed diplomatic tensions.
But Mr Rudd today appealed for the attacks to be kept in context.
"Obviously these are difficult matters in India, they are difficult matters in Australia," Mr Rudd told reporters in Adelaide.
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"We are working through them in a practical and effective way over time."
He said some 100,000 Indians were currently studying in Australia.
"The truth is this: the vast majority of Indian students in Australia are embraced entirely by the Australian community, get on with their business of studying hard, getting their qualifications and going off to do whatever they want to do with their lives.”
"Regrettably there have been some incidents recently, let's accept that, but let's put it into context, and also in the context of, let's call it, the broader incidences of violence to students of other ethnic backgrounds, acts of violence against Australian students, acts of violence in particular parts of our large cities at any given time of the day.”
"I think it's important to keep all this into its context."
Victoria's Police Commissioner Simon Overland said on Wednesday police realised two years ago there was a problem involving crime against Indians.
He said Indians were over represented in robbery statistics and there was a racist element to some attacks.
