1 June : Hindus and Jews have demanded Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to tender a formal apology on national television for increasing incidents of racist violence against Indians in Australia.Rajan Zed, acclaimed Hindu statesman; and Rabbi Jonathan B. Freirich, prominent Jewish leader in Nevada and California in USA; in a joint statement in Nevada, said that it was highly disturbing to note that racism was alive and well in Australia. They urged Rudd to immediately visit the victim Shravan Kumar Theerthala who was battling for life in Royal Melbourne Hospital to send a strong message against the xenophobia.
Zed and Freirich urged all religious organizations and leaders in Australia to issue strong statements against racism in Australia because all religions focused on love and no religion advocated racism. Australian government and governments of its states/territories should urgently chalk out an elaborate blueprint to prevent such racist violence in the future.
Rajan Zed and Jonathan Freirich pointed out that Indians and other minorities of Australia needed to be urgently assured that they were also covered under basic rights and freedoms guaranteed to all Australians like "The right to be protected by the government against violence or bodily harm".
Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed that Australia needed to do deep introspection of her heart and be kind to immigrants, minorities, indigenous people, and other vulnerable groups. Anti-racism initiatives were immediately required in Australia and racist violence and growing culture of racial intolerance needed to urgently curbed.