President says attacks on Indian community are against Irish values

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

Recent attacks on members of the Indian community in Ireland should be “unequivocally condemned”, the President has said.

It comes after India Day in Ireland was postponed following a “spate of violent attacks” on members of the community in recent months.

The Ireland India Council believes there is an organised social media campaign against the Indian community in Ireland and the number of violent attacks has intensified since January this year.

In a statement on Tuesday, Michael D Higgins said: “As President of Ireland, may I take the opportunity at this time of stress for some of their community to express the deep sense of gratitude we all in Ireland owe to the Indian community here.

“We are all mindful of the immense contribution this community has made, and continues to make, to so many aspects of Irish life, in medicine, nursing, the caring professions, in cultural life, in business and enterprise, to cite just some.

“Their presence, their work, their culture, have been a source of enrichment and generosity to our shared life.”

He added: “The recent despicable attacks on members of the Indian community stand in stark contradiction to the values that we as a people hold dear.

“That any person in Ireland, particularly any young person, should be drawn into such behaviour through manipulation or provocation is to be unequivocally condemned.

“Whether such provocation stems from ignorance or from malice, it is essential to acknowledge the harm that it is causing.

“Such acts diminish all of us and obscure the immeasurable benefits the people of India have brought to the life of this country.”

Mr Higgins said Ireland has “long been shaped by migration”.

He said: “Those who left our shores carried our culture and values into faraway lands, often depending on the generosity of strangers.

“That shared human experience should remain at the heart of how we treat those who have come to make their lives here. To forget that is to lose a part of ourselves.”

The President added: “Our shared spaces — including social media platforms — should never be poisoned from messages of hate or incitement to violence.

“Such messages not only target individuals, but also damage and corrode the most fundamental and enduring instincts of Irishness: those of hospitality, friendship, and care for others.

“These principles must apply to all who form part of Irish society today, without exception. An Ireland that honours these values is one in which all communities can live in safety, dignity, and mutual respect.”