DUBLIN, Ireland: India Day celebrations in Ireland have been postponed after what organisers described as a "spate of violent attacks" on members of the Indian community in recent months.
Prashant Shukla, co-chairman of the Ireland India Council, said the decision was "very difficult" and "emotional," but that the safety and security of the community outweighed all other considerations. "This has never happened before since the event began in 2015," he said.
Hundreds of performers had been preparing for the annual gathering at Farmleigh House in Dublin's Phoenix Park on August 17, two days after India's Independence Day.
Shukla stressed that the decision was not due to fears over safety at the event itself, but over negative perceptions spreading on social media. He said some narratives falsely claimed that Indians had "taken over the state" and were responsible for housing shortages.
"We want to balance these counter-narratives, which are very, very negative," he added, noting that new dates for India Day would be announced after a review.
The decision followed a meeting between Indian community representatives and Tánaiste Simon Harris at Government Buildings on August 11. Recent attacks include an unprovoked assault last month on an Indian man in Tallaght, Dublin, which sparked a silent vigil outside the Department of Justice by the group Friends of India.
The Indian embassy in Dublin has warned of a rise in "physical attacks" on Indian citizens, advising them to take "reasonable" precautions and avoid deserted areas. Harris expressed deep concern, noting that many involved in the racist incidents were "very young."
The Ireland India Council has called for such assaults to be officially recognised as hate crimes and properly recorded. It urged the creation of a cross-departmental task force on hate crime and youth violence, reforms to hold parents more accountable for their children's actions, stronger policing, swift prosecutions, and community outreach programmes.
Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy also called for priority action, urging incoming Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly to address the issue. Speaking to RTE Radio, Brophy said that while serious crime overall had fallen, these specific types of attacks were on the rise.
"The first unacceptable aspect is the attack itself; the second is the recording and sharing of it on social media, which also needs to be addressed," he said.
The Indian embassy has been contacted for further comment.
