‘Discontent manager’ aims to control violence against Indian students in Australia

MELBOURNE - Secretary of the Federation of Indian Students of Australia (FISA), Gautam Gupta has over the past two years has been a polarizing figure in the growing public, political and diplomatic controversy over violence against Indian students in Australia.

However, he is facing criticism for being a lightning rod for the anger and fears of his apparent constituency, at the same time being a scattergun of accusations of racism in front of the media.

Despite all the criticism, Gupta reckons himself as a discontent manager, who is trying to bring the situation under control before it mutates into something worse

“There is discontent in this society for various reasons. All I’m trying to do is bring them together, put them on the table and manage that discontent. Document it, give it to government and say this is the message,” The Age quoted Gupta, as saying.

Earlier, a Sydney-based paper occasionally compared Gupta with Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela.

Asked if he is inflammatory, Gupta said: “This is like people blaming Nelson Mandela for apartheid. It’s like saying the more he speaks about it, the more he increases apartheid.”

Gupta, born in Chandigarh, has lived in Australia since 1999 and believes that he speaks for the generation of the “new India”, assertive and unafraid to speak its mind. (ANI)