Congolese student’s killing not racial crime: Sushma Swaraj

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday continued her ministry’s attempts to pacify African envoys and students by meeting a group of them but insisted that the recent “barbaric” murder of a Congolese national was not a racial crime but a crime committed by goons “who also thrashed the Indian bystanders who had attempted to intervene to save” the man. Hailing India as the land of Gandhi and the Buddha, she said, “We can never have a racist mindset.” Ms Swaraj said, “These were not premeditated acts against a particular community, rather these were spontaneous attacks perpetrated by anti-social and criminal elements,” adding that “all criminal acts should not be construed as racial attacks”. The minister said the government was working on an “elaborate plan” and “major strategy” to carry out a sensitisation plan to prevent any incidents of conflict between Africans and locals and that an “institutional mechanism” would be put in place.

“As a mother, I can understand the pain of a mother who loses a son on foreign soil. It would be a traumatic experience,” Ms Swaraj said.

Trial on fast track External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday thanked African students in the national capital for calling off their planned protest at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday following assurances from the MEA and said that the “recent incidents relating to members of the African community are not only very unfortunate, but also very painful”.

Ms Swaraj, along with MoS for external affairs Gen. V.K. Singh (Retd), foreign secretary S. Jaishankar and other senior officials, met the group of African envoys — including the Eritrean ambassador who is also the dean of the African Diplomatic Corps apart from the acting high commissioner of Nigeria — and students who raised concerns over safety and security. She said the government was committed to a fast-track trial in the case of killing of Congolese national Masonda Ketada Olivier and “harshest possible punishment” for the culprits.

Terming the killing of Olivier “barbaric”, Ms Swaraj, however, said, “It is not a case of racial crime as the CCTV footage shows that the local residents who tried to save Olivier were also attacked.” She added, “The ministry will be carrying out a sensitisation campaign across the country as such incidents are bad for the image of the country. An advisory will also be issued to the states to sensitise people in the areas where there is a big number of African nationals.”

Ms Swaraj said, “We have made an elaborate plan. We will go to each and every city and carry out a sensitisation programme ... We are making a major strategy. In the next 10-15 days, we are making an institutional mechanism.”

In a statement, the minister said, “All criminal acts should not be construed as racial attacks.”