In this podcast, Indian Link Radio’s Sagar Mehrotra speaks with lawyer Khushaal Vyas, regarding the upcoming Voice referendum.
Vyas, who is also the co-convener of Desis for Yes, a campaign launched ahead of the referendum, sheds light on the impact colonialism has had on Indigenous Australians and Indians. “While our Uncles and Aunties are grateful for the life we have as Australians, whether you like it or not, it’s true that we are living on stolen land that traditionally belonged to indigenous people,” he says.
“As people of Indian background, we have also experienced colonialism and have some shared experience with indigenous Australians in terms of the deep impact it had. After becoming independent, India has had self determination, and has been able to move forward. But we Indians still feel the remnants of the impact even after all these years. So, you can imagine what Indigenous Australians face in Australia, not having been given the opportunity to have self determination that we as Indians had. The Voice referendum is just one small step to try to improve that. I hope that people particularly of our background can empathise with this and understand that it ‘s really important to bring about that change.
Listen to the full conversation below:
Vyas has pledged to talk with families, communities, and businesses to deepen understanding of the referendum among South Asian Australians, so that community members are well informed ahead of the vote.
Read more: Explaining the Voice referendum
