MELBOURNE, 18 March, 2025: Australia is the land of migrants and all those other than the Aboriginal people, are either descendants of migrants or are migrants since the First Fleet arrived in Australia with 11 ships, which sailed from England in 1787 and arrived at Botany Bay in January 1788, establishing the first permanent European settlement in Australia. The rather tragic history of the natives dispossession is well known.
Today, Australia continues to be a land of migrants. After the lifting of the White Australia policy in 1973 by the Whitlam Labor government ushering in multiculturalism as a pillar of Australia’s liberal democracy. The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 made it illegal to discriminate against migrants based on their race. This is when multiculturalism took off in Australia. And, since then there has been no going back and the face of Australia has changed with massive migration from Asian countries like China, India and others.
“Multiculturalism is a core part of the Victorian identity, our character and way of life. Our state is home to people who speak 290 languages and have 314 different ancestries. It’s also a place where anyone can contribute and belong’ ” says the Victorian Multicultural Commission (VMC).
The screening of ‘Piquancy Silent Heroes’, today at the Parliament of Victoria’s South Library, co-produced by Niru Tripathi, Founder and President of CALD Community Voices, and neurodivergent director Nandita Chakraborty, could be nostalgic for anyone who has passed through the thick and thin of settling in a new country.
Nandita and Niru who addressed those gathered, thanked the team behind the documentary and future plans.
The documentary touches the issues, struggles, creativity, and determined actions through interviews and personal anecdotes. How the strength of Melbourne and Victoria’s multicultural ethos is fastened by these culturally and linguistically people is the sum up of ‘Piquancy Silent Heroes’. It speaks for itself.
The screening backed by Anasina Gray-Barberio MLC (Greens) and attended by many from different communities, had a lively Q-A, laced with Nandita and Niru’s observations. Those gathered were also addressed by Samanta Ratnam MP among others.
The state is celebrating the ‘Cultural Diversity Week’ to celebrate the power, influence, and stories of Victoria’s rich multicultural communities, and all Victorians through different activities. It is taking place across the state from 17 – 23 March, 2025.
Nandita rightly says, ” Migrants like us have shaped Melbourne remarkably over the past 25 years. The city’s vibrancy thrives on their stories. As a humanist, I believe that the more stories we tell, the more space we create for understanding, connection, and change.
Well done, Nandita, Niru, the team and those who supported this project.
No doubt, multiculturalism is our way of life, but the emerging challenges make it necessary to be alert in the post truth world.
