Devil’s Advocate: Serving you a cocktail of wit, humour and sarcasm
On 13 April 2024, a tragic event unfolded in Sydney, casting a shadow over the Westfield Bondi Junction shopping centre. Joel Cauchi, a man suffering with mental illness, unleashed a stabbing rampage, claiming the lives of six individuals and injuring a dozen more, including a nine-month-old infant.
Among the chaos emerged Damien Guerot, a French national who was residing in Australia on a visa. Armed with a bollard, Damien valiantly confronted Cauchi, halting his stabbing spree until ultimately the attacker succumbing to police gunfire, ending the harrowing ordeal.
Damien’s courageous act, captured in a viral video, earned him the moniker “The Bollard Man” and garnered widespread acclaim. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, recognising his extraordinary bravery, swiftly granted him instant permanent residency, expressing a warm welcome to the nation.
However, amid the celebration, voices arose questioning the underlying inequalities within the immigration system.
Kon Karapanagiotidis, chief executive of the Asylum Seekers Resource Centre, emphasised that residency shouldn’t hinge on acts of heroism, highlighting the disparate treatment between Damien and others, like security guard Muhammad Taha, who faced delays and obstacles in his residency process. “The episode underscored deeper issues of racism and systemic biases within immigration policies” he said.
Said Kon, to SBS News, “With one being a palatable white migrant, the other one being a man of colour from Pakistan, a Muslim. It really is damning to see the double standard there.”
Hassan Jaber, founder of Justice for Refugees, lamented that many refugees go unrecognised for volunteering contributions they make to their communities, during emergencies such as bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic or blood donation drives”
Migrant Workers Centre’s deputy chair Shankar Kasynathan said that it is crucial the work of refugee and asylum seekers is not forgotten. “I think that it’s important when we talk about fairness. We consider being able to recognise and celebrate all Australians, not just those who we somehow arbitrarily pick,” he told SBS News.
Permanent residency in Australia is a stressful, lengthy, and expensive process and for someone to get it in a day has opened up a new avenue for obtaining it in a jiffy.
Xena, my feminist acquaintance, challenged the narrative, pointing out the irony of a male figure gaining acclaim for saving women in a crime predominantly targeting them.
Furious Xena said, “A misogynistic man goes about stabbing women denying them the fundamental right to shop in a safe environment. Ultimately, a woman cop shot him dead, but the Bollard Man gets all the glory”
I thought that in this instance Xena had gone too far with her feministic attacks. “Look Xena. Why do you view every situation as a gender issue?”
“When the guy was stabbing women, no woman intervened to save the sisterhood. Instead, a man risked his life, thereby saving more women lives. He also guided the woman cop to the attacker when she shot him dead. She was doing her job just like any other male cop would have done too. A man died and another injured in the attack, for your information. A number of other men gave chase to the attacker and slowed him down”
“Feminists like you just love to jump the gun and label the incident as a “misogyny-based” violent attack against women instead of considering it as a mental health issue. Immediately after the Bondi incident, a bishop, a priest and few worshippers were stabbed by a person in a church but there is no outrage from you on this incident Xena”
Below is a hypothetical interview with the Bollard Man
Interviewer: “Good on ya mate! You are a legend”
Bollard Man: “No worries. Any other man in my place would have done the same. I’m assuming that an Indian man would have picked up the cricket bat as his weapon of choice”
Interviewer: “You are now calling Australia home?”
Bollard Man: “Not sure yet. My girlfriend likes shopping and right now she thinks Australia is a dangerous place for women shoppers. Just like Spiderman, “With great power comes great responsibilities”, and with the express permanent residency bestowed upon me, Aussies will now expect me to save people from drowning, get involved in liquor shop hold ups, stop terrorist attacks etc”
Interviewer: “Any perspectives on the stabbing attack incident?”
Bollard Man: “Always be vigilant, carry a bollard and be ready to jump into action to rescue people in distress”.
Almost 7 million Australians suffer from a long-term mental health condition, according to research that shows the prevalence of chronic health conditions. The National Health Survey by the Australian Bureau of Statistics found the share of Australians suffering from a chronic mental or behavioural condition increased from 20.1 per cent in 2017-2018 to 26.1 per cent last year.
The government should urgently address the mental health epidemic in our community.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
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Author Bhushan Salunke delves into the complexities of immigration policies & societal perceptions following the heroic act of Damien Guerot, dubbed "The Bollard Man," amidst critiques & gender analyses. 🌟🚶♂️🏅🔍 #TheIndianSun #TheDevilsAdvocatehttps://t.co/cgHV8HPNnn
— The Indian Sun (@The_Indian_Sun) May 13, 2024
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