A 51-year-old man of Indian origin, Laxman Das, was violently attacked and robbed by a group of three men at Charlemont Place in south Dublin, Ireland, while on his way to work early Wednesday morning. Das, who works as a chef and has been a resident of Ireland for 22 years, is also an Irish citizen. According to local media reports, the assailants stole his phone, cash, and electric bike during the assault. While this particular incident does not currently appear to be racially motivated, it adds to a growing list of recent attacks affecting members of the Indian community in Ireland.
Das sustained injuries to various parts of his body, including his legs, shoulder, arm, and eye socket. He was promptly taken to St Vincent’s Hospital on the outskirts of Dublin and was later discharged the same evening around 9 PM. The nature of the injuries suggests the assault was both forceful and targeted, raising concerns about public safety for immigrants in the area.
This incident comes shortly after several disturbing reports of attacks on Indians in Ireland. Earlier in the week, a six-year-old Indian-origin girl was assaulted by a group of boys while playing near her home in Waterford city. The children involved, including an older girl and several boys between the ages of 12 and 14, not only physically harmed the child but also allegedly directed racist slurs at her during the attack. The disturbing nature of this incident, especially involving such young victims and perpetrators, has sparked outrage.
In another reported case, Lakhvir Singh, an Indian-origin cab driver in Dublin’s Ballymun neighborhood, was attacked by two men. Singh was struck on the head with a glass bottle during an unprovoked assault, after which his attackers yelled xenophobic slurs, including “go back to your own country.” Such incidents highlight a trend of racially driven violence occurring with increasing frequency.
The month prior, two more brutal assaults were reported. A 40-year-old Indian man was beaten and stripped by a teenage gang in Tallaght. Separately, a 32-year-old entrepreneur of Indian origin, Santosh Yadav, was attacked near his Dublin residence by a group of six teenagers. Yadav suffered a fractured cheekbone along with several other injuries. In a social media post following the attack, he expressed growing concern about the rise of racially motivated assaults against Indians throughout Dublin, warning that the situation appears to be worsening.
Amid this alarming pattern of violence, the Indian Embassy in Dublin issued a public safety advisory on August 1. The advisory urges Indian nationals and members of the Indian diaspora to exercise caution, avoid isolated or poorly lit areas, and remain constantly alert to their surroundings. This move comes in response to the increasing number of violent incidents targeting individuals of Indian origin and reflects the embassy’s effort to safeguard its community from further harm.
