'Kill Indians, Sell Their Women...': Chilling Audio Exposes Racism Indian Truckers In Australia Face

Last Updated:July 10, 2026, 20:37 IST

Indian truck drivers as well as Indian-origin truck drivers say racism had become an everyday part of life on Australian roads.

A chilling audio clip of Australian truckers calling for violence against Indians has gone viral on Instagram, reigniting debate over the racism faced by Indian-origin drivers in Australia’s trucking industry.

The clip, shared by Instagram creator Agi (@babysoftarms), who describes himself as an artist and commentator on history, colonialism and social justice, features excerpts from an investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) earlier this year into racial abuse targeting migrant truck drivers.

Instead of conversations about road safety, listeners hear truckers making shocking comments directed at Indians.

“Kill the Indian. Stand up for a white man. There’s a civil war coming. We’re gonna kill all the male Indians, we’re gonna drown all the kids, and we’re gonna sell all their women into slavery," voices are heard saying in the recording.

‘If The Accent Is Indian, You’ll Face Abuse’

Several drivers interviewed by ABC said racism had become an everyday part of life on Australian roads. “If the accent is an Aussie accent, that’s acceptable. But if it’s like Punjabi or Indian accent, you will face a lot of abuse," one trucker said.

Another driver said he eventually stopped responding on the radio altogether because speaking up only attracted more abuse. “I did try a couple of times, and I had to face a lot of abuse. So then I stopped using it," he said.

The abuse, several drivers said, extends beyond radio chatter. One Australian citizen of Indian origin recalled speaking to his wife in Punjabi while refuelling in South Australia when another man confronted him.

“He jumped out and said, ‘This is Australia. Speak English.'"

After paying for fuel, the man allegedly returned and spat on him before getting back into his truck.

“That is one incident which I will never forget because it’s humiliating," the driver told ABC.

What Is A UHF Radio And Why Does It Matter?

The abuse was heard over Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radios — short-range communication devices fitted in almost every heavy vehicle in Australia. Truck drivers use them to warn one another about crashes, road closures, police checks, traffic congestion and other hazards.

But several migrant drivers told ABC the same channels have increasingly become platforms for anonymous racial abuse.

Unlike social media, users do not have to identify themselves while speaking over UHF radio, and there is no authority monitoring conversations. The radios’ limited range also makes offenders difficult to identify.

As a result, many Indian truckers told ABC they now keep the radios switched off despite depending on them for critical road safety information.

No Data Shows Indian Drivers Cause More Crashes

A recurring accusation levelled against Indian truckers is that they are responsible for unsafe driving.

However, experts interviewed by ABC said Australia does not publish heavy vehicle crash statistics by ethnicity, making it impossible to conclude that Indian, Punjabi or Sikh drivers are disproportionately involved in accidents.

The viral Instagram video also pushes back against such stereotypes, arguing that isolated incidents involving migrant drivers are frequently used to paint an entire community. Industry experts instead pointed to inconsistent licensing standards, inadequate training and poor driver verification as broader problems affecting the sector.

Australia Needs Migrant Truck Drivers

Australia’s freight industry is battling a severe shortage of truck drivers. According to the ABC investigation, the country was short of about 28,000 truck drivers last year, with interstate freight routes among the hardest positions to fill. As older drivers retire and fewer young Australians enter the profession, migrants have increasingly stepped in to bridge the gap. Many Indian migrants — including engineers, IT professionals and business graduates whose overseas qualifications were not recognised — have entered the trucking industry in search of work. Experts said the industry’s desperation for drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic also exposed gaps in training, allowing some inexperienced drivers onto Australian roads and fuelling resentment against migrant workers.

‘Anti-Immigration Sentiment’ Driving Racism

Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, Giridharan Sivaraman, believes the rise in anti-Indian racism is closely linked to broader anti-immigration sentiment. Speaking to ABC in June, Sivaraman said Indians had recently become Australia’s largest source of migrants by country of birth, but public debate often ignored the community’s economic contribution while amplifying harmful stereotypes. “I think it is very much connected to the anti-immigration sentiment," he said.

He added that the rise in racism against Indians followed recent surges in anti-Chinese racism during the Covid-19 pandemic, racism directed at First Nations communities during the Indigenous Voice referendum, and growing antisemitism, Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. “What does that show you? It shows that our structures are broken because the bile of racisms can so easily pour out," he said.

About the Author

Shankhyaneel Sarkar

Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has c...Read More

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