A Canberra man who was left "completely degraded" after allegedly being racially abused by a removalist is urging people to "stand up and fight" against racism.
Mechanical engineer Aditya Kumar said he was racially abused while trying to hire a removalist in Canberra on Monday, and has lodged a formal complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
Under the ACT government's lockdown restrictions moving residence interstate is permitted, but Mr Kumar said a dispute over what was included in the cost was what led to the racial slurs.
Mr Kumar said he was called a "curry dog" and an "Indian dog" during the dispute — abuse that left him "raw and completely degraded".
It is the second recent incident of alleged racial vilification in Canberra, after another man was abused and had his phone smashed in Civic last month.
'Not the first Indian dog I've come across'
Mr Kumar, who is planning to move interstate, said he posted a removal job to a local third-party website site a few weeks ago.
The job was initially accepted by a local removalist, but a disagreement arose over what it entailed.
"The argument was about me not being upfront about how many boxes I needed to be moved," Mr Kumar said.
Screenshots show the two men exchanged barbs over text message — including Mr Kumar telling the man: "kindly go f*** yourself, you piece of shit" — before Mr Kumar said the removalist racially abused him.
"Tough words over phone right you Indian dog," one of the messages to Mr Kumar said.
"You are full of shit you knew you would tried [sic] adding extras not the first Indian dog I've come across.
"Curry dog."
Mr Kumar said he was shocked by the comments.
Mr Kumar eventually decided to send a formal complaint to the AHRC.
The ABC has contacted the AHRC for comment, but the Commission states on its website that it does not comment on individual cases of alleged discrimination, or complaints that may have been made.
Mr Kumar said it was the second time he had been "bluntly" racially abused in Canberra, and said he chose to speak out to engender change.
"A lot of people on the Canberra Noticeboard Group on Facebook suggested that I let it go, " Mr Kumar said.
"But every time we let one of these incidents go, it gives people like this the courage to and go do it again, since there is nothing anyone ever does about it.
