Worried Indians

German politician, Volker Kauder, currently on a visit to India, said Wednesday that increasing numbers of concerned Indian nationals planning trips to Germany were turning to the embassy in Delhi to get information about possible risks and pitfalls.

The German embassy has "already received several enquiries about the location of so-called no-go areas for foreign visitors to Germany," Kauder told German daily Rheinischen Post.

Kauder, who is parliamentary leader of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, admitted that all Indians who had anything to do either economically or politically with Germany had taken note of the incident in eastern Germany.

"Even the reactions in Germany (to the incident) are being carefully followed (in India)," Kauder said.

The politician pointed out that Indians, however, are making an effort not to play up the incident. "The Indians recognize that these events in Mügeln are not the rule in Germany," he said, adding that Chancellor Merkel's condemnation of the attacks had done much to calm the situation.

A hate crime?

The incident took place ten days ago during a village festival in the eastern German state of Saxony. A German mob of over 50 people chased and attacked a group of eight Indians who took refuge in a pizzeria.

The frenzied mob broke down the door and assaulted the Indians. Police forces eventually arrived on the scene, but it took a while for the large squad of 70 police officers to force back the crowd. The attack left 14 people wounded, including four of the attackers, two police officers and the eight Indians, some of whom were beaten so badly they needed medical attention.

According to Saxony's state prosecutor, 82 witnesses have so far been interviewed in connection with the attack. The police confirmed on Tuesday that they are investigating seven suspects. State police chief, Bernd Merbitz, told the Associated Press that the actions had not been committed by a particular extreme-right group. Nonetheless, he said, the chanting of slogans such as "Foreigners Out!" and "Germany for Germans" constituted a xenophobic criminal offence.

Heated debate in Germany

The incident has triggered outrage in Germany after photos of the bruised and wounded Indians were splashed on the front pages of all major media in the country.

The attack has also prompted a heated debate about the need to counter racism and xenophobia, which statistics show is more widespread in former Communist East Germany. It has also led to renewed calls by some politicians to ban the far-right, anti-immigrant NPD party which is represented in two state parliaments in eastern Germany.