We forget what “Racism” means……
The words “Racism & Racist” are quite dangerous. Last few weeks we have seen that the international racism rows are dominating the headlines in India and in fact all over the world. The talkback shows on various national channels, the newspaper headlines for about two weeks now made it obvious that Indians are ready to talk about Indians being racially discriminated outside India. But what about the equally serious condemnable racial discrimination within India?
I am surprised as Indian Media and also the Indian government only elaborate “attacks on Indians in Australia” or issues like racist attacks on one Bollywood actress, Shilpa Shetty by her white housemates on British reality TV”
My friend Mr a friend who is from North East India, his features and colour are like an Asian (Mongoloid). He has been a victim of racism in many occasions in his own country. He was always called “cheeky” or “chunna” by his own friends. While he was in school he was treated as different to all other class fellows, he applied for a job he was not selected as he looks different and his employer had to admits that they need a more local face for the job. He wanted to take a flat on rent and the landlord did not agree to rent him the flat as the landlord believed that his cooking would be smelly and stinking and would spoil the ambiance in the flats. There were times when he along with his sister was not allowed to enter the pubs in Hyderabad on weekends.
For me it looks like he was being discriminated more than what Shilpa Shetty could imagine. There are thousands of people like this in India who in their own country are being discriminated by their own people. Independent India has witnessed considerable amount of violence and hate crimes motivated by caste, race or religion. Is this not racism?
This is a more serious issue than the 50 or 100 attacks in Australia on Indians.
The government of India including all the authorities should step in and eradicate this dirty game in our own country. India is celebrating diversity, but again it has no meaning if the nation remains silent to the domestic realities of racial abuse and discrimination. Media too needs to play a role in this and educate our own people
True, very true and very well explained
ReplyDeletePratap
Australia is a welcoming country for Indian students, racism is still present in Australia like every other country, but again its a great place to live and work
ReplyDeleteMakes sense and wel written
ReplyDelete"The government of India including all the authorities should step in and eradicate this dirty game in our own country. India is celebrating diversity, but again it has no meaning if the nation remains silent to the domestic realities of racial abuse and discrimination."
ReplyDeleteThe government is actually part of the problem, well at least here in Mumbai. We have the Shiv Sena and MNS political parties, who discriminate against anyone who isn't a true Maharastran -- particularly immigrants from UP. The political parties claim these people are taking jobs from Maharastrans, and they go around openly beating them up to try and get them to return to UP. They also threatened to beat up the Australian cricket players if they came to Mumbai. The irony is that the accusation against Australia is that Australians are beating up Indian students for taking their jobs. Isn't this exactly what the Shiv Sena and MNS approve of doing? Beating up Indians who migrate and "take other people's jobs".
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