Delhi’s reverse racism 19 Jun 2009, 0000 hrs IST, TNN
Those of us who’d be quick to point fingers at Australians and Canadians in the current context of racial attacks might as well take a hard look [image: Delhi’s reverse racism] Delhi’s reverse racism within. Are we kind to foreign students? Do we make sure their time in India is memorable and pleasant? Or is it that we like to reserve our ‘niceness’ and ‘racial tolerance’ only for some? DT takes a look... Gori syndrome Call it preferential racism, or the white skin syndrome, but we like to be nice to white people; and are suspicious and wary of those who hail from other parts of the global village. Apartheid may have ended, but problems faced by Africans in the capital are yet to come to an end. Moelelwa Mashala, from South Africa, who has just completed her BA from Miranda House says she faces humiliation every day. “When I walk on the streets, people laugh at me, and I can hear them say words like ‘Kalu’. When I first came here, I was shocked, I had no idea Indians could be racist. But I guess the society is not used to black people,” she says. And racism towards Africans doesn’t stop at derogatory comments. Mutahi, a Kenyan from Ramjas College states it is almost impossible for an African to get a house in India and when they do, they’re charged double. But what hurt him most was the conduct of his teachers. “They think we are second-rate students and can never do well in anything. In fact, when one of us scores well, they’ll say to the other students – ‘Look, this ‘Kalu’ has scored better than you’, as though it were demeaning for an Indian to be outdone by an African.” Osama-ed! This reverse racism is not restricted to Africans alone. You’d think Middle Eastern people would enjoy a better understanding here in India than in any other part of the world, but sadly, we do an America on them too – ‘terrorist’ and ‘suicide bomber’ are just some of the words they have to put up with. “People I met for the first time would be really friendly till they’d discover I was a Muslim from Iran,” says Fakhroddin Ghaffari, a 23-year-old student of music, “After that point, it would get really weird. They would just bottle up.” “They’d call me Osama,” says Kaif, another 23-year-old from Afghanistan, studying political science at Jamia Millia. “In the beginning I used to feel bad and got into fights, but I’ve learnt to ignore such comments now.” Objects of desire So much for crying hoarse over racial equality for Indians. But that doesn’t necessarily have to mean we’re a nation of the racial and the prejudiced where xenophobia runs amok. There’s one saving grace: the whites are treated better, with less suspicion and more courteousness. Jane Hosking, an Australian who studied at LSR, says she had a really good time in India and loves the people here. “While I was in India I experienced prejudice in a good way. When people saw me, they’d be kind and welcoming,” says the political science student. But here too, there’s a catch, they get harassed as well, only the nature very of harassment speaks of white women as objects to be desired, not despised. “It seems to me that some men see western women purely as sexual objects and therefore do not treat them with respect. All other young women I have spoken to, who have travelled to India, have mentioned that they have faced sexual harassment while here,” adds Jane. Atithi Devo Bhava, anyone? Aarushi Nigam -- Ranjit --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to greenyouth@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to greenyouth+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
