Racial Indian:

May 31/2016 : Truth be told, racism is now at its highest in India. It might not show up openly in most situations, but that does not mean this country is above feelings of race – or caste or colour for that matter. The brutal murder of a Congolese student in Delhi last week, followed by other attacks on African nationals in the national capital, is latest proof of our social intolerance. Union Minister General VK Singh and others sought to dismiss the incident as a minor scuffle blown up by the media. These kinds of statements add to the insult and result in creating more provocation. It's not just Africans; Indians seemingly cannot even tolerate their own countrymen, like those from the North-East. 

The murder of a foreigner in mob frenzy has serious implications.Dismissing this as a minor scuffle, and putting the blame on the media for ‘excessive’ publicity, show the insensitivity of the government to such incidents. This particular minister has had issues with the media, which is well-known. He had referred to media persons as 'presstitutes', a reference understood by most.

Foreign secretary S Jaishankar has reassured the African student community – which has been sizeable in number for many decades – that ensuring the safety and security of foreign students is an article of faith for India. This, after students from the continent held a protest at Jantar Mantar and said attacks on Africans were increasing in the city. Such are the feelings of anguish among the people from the continent in the capital that their envoys threatened to boycott the Africa Day event on May 26.

Not many from the West now come to India even as tourists. Showpieces like the Taj Mahal or the ornate palaces of Rajasthan no more attract the new tourist; not even the backpackers. This was not the case some 30 years ago. India is a largely disorganised country that is no more considered either safe or pleasurable in global tourism circuits. One rarely finds foreign visitors these days in most Indian airports. On the other hand, large numbers of students from Africa, as also from countries like Iran, traditionally come here for studies. Their numbers too have been showing a steady drop in recent years. African students are present in almost all Indian universities. They group together and stay, since getting an accommodation is difficult for them in racial India. Attitudes to them are getting increasingly hostile. There have been several instances of attacks on African nationals not just in Delhi but even in the South, like Bangalore and Hyderabad.

Some may argue that several African nationals who come to this country indulge in fraudulent acts, like email-induced extortion rackets and drug business but that cannot be generalised. It is not as if Indians are not involved in the drug business. Some complain there are problems with their styles of living too, just as some complain about the food habits of youngsters from the North East. But taking matters to the level of murder – as happened in the case in Vasant Kunj, where the fight was over the hailing of an autorickshaw – is both heinous and condemnable. It took time for the cops to arrest the guilty. That showed the lack of seriousness on the part of the establishment to deal with such crimes with international ramifications. The Indian law machinery should act swiftly and mete out the harshest possible punishment if we, as a nation, are to show disapproval of such crimes.

The repercussions of such incidents are serious indeed. In the case of the Congolese’s death, there was swift retaliation in the victim’s country – the Democratic Republic of Congo—and shops of several Indians were attacked and some Indians were injured too. The killing in Delhi is bound to have long-term impacts too – Africans seeking education will hesitate to come to India. The land of Nalanda and Takshsila, in its new and less-colourful avatar, could lose out the last of its remaining foreign enrolments too.

The issue of a man’s killing might die down soon. However, if India and its citizens aspire to be a global power someday, then they have to learn not only to be tolerant but also welcoming towards every kind of people from all over the world.