The Indian Media has paid intolerable attention to the debate on racial attacks on Indian students in Australia.
While my sympathies are with the affected students, racial attacks are something not new in Australia or new to Indians. As the controversy rages within India, some of the most important questions that we should ask ourselves are - Why is Indian Media making a big deal out of this? Why are they bloating up the issue and instigating students down under? Why are we behaving as if racial attacks are new to us? Haven't we experienced racism before?
We have. We are probably the most racist people on the earth. Racism within India among Indians is far worse than racial attacks on anyone anywhere in the world or at the least to what is happening to students down under.
And this is where the utter hypocrisy and sanctimoniousness of us, Indians lie exposed. As should be well-known to most of Indians, social discrimination and oppression were never new or unique to us.
All Indians including yours truly have grown up hating people from other states by calling them names. Aren’t we? Kannadigas call Tamilians “Kaats”, Tamilians and most others address people from Andhra Pradesh as “Gultis”, Rest of India gang up against southern states and address everyone from South India as “Madrasis”. South Indians and people from other regions address everyone from NE regions as “Chinkies”. Aren’t these racial attacks? So when such bad blood of racism runs in our veins, why do we have to bother about a one-off issue such as what is happening in down under?
We should remember, that it was students who chose to go to Australia to study. Australian Government didn’t invite them. So when they have decided to go there, they should be ready to face any hardship that comes with their decision of relocation. If the students cannot face the issues, they should simply pack their bags and come back to India to face bigger racial attacks. If the students are from UP or Bihar, take my word, they are better off in Australia than in any part of India especially Mumbai. They should thank their stars as they are getting just beaten up. In Mumbai, they get burnt alive.
Media instead of bloating up an issue such as this; they should take responsibility to eradicate racism within India. Not indulge in sensationalizing the news as if they are oblivious to racial attacks by Indians on fellow Indians within India or elsewhere.
Getting beaten up overseas is anyday far less painful and treatable than to get frustrated watching Indian news anchors broadcast news on TV.
Interesting take Anil. Racism/ discrimination/ prejudices - everytime you come across it, there is little justification why any human would have biggetry not to tolerate another human, especially in a couuntry like Australia where all the whites are immigrants or their parents were. Brown is the new black.
ReplyDeleteIndian media needs to have manure for its round-the-clock news channels and honestly, their rant about trivial issues is intolerable at times.
I do agree with you about racial slur which is widely prevelant in India and even goondagiri which is backed by politicians.
I don't know where the buck stops. I have felt racism too - actually discrimination. I haven't been denied entry into a bar or a job on the basis of my origins so it can't be racism. At the same time, I am not sure what I would do if I was attacked with racial slur or even violently. Such actions need to be brought to attention. And to this end, Kevin Rudd's apology is well received.