The Horror Of OZ

The recent spate of racial attacks on Indian Student down at Australia has grabbed more than enough media attention in India.  I’m glad it does.  It brings to focus the issue of discrimination and abuses based on racial line.  It is one subject most Indian often overlooked or chose not to acknowledge until and unless they perceived themselves as the victim.

For instances, when Indian actor, Shilpa Shetty, alleged that she was racially abused at a TV show in the UK, the media and people of India cried wolves.  Contrast that with the time when a coloured Australian cricket player, Andrew Symonds, alleged that he was being racially abused by an Indian player, Harbhajan Singh.  Most Indian, instead of condemning the Indian Player, choose to mock the Australian, or ignore the issue altogether.

Indian abroad have become quite sensitive towards the issue of race today, but back home, it doesn’t cut much ice.  Most Indian in India don’t know what constitute racism or discrimination, or for that matter, what racism is all about.  That is not so surprising considering that India is the one country where segregation based on the line of caste/ class has been accepted as a normal social order.

Racism exists all over the world in one form or the other. Even in the developed world where people are more sensitive and awareness are higher, racism and discrimination still existed, but are hidden, unspoken and unexpressed.  In India it’s different.  People still curse their birth because they can never change their social standing no matter what.  For instance, even in the richest family, inter-caste/race marriage is still a big taboo.

If you belong to any of the lower caste, people will judge you from your surname, and your surname will decide if you can enter a certain place/temple, or touch a certain thing. If you happened to be a racial minority, you don’t even get to give your surname, people take one look at you, and you are already judged.  As a minority, each and everyday one has to face some sort of discrimination –it can be mild, coated or blown-out abuses.

What happened at Australia is awful and should be condemned.  But what happened at India is also equally awful, and  should be equally condemned.  But the big difference is that, the Australian Government has acknowledged the incident (though reluctantly), while in India, such incidents will be conveniently swept under the carpet as a normal outcome of the social order.

I really do wish those people who took out to the street for the students down under will also look closer at home and stop being a perpetrator and stand-up for the minorities which they failed to notice all these years. I hope, at least, a lesson is learnt.

-for related post, please click the following;

1. India & Discrimination

2. India & Racism