Lately I have been reading about the racial abuse that has been going on in Australia with our Indians. I know you must have been following that news item too. As much as it must have angered you, it enraged me equally; I was completely out of my limits. How can they do this to us? Who do they think they are? A fair skin has no right to claim supremacy over a dark skin, certainly not. Going through news on various channels only annoyed me further. I switched of the television and couched back to clear off those slides from the ridges of my brain. However, the shadows would rarely vanish. I sulked and sank more into those thoughts of racism, hatred, and intolerance. Soon I developed a feeling that it is not only about Australia, but events of hatred happen all over the world, sometimes even we (Indians) do it. Hold on! It is not a blind accusation, I have seen it happen. Before that let us look at some dictionary meanings of the word ‘racism’, it means ‘racial discrimination’ or 'prejudice’ or ‘bigotry’ or ‘discrimination’ or ‘unfairness’ or ‘bias’. So if we have to simply go by the term ‘discrimination’ or ‘bias’ then we all practice racism in some form or the other, being biased, forget the fair-black skin, forget the our-your land, our-your rights.
Walk on the streets of Mumbai, see an African and you will immediately hear echoes of voices like ‘kala saand’, ‘kalia’ and hush-hoosh whispers of ‘drugs wala lagta hai’ (seems to be a drug pedlar). Forget that foreign national, we call our people also by various names – a north Indian is a ‘bhaiyya’, a Maharashtrian is a ‘ghati’, and a Muslim is a ‘landya’ – really not required to address them by such names, right?
For whatever reasons it may be, when the Australians thrashed up our Indians there, we all got enraged on this side claiming to sound and show that we do not tolerate this, we want a clean and just world which treats everyone equally, but then have not sons of soil beaten up the helpless north Indians. Many years ago the Gujaratis shouted slogans in Mumbai against the Marathis – ‘mhana Mumbai tumchi ani bhandi ghasa aamchi’ (say that Mumbai is yours but come and clean our utensils) and now every Hindi movie or serial has a kaamwali bai that will have a Marathi name with the character faking Marathi-accentalised-Hindi. Are we then unbiased? Is not discrimination being practiced on our land too?
What I mentioned above may be very insignificant examples. Take this! Some few years a very close friend of mine had come to Mumbai for reasons of employment had to look for an accommodation. Every place that he inquired for a rented dwelling only shut door on his face. Reason – he was a Muslim and denied housing (rented). Finally some tricks worked and he found a place to live. A true Indian, who puts his country before everything was looked upon with rubbish prejudice just because of his religion. Do we treat our own nationals with equality? Then why do we get angered when an Australian looks at an Indian with disgust.
What I mentioned above may be very insignificant examples. Take this! Some few years a very close friend of mine had come to Mumbai for reasons of employment had to look for an accommodation. Every place that he inquired for a rented dwelling only shut door on his face. Reason – he was a Muslim and denied housing (rented). Finally some tricks worked and he found a place to live. A true Indian, who puts his country before everything was looked upon with rubbish prejudice just because of his religion. Do we treat our own nationals with equality? Then why do we get angered when an Australian looks at an Indian with disgust.
Indians (or Asians) may be treated lowly in regions of Europe, Australia, and the US, just because they form a part of minority in those regions and we shout for justice on top of our voices. However, do we treat minorities (not only religion based) in our own land differently?
Comments
While some of the points that you have made are valid like bias against our Muslim brothers; I beg to differ a bit on certain points.
There is a difference between bias that adversely hurts and the bias that is just part of life which does not hurt others or at least not as badly as the other. If you say that only those who do not practice bias has the right to argue against bias will be like saying only those who have scored more centuries than Sachin Tendulkar has authority to be his coach. Life does not work that way. There is a difference between bias that hurt others and the bias that does not. Calling a dark-skin African a "kalia" is not intended to hurt him but thats the sort of practice - no intentions to hurt him badly. Please note that we are not here on the point whether calling someone kalia is good or bad. The domestic maid being portrayed as a Maharashtrian lady is definitely a bias but not hurting as badly as attacks on our Indians in Australia.
While parting just consider this, you board a BEST bus and you see two vacant seats, one besides a old lady and one besides a charming girl and you obviously opt to take the seat next to the charming girl. Haven't you been biased? But can you equate this bias with that is being practiced in Australia and since you were biased in the BEST bus should you not have right to cry foul of the Australian bias.
Take care and keep writing.
bhai mera vote app hi ku hai...................make your blogs more visible (it should reach in each indian corner)
bhai u live in mumbai i live in chennai, but our toughts r same , this is called INDIAN (INDIANS will think alike), Still people r there who dont know which color should be in the top in flag ( i felt very bad and had to ask a friend to reverse it)
bhai i want you to write a blog on this too.... let basics should be aware to our indians in that list i will be also get some updates which i dont know after independence day or republic day the Indian flags will be in the road most of the my friends will be walking on that ( not even think of that national flag) this should be banned
its our flag with lots of blood and lots of sacrifices Ex: Gandhiji, Bagath singh , Subash Chandra bose ..............
if they c that flag is in government dust bins........what they will feel.............this should be stopped.
Please bhai if u get time update a blog on this lets us repect the flag which has lots of real stories
Thanks n Regards,
M.Mohamed Sadiq
Prasad - your statements are true as well. Just a thought, the example of sitting besides and old lady or a young gal could be a matter of preference and not of bias, it has hurt neither as long as only sitting is concerned. But then as the well known saying goes "andhe ko andha nahi kehna chahiye, langde ko landga nahi kehna chahiye" to fir kaale ko kala kyon kehna. The point is that within it hurts though it may not be shown on face. We still probably do not know what happened in Aus, but just a mere dislike of Indian citizens could have sparked violence by the Aussies, and if that hurts our Indians then even the dark-skinned African is bound to get hurt when disliked for sake of his colour or anyone else for that matter because of his caste or religion.
Amol - you have well maintained and excellently builtup blog. I specially like the TITLES that you give to your articles.
Kepp it up.
Thnz
K.R.