Blatant and Vicious Racism in India

Photo credit: Yahoo News

For years now, Africans visiting or living in India have alerted the culture of blatant and vicious racism in India towards them. Even though many Indians live and work outside of India, including in many African countries, they are extremely intolerant of others, especially Africans residing in India.

Indians live and work freely in Nigeria and many own successful businesses. Yet, in India they treat Nigerians and Africans from other countries as though they are less than human.

On June 9, 2016, Yahoo News published an article from Associated Press, “'We are scared' _ Africans in India say racism is constant”. The article narrated the plight of Africans in India and the dehumaninzation they face daily, “The daily indignities Africans suffer usually go undocumented both by the police and local media. That changed on May 20, when Congolese student Masunda Kitada Oliver was fatally attacked in a dispute over hiring an autorickshaw in New Delhi. Three men who insisted they had hired the vehicle beat him up and hit him on the head with a rock, killing him, according to police. The death made the city's African students, diplomats and business owners rally together demanding quick justice. The African Heads of Mission in New Delhi issued a statement asking the government to address "racism and Afro-phobia" in the country. "Given the pervading climate of fear and insecurity in Delhi, the African Heads of Mission are left with little option than to consider recommending to their governments not to send new students to India, unless and until their safety can be guaranteed," the statement said.” Read more

Interestingly, many Africans believe that some Indians who reside outside India also exhibit racist behavior towards Africans. A Nigerian professional who lives in an upper middle class neighborhood in the United States told SitiTalkBlog that in her neighborhood many of the Indian residents don’t speak to Black or African homeowners. Another professional complained about her experience with racism when she worked for an Indian company in the United States. Africans who live in the United Kingdom have their own narratives about racist behavior of Indians towards Blacks and Africans.

By and large, with the discriminatory and dehumanizing cast system in India, it comes as no surprise to Africans that racism is an ingrained part of an Indian's psyche and culture.