ANOTHER INDIAN student attacked in Australia – reads the news headlines yet again. Why? What is it about the Indian students that have invited attack from the Aussies? Is it really racism or is it something else?

Let’s have an honest analysis starting from ’home’ ie, India. What is India? A country with a diverse, rich culture with generations of royalties. Famous for its vibrant civilisations - right from the Indus Valley to the Mughal empire to the Maratha dynasty. And don’t forget the caste system.

So where does that put the Indians in the 21st century? Growing up in an Indian family is entirely different. Kids are raised up to respect their elders, religion and love its culture. These things are really wonderful except that the respect only remains for its own elders, religion and culture. Did we not a moment ago say that India is a diverse country; then, where is the respect for that diversity?

Amazingly, Indians are known by many names. Famously some of them are – Biharis (people from Bihar), UP wale (residents of UP), Mallus (people from Kerala), Dalits, Bongs (people from West Bengal), Nepalis (people who speak Nepali) and Chinkies (people from North East India). Keep in mind that all these terms are used derrogatorily.

With about 415 spoken languages and six known religions, doesn’t India seem like a confused nation?

Confused and left out is what one feels when one moves from one state to another within India itself. To add more displeasure to that – citizens who relocate within the country, receive illogical treatment from the locals. For example, when a student from North-East India moves to Delhi, they are treated differently. Why? It is because to an average Indian girl/boy their dressing and looks do not appear regular when in reality, dozens of locals imitate their dress sense. Remember the famous converse shoes or those slim-fit jeans.

This is not the only case. What about that Raj Thackeray attack on the people from Bihar. The end result: numerous SMSes, demanding his whereabouts during the Mumbai 26/11 terror attack. All this differentiation, leaves no choice for newly-relocated citizens but to set up their own community within the region. This situation is prevalent all over the country.

How then can one expect an Indian refusing to mingle with people from another state to adjust in another different country as a whole? According to a survey done through the Internet, most Indians felt that Indians are the most racist of all. Remember what Peter Russels (stand up Indian - Canadian comedian) once said in his show that there can be no greater racist than Indians.

Rohit*, a software engineer says, “A racist comment can come from as near as a dear friend.” According to Anuradha*, a student, “People are just scared because they don’t understand others’ culture.”

Back to Indian students in Australia. Do Indians feel that their way of life is superior and more dignified that they do not mingle with the locals? What about the Indians that have local friends, do they get into trouble? It’s time to analyse. Rather then segregating ourselves, we have to learn to mingle and accept each other. Alex*, who works in UK says, “I’m happier in the UK than being a North-East person in another Indian state.”

While foreigners are warm and helpful in their own country, there could be occasional problems with teenagers at times, which are controllable if dealt properly. The basic is learning to respect, no matter who you are or where you’re from. We must be proud of our unique nation but at the same time accept the facts about another’s culture, religion, etc. Besides that, our thought processes needs a major change. We need to eliminate racism from within ourselves, right from our home - we must find the one universal religion of brotherhood.




*Names changed to protect identity.