The recent attacks on Indian students in Australia have prompted many commentators, bloggers and journalists to articulate their views on the subject, including this one by Jug Suraiya. We Indians have this particular trait of raising up issues when they arise on foreign shores. All of a sudden people remember how racists we are, now that we’re being attacked in Australia. They talk about foreigners being attacked in India and Indians being disliked in Africa, etc. Good, enlightening thoughts. But do they mean Indian students in Australia deserve to be attacked? And even if they are attacked, we ourselves being so bloody racists and fascists, shouldn’t even raise a whimper of a protest? It seems like that.
I’m not saying these opinions are misplaced and factually wrong. Indians ARE racist and by nature even neighbors loath each other, forget about mistreating foreigners and dark-skinned individuals, but I don’t think this is a good time to scream from the rooftops that come on guys, beat us up, we too do that whenever we can. Just like we don’t want to blame an entire community for rampant terrorist attacks, we shouldn’t say (insinuatingly) since we’re racists so Indians living abroad are prone to be beaten up or vandalized or humiliated. Racism and casteism have been our bane for centuries and that is why we were conquered and subjugated by all and sundry. These worthy articulators should definitely highlight the ills that plague our society, but mentioning that now seems as if launching a harangue on fire safety rules while the building is on fire.
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