Friday, June 05, 2009
Are Indians racist ?
I think the answer to this question is - Yes ! It's not so much the negative racism which we read so much about in Australia ( where Indians are being beaten up because they are not white). It's a "reverse racism" where we look up to white-skinned people, because they are white - skinned . For example, Indian patients still feel the best medical care is available at Mayo Clinic because it is in the US ! Similarly, Indian doctors prefer publishing their articles in prestigious journals ( read - journals published in the West) as compared to Indian journals. I guess it takes a long time for centuries of colonial subjugation to get this out of our system !
Is that a question to ask? Its a part of Indian culture since the earliest civilization. Ask any NE Indian whether they have not faced any racism at all in mainland India. I faced it daily. As per your definition as given by dictionary.com, the non NE people think that NE people are dumb and good for nothing who can only work as waitress,security gaurds or other lower wages job. One of my senior(from UP)(I'm a S/W Engg) asked me once that she is surprised to see me (as an IT professional) directly in my face becuase people from NE mostly don't work in these sector, they work in beauty parlours or hotels(as waiters/waitress). I felt like replying to her that a lot a migrant workers from UP worked as laborers,masons and coolie in my hometown but i kept quiet because I'm not a racist. How much percentage of Indian population knows about the seven NE states and its history and cultures? 0.001% i guess and that also after more than 60 years of independence. Its a shame!!!!! We learn't about various parts of india and its history and geography in school and colleges. Has NE Indian States ever been covered in any history/geography books you read? Maybe in few book, its covered in a paragraph ot 2. Y I asked this question is because when i started working some years back/and even in my college(in Karnataka), people(even lecturer) asked with the most stupid question whether my homestate(a NE state) is near Japan. I was so shocked and didn't know how to react. I agree that all the NE Indian States were independent princely states before they joined the Indian State mainly due to sole decision of the monarchs who ruled these states at that time, but we were and have never been accepted by the mainland indian people as their equals. Its unfortunate that these states are as backward economically and in development now as they were at the time of succession to India. The successive govt that ruled Delhi has ignore the plight of the NE people and so the rest of the people of India.
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