Attacks on foreigners blot on Indian tolerance
With the African Heads of Mission agreeing to participate in Africa Day, after threatening to boycott the event to draw attention to the killing of a Congolese student in Delhi, a major diplomatic embarrassment for India was avoided. However, this relief will only be temporary unless comprehensive measures are taken to ensure the security of African nationals in this country. In fact, even as the Ministry of External Affairs was pulling out all stops to convince the African envoys that the attack on the Congolese student would not be brushed under the carpet and that the Government was taking all steps to ensure that justice was done, a Nigerian student was attacked in Hyderabad, (retaliatory violent incidents were reported against Indian businesses in the Congolese capital). And these two are only the latest in a shamefully long list of such attacks. Earlier in the year, a Tanzanian student was attacked by an angry mob in Bangalore; in 2015, there were at least two separate instances of African youths being mobbed in the country's IT capital. In 2014, two men from Gabon and another from Burkina Faso were mobbed at Delhi's heavily policed Rajiv Chowk metro station; In 2013, a Delhi Minister led a midnight raid on the homes of African nationals he accused of drug-peddling and prostitution, while the murder of a Nigerian in Goa saw other Nigerians block the national highway in protest.
Now, some have argued that many of these incidents are not hate crimes but regular crimes of the sort that are common in big cities. This argument is not without merit. Those who attacked the Congolese student in Delhi, for example, reportedly have criminal records; similarly, there are several instances of petty parking disputes — of the sort that the Nigerian student in Hyderabad was caught in spiraling out of control and ending in violence. Also, within the sizeable African community in India, there are some unsavoury elements who engage in criminal activity; this not only puts them at risk but also gives all Africans a bad name. That said, there is no denying the obvious racial mindset. Those still unconvinced need to talk to Africans here about the racist behaviour they encounter on a daily basis. This may make us uncomfortable but it is important to talk about it, especially as India will be hosting more Africans in future, and as more Indians can be expected to travel to Africa for business and pleasure.
Two important steps have to be taken in this regard: First, Indians attacking Africans have to be severely punished. This will send out a message that the state is equally serious about the safety of citizens, residents and guests, irrespective of their skin colour. This will be easier said than done given that the police often shares the prejudices of the locals, but one can start tackling the problem with special training on race-sensitivity, for example. The second step is creating greater public awareness and more people-to-people contact. Currently, the African community has very little interaction with the Indian public at large. Many Indians have never met or even seen a Black in their lives. They are ignorant, suspicious, even fearful of the other. This creates a negative atmosphere. A little bit of community outreach can work wonders.