Racism: An Everyday Affair in the Heart of India, Delhi

Racism: An Everyday Affair in the Heart of India, Delhi

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Here in Delhi, we live+eat+sleep racism. It is in the air we breathe in.
pic courtesy:  www.instablogs.com
Delhiites (To those who are no racist, sorry for being tagged in the collective lots) have become so bold that passing a racist comment is just their usual “hellos” & “Byes”. Blame the law enforcing department where filing an FIR for any form of discrimination is like applying for a Merit Scholarship!
Hold your tongues dearest; let me tell you why I write what I write.
Many a times have men Blocked my way and called me “Oi Takloo” ( Hey baldie) just because I have a haircut that they don’t see often! Many a times have women in the metro’s ladies compartment tapped me on my shoulder and asked “takloo, kahan se hain tu?” (Baldie, where are you from) Sometimes they even stand away from me in unison and scan me from head to toe! Oh the attention I get, deplorable!
And the kind of laughs they throw on me and the disgusting whistles I get? I will omit because everyone knows that it is the daily “Chai” of Delhi life.
Be it on my way to work or the grocery store or the shopping malls or just a stroll in the park, someone somewhere never fails to pass snide/sexual remarks! No matter what I wear, no matter how I talk like, there is no escape from these scheming eyes, the lustful glance and the stinking scents of judgments!
The list goes on. And if you doubt me still, I can gather you thousand others with a story like mine.
Of course, there are many Delhiites who are educated and reasons with our plights and treat us right. I have many friends from the metro cities of India with a heart of gold. But it is sadly undeniable that the indecent & ignorant lots overshadow the good ones.
Yes, I may have chosen to ignore the snide remarks for I couldn’t waste my time trying to instil in those thick skulls a lesson on racism. I look back and think, what if I had protested against it, then, would I have ended up dead too?
Nido Tania fought back for acceptance and paid dearly with his life. He could have been anyone; he could have been me or you.
This huge outcry from the North-East Community against racial discrimination was bound to happen. Ironically, the death of Nido Tania was the plug that shed light on the ugly racism prevalent in every nook and corners of this city! (May his soul rest in peace.)

For once and for a change, justice should prevail; for the many deaths and cries, the hundreds of protest and candle light vigil.

20 thoughts on “Racism: An Everyday Affair in the Heart of India, Delhi

    1. Yes, it's very true and it's the 'true' truth, and the truth has to be told in a tellable template like you are doing. So keep telling and let's keep writing the truth.

    2. I agree… But there is no denying that sometimes our anguish & anger overtake our reasoning side and weaving out a 'tellable tale' with kindness becomes an impossible task.

    3. You are right. The template to be followed is "speaking the truth in love" (read as, speaking the truth with respect). When hitting is the only option left, hitting with a velvet-covered brick seems to be a must-do. Ignorance is not always necessarily a bliss; and ignorance be better dealt with sharing the hard 'truth' with the truth-starved individuals/groups/communities. Yes, best to control our emotions on emotive issues because emotion, as you rightly put, can drown our 'reasoning side.'

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