Coming Soon: ‘Criminals’, ‘Cannibals’; Africans and Indian Racism
Are attacks against Africans not racist? Do they go beyond being “minor scuffles” and “isolated incidents”?
advertisement
One week. Three separate cases of violence. Is India unsafe for Africans?
A 23-year-old Congolese was stoned to death in Vasant Kunj over an auto ride. In Hyderabad, the following week, a Nigerian was hit with an iron rod, after a spat over parking. And few days later, seven Africans were attacked in Chhatarpur’s Rajpur Khurd village.
Even though the victims, their families and friends, say the attacks were hate crimes, the Indian government and the police has dismissed them as “minor scuffles” and “isolated incidents”. In a press conference, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj categorically said, “the attacks on Africans were not racist”.
The Quint spoke to some of the victims, their family members and locals to understand why Africans are targeted. Watch the story unfold over the next few days.
(Camera: Sanjoy Deb, Video Editor: Kunal Mehra
With inputs from Parul Agrawal)
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)