UPDATED 11 June, 2009 – 10.25 am – Even as I decided to unpublish the post, within minutes of it being published, many had already read it. Next morning the newspapers carried an item on the front page about an alleged retaliatory attack against perpetrator of the first attack against an Indian citizen in Australia. Some people have requested me to publish the post again and I am doing so now…
The original post is below:
The recent racial attacks against Indian students in Australia had me searching for this insight that I had shared in focus group, a few months ago.
India and Indian have, for centuries, been victims of racial discrimination . When it wasn’t the colour of the skin, the accent of its people gave them away. As a poor, third-world country with a large illiterate population its people suffered meekly for decades.
However, advent of satellite television; urbanization of landscape and changed demographics with a large youth population coupled with rapid economic growth that put India amongst one of the fastest growing economies in the world (even after the slow-down from which India too is impacted) have led to a new, confident Indian, which is good.
Slowing economies in the developed world, jobs lost to India and elsewhere have polarized the populace in some way, sometimes leading people to react there the way they previously may have – discriminate based on race – e.g. Outburst again Indian outsourcing (abuse that BPO employees face).
India’s youth however is not prepared to take it lying down anymore – he/ she is turning brash too. Today they simply quit jobs where they face abuse, tomorrow they might turn back and respond.
Should we fear reverse racialism?
Impact
It is difficult to predict impact yet but clearly this is not a face of Indian youth known to the world:
- Indians are considered a hospitable community and that feeling may take a dent
- Can impact cultural relations between populations of countries: India Vs Australia cricket series (Symonds versus Harbhajan, or the other way round) soured relationship, even though it was limited to cricket grounds
Indians are at the receiving end again. And it only adds to my fear, and forbid were that scenario were to ever emerge, it would be truly sad.
Please note: I will be strictly moderating all comments on this post, so please stick to the subject of societal impact and do not deviate from the purpose of social studies. Thanks in advance.
