After Tarun Vijay, former MP, made that insensitive remark during an interview with Al Jazeera TV — “If we were racist, why would we live with South Indians, black people around us” — it offended and angered all of South India. He issued an apology after there was a ‘blacklash’ but it never the less brought to light the deep-rooted prejudices that even top leaders continue to carry in a supposedly egalitarian society.
Social media was abuzz with condemnations and statements reflecting injured pride while others tackled it with black humour. “Hello, fellow black people,” was writer Anees Salim’s first FB post and he followed it up later with a quip that Agasthya Forest will henceforth be known as Black Forest.
Some used the opportunity to do some introspection. New York based writer and political analyst Suchitra Vijayan wrote, “South India is also a big market for fairness creams, our movies follow the same misogyny of casting faired skinned women as the ideal type. Even our dark skinned heroes prefer lighter skinned much younger nymphs.” We spoke to artists and intellectuals to get at the bottom of the issue:
Sajitha Madathil, Theatre personality
I have directly experienced racist comments while working in Delhi some years ago. The racist mentality is as strong as the caste system in the North. Even if we are very good at our jobs, we have to work really hard to avoid being sidelined in the face of offensive remarks about lack of knowledge of Hindi, regionalism or our skin colour. That makes us develop a certain aggression because we are not appreciated at our workplaces because of this racist attitude.
Another aspect that I feel very strongly about is the tagging of all South Indians under a common name — ‘Madirasis’. I was once chatting with a colleague of mine who is from Chennai and immediately started the comments from our smirking North Indian colleagues, ‘You ‘Madirasis’ stick together’ to which I replied that it was not because of the common South factor but because we were discussing work. Though it was common place at one time to tag all South Indians as Madirasis, the social media has made a positive impact for the better, making people understand that there are states in South India beyond ‘Madras’.
‘Each person has shrunk to a little world’
Unni R., Writer
In a way, this statement is not surprising, because the chathurvarnyam or the four varna system is still an ideology of the BJP and racism is a part of Sangh Parivar ideology. Another thing to be observed is that the entire world is shifting towards an extreme right wing ideology, including the rise of Trump to power. In India, the Sangh Parivar represents a very Brahminical ideology, so, as far as they are concerned, this is quite natural. So, issuing an apology for passing such a statement is just a temporary action, because the truth is that this ideology will remain inside them. Casteism is among people. Each person has shrunk to their own little world, and a Brahmin will look at a Dalit through the same above mentioned point of view. In Kerala, too, the same mentality exists, which is very casteist and elitist. The racist inside us will die only if we annihilate caste and religion.
‘This explains a lot of discrimination’
Meena Kandasamy, Writer
To defend the racism against Africans, BJP’s Tarun Vijay says, “If we were racist, why would we have the entire south (India)? Which is you know, completely Tamil, you know Kerala, you know Karnataka and Andhra. Why do we live with them (if we are racist)? We have blacks, black people around us.”
So glad to have this from the (Aryan) horse’s mouth-— that South Indians are seen as blacks, are seen as another race, and no wonder this explains a lot of the discrimination, the casual jokes, the colourism. I don’t know why we are waiting to secede!
(From her facebook page)
‘We are no better’
Kannan Nayar, Theatre activist
North Indians like those who rule with an iron hand. They are programmed that way. Examine the history, there were Mughals, the British. Conquering always happened in their region. Now the BJP rules the country and the party are acting according to its will. Hadn’t we been referred to as Madrasis? Such discrimination is not a new thing. I don’t want to make scathing remarks.
Because, we are not better persons either. Don’t we see people in Kerala collectively referring to migrant labourers as ‘Bengalis’? It is also a way of hiding our shortcomings and an attempt to project others as inferiors. The comment hurts since it comes from a person who represents the ruling front of a nation.
