The beating in Bengaluru on Sunday of a college girl from Tanzania, allegedly to the extent of stripping and molesting her, by a mob intent on instant justice, is a clear case of barbaric conduct. And the slowness of the police, which got into genuine action mode days later only after a national hue and cry and external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj speaking to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Congress vice-chief Rahul Gandhi summoning a report from the state government run by his party.
In different parts of the country, violent and mocking behaviour toward people from Africa speaks to us of the deep-seated racism that exists in India, although we complain the loudest when made victims of race prejudice in other countries.
In 2013, at a university in Punjab, a student from Burundi was killed over a minor matter. In the national capital, an AAP minister, who is now in the doghouse, had hounded some members of the African community, targeting women in particular.
The race prejudice also extends to those with different features, as we see unacceptable behaviour toward young men and women from northeastern India on a regular basis, in the national capital most frequently but also elsewhere. In one instance in Delhi, a youngster from the Northeast was killed in a busy shopping area when he took offence on being leered at and jeered on account of his facial features.
But the mistreatment of black Africans is a matter of particular concern, as they are sometimes seen as lesser beings, and not much has changed over the years. The high commissioner of Tanzania was right to ask in a media comment whether there was any trace of “humanity” in the shaming Bengaluru incident, and whether it really belonged to the 21st century.
All African ambassadors and high commissioners accredited to New Delhi have collectively raised questions about the disgraceful episode with the Indian government, and have urged speedy action. They have a right to expect at least this. We must ensure that the sorry episode does not degenerate into a BJP-Congress name-calling matter, the way most things have tended to do of late.
The Bengaluru incident is disturbing. It is deeply societal, and also concerns the state’s response — in the first instance at the level of the police — when race-tainted incidents occur. It is true that in its self-interest India has been seeking to raise the tempo of its relations with Africa.
But this is not why we should correct ourselves and say sorry. We should do all this if we wish to be seen as normal human beings, not bigoted. The inquiry into the incident must reflect an enlightened mindset.
