Not just the Aussies, but Indians are also Racists - so let's get some perspective.

Indians in Australia are complaining about racist attacks on students there. My sympathies are with the students and I hope the perpatrators get punished. But in all the noise about racism, we people of Indian origin easily forget how racist we ourselves are! For sure racism in its worst form thrives in India.


In Mumbai, many local Marathis look down on outsiders and often treat them with scorn. People from the south and migrant workers are beaten up by goons from chauvinistic political parties. In Delhi, Calcutta and other parts, the story is not dissimilar. Malayalees refer to Tamils as Pattars, Bengalis are Bongs and Marwaris are "kanjus marwadi". Gujaratis are money minded Gujjus and Sikhs are dumbwitted "surds" (and in my opinion, they are the only race capable of laughing at themselves).

Physical attacks on people of different races are not uncommon in India. And they are often perpetrated by well heeled folks who use goons. And where were all the Indians when an Aussie missionary, Graham Staines and his two innocent kids were burnt alive when sleeping inside their van in Orissa? That was a crime so heinous that it still makes me shudder. Not a single Indian Film actor raised his voice in protest then. Why does Mr Bachchan make a show now?

I am an Indian, brown in color, and proud to be so. But how does it matter? Most Indians dont understand that skin color doesnt matter. What else would explain the burning desire among Indian women to want to be fair complexioned, for Indian parents to have fair skinned daughters and sons, and Indian men to want to marry only fair skinned women? Check any matrimonial ad - "Sought handsome well qualified groom for fair complexioned beautiful (but uneducated) girl, can cook, sing and sew etc" - Or as they say in tamil, "Aval, colorrara irukka" or "avallukku color kuncham koruchalla irukku".

Now I am taking some liberties here - but hopefully people will understand that i mean women no disrespect, but there is a whole Industry thriving in India built around the promise of making brown people like me look white! And we say others are racist! Racism, whether by Aussies or by Indians is wrong!