Sometime in 2006, one of the ten days of the Ganesh Utsav, I was coming back home from work one night. The temple nearest to my house was filled up with the people who had come for the ganesh aarthi. I was walking nonchalantly towards my home when suddenly I felt a strong stinging "slap" on the back my neck. I winced in pain and God knows which part of my brain told me to duck into the nearest open gate but I did. And as I rushed into safety of God-knows-whose-home, I saw two youths speeding away on a motorbike. I was not sure whether it was an incident of eve teasing or what but as soon as they zoomed past me, I ran for my life into my house barely 50 meters away. Once I told my mom what happened, she, not being in shock that a victim faces, checked the spot where they "hit" me and told me matter-of-factly, It was your gold chain they were after. And true, the sting was that of a blunt blade which left a long thin scar at the nape of my neck. And my chain, well it was broken into two. The only reason why they did not get it was because, it had a ganesh pendant attached to it and as I had just walked past the temple where the aarathi was going on, I had, without realising, clutched the pendant and was humming along the aarathi.
In the same year, one of my colleagues returning from work late at night in a 7-seater auto, was robbed of all her gold ornaments and cash and ATM cards. She was a careful woman who dreaded other heinous crimes and got into such autos only if there was another female co-passenger... That fateful night, there was one. An accomplice. She blew chilli powder in this female's face and then the gang made off with the loot. She, to this day, considers herself lucky that it was just the money they were after.
Many such incidents come to our minds. The ones we have read in newspapers, heard from friends. And what is the first reaction that comes to our mind? Maaaaan, people OUGHT to be so careful while travelling at night. Its an unsafe world out there.
Circa 2009, Sydney - A couple of Indian students in Melbourne were mugged by druggies, junkies whoever. And the media cries "Racism"... Whhhhhaaat! And since then, each of the attacks gets undiluted publicity in the print and the press. Ozland is racist. People here are just so hung about themselves. Why cant the country do something to provide security to international student? Universities want money, they don't bother about the Indian students!!!
This kind of knee jerk reaction takes me by surprise. I am not, for a moment, condoning the attacks. Its bad that students who come here to study should face something like this. But when someone is robbed/raped in India while traveling late at night, its an unfortunate incident which could have been warded off if the victim was a bit more careful. But at the same time when something like this happens in a foreign land, we are all ready to scream at the top of our voices RACISM... What the hell do you mean when you react saying Indian students need security. Are you implying that all those Aussie students and people who got mugged deserved it? Why are you not reporting various mugging and robbery episodes that have seen Aussies, Chinese and other "westerners" hurt or even dead? Is their life of no value or consequence in comparison to an Indian's? Who is a racist here? And who isn't a racist? Just because the robbers in India are of the same skin tone, we are quick to rebuke the victim. And because the attackers here are not desis we cry foul? What kind of parameter is that?
Indian students in Australia are a workforce. Poor kids, my heart goes out to them at times. Working in Seven-11s at nights. Cleaning offices. Working their asses off in grocery stores and malls and all such places. The 20hrs per week work restrictions that student VISA imposes on them is an evil. They like to take their chances and not report all their work hours in fairness. The employers, well aware of this, take advantage of these kids. Again opportunism, not racism. Not unlike the Indian baniya who thinks nothing of employing under aged kids in his shops to lift heavy sacks of rice and wheat knowing too well, he is in too much need of money to complain.
These kids, the Aussie Indian students, work all inhuman hours till 2 or 3 in the nights. And when its time to come back home, the only cheap and economical option in the public transport. trains. Which, at that hour, are bereft of many people. Most of the passengers at this time are tired and overworked students or shady characters. Understandable, isn't it?
Would you consider it safe to ride an APSRTC bus at 3 a.m in Hyderabad? Is Mumbai local a safe ride at 2 am? No? Then why should the Sydney metro be any different? Lets use the thing we all refer to as common sense before making ridiculous assumptions about the country on the whole.
True, racism exists in bits and pieces in any foreign land. I would be one of the first to admit it. As a 9-month pregnant woman, I have had "chapters" of silent snobbery where people did not make way for me in the lifts/crowded trains and I would have to push through them with my big belly. And the very next instant, when a gori pregnant woman came on, there would be smiles and gushes and instant gaps. It used to make my heart cry. But the selected few people who did that, the memories they left have been overwritten by scores of others who made me feel comfortable and special in those trying days. So yeah, racism is present here, but this place is not racist. Yes, their condemnation of the Indian workforce, their contempt for the desis who have taken away "their jobs" is a racist trait. But then, Indian awe of the firangees is a racist thing too, isn't it?
So basically aren't we all the same?
