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George Floyd death: what India can learn from Black Lives Matter
- Thousands of African nationals currently live in India, some enticed by New Delhi’s conscious effort to attract students and medical tourists
- But from being denied housing to being called the N-word in the street, many say they face racism everyday in a society where it seems deeply ingrained
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The killing of George Floyd, a 44-year-old black man, by police in the US city of Minneapolis has sparked massive protests against systemic racism in the US and Europe. In India too, there has been an outpouring of online support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
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The graphic video showing a handcuffed Floyd unable to breathe while pinned to the ground by three police officers immediately went viral on Indian social media. Everyone from Bollywood stars to politicians began tweeting against police brutalities in the United States.
But this unprecedented support for the fight against racism from Indians, although heartening, just isn’t enough for the students and others of African origin living in India, who face blatant racism in their everyday lives.
Mariyam Nuh, a Sudanese-Indian worker at a multinational firm in New Delhi, says that in her experience, racism has seemed so ingrained in Indian society that it is virtually not even acknowledged.
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The 24-year-old recounts innumerable incidents when she has been harassed on the street and called a “negro”. “Every time I step out of the house, the police look at me like I’m a drug dealer or a prostitute looking to expand business,” she said.
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