Racial Discrimination in India: The Chemistry of Caste and Religion
By Ainsley Gill and Vanessa Baziquero, 8/21/2020
Discrimination between the North and South: A Myth or Reality?
As a result of visible discrimination against North Indians, authorities have intervened in order to quench violence and attacks. However, because action by governmental authorities has been limited, activists have had to implement their own initiatives to help North Indians.
Recently, the Indian government took steps to mend the rift between North and South, including launching projects to connect the North to the rest of the country by promoting tourism and infrastructure. Additionally, usage of the slur “chinkies,” a derogatory term often directed at North Indians, is now punishable by 5 years in prison; however, the insult continues to be widely used and actual enforcement of this law is uncommon. Furthermore, this March, the government asked all states to take measures to diminish the abuses that North Indians face amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizations such as Northeast Support Centre have emerged to help them. Citizens such as Thotmahai Raingam, a tech consultant, help new arrivals cope by giving them a list of do’s and don'ts. Some of these items on the list include not getting into fights, even if they face abuse, and not to attract unnecessary attention. Raingam also recommends that Northerners gather evidence if they face assault, to ensure that police actually take action. Activists have sought to create greater understanding between the two groups by urging universities to mitigate discrimination by spreading knowledge of North Indian culture. If universities were to introduce more books written by Northerners, then perhaps young Indians would be more accepting of them.
In 2014, the murder of Nido Taniam revealed the depth and toxicity of the discrimination. Nido was a 20 year old who went into a market in Delhi in order to ask for directions. The shopkeepers made fun of him, and a fight began, resulting in his death. His murder sparked protest acorss the country. Campaigns attempting to fight against racism and ensure police were trained to deal with racist events popped up. In the wake of Tido’s murder, a panel was created with the purpose of probing into the discrimination of Northerners. The panel has made recommendations for court procedures, police reform, and has suggested more representation of Northeast Indians in state roles. Yet few of these recommendations have been implemented, and unfortunately, discrimination is still nearly as widespread and prevalent as before.
The recent resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States may help spur further action within India. Activists in India hope that in the wake of this movement, Indians will be inspired to fight for their fellow countrymen and help root out discrimination within both the legal system and society as a whole.
Clearly, authorities have intervened to some extent. They have attempted to eliminate a harmful slur against Northerners, and they have tried to connect the North with the rest of the country. Yet because their intervention is limited, activists have had to step in and bridge the gap towards further action. Despite all these efforts, Northerners still face significant abuse and prejudice. However, with the the Black Lives Matter movement, Indians and people around the world may gain awareness of the discrimination they face.
As a result of visible discrimination against North Indians, authorities have intervened in order to quench violence and attacks. However, because action by governmental authorities has been limited, activists have had to implement their own initiatives to help North Indians.
Recently, the Indian government took steps to mend the rift between North and South, including launching projects to connect the North to the rest of the country by promoting tourism and infrastructure. Additionally, usage of the slur “chinkies,” a derogatory term often directed at North Indians, is now punishable by 5 years in prison; however, the insult continues to be widely used and actual enforcement of this law is uncommon. Furthermore, this March, the government asked all states to take measures to diminish the abuses that North Indians face amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizations such as Northeast Support Centre have emerged to help them. Citizens such as Thotmahai Raingam, a tech consultant, help new arrivals cope by giving them a list of do’s and don'ts. Some of these items on the list include not getting into fights, even if they face abuse, and not to attract unnecessary attention. Raingam also recommends that Northerners gather evidence if they face assault, to ensure that police actually take action. Activists have sought to create greater understanding between the two groups by urging universities to mitigate discrimination by spreading knowledge of North Indian culture. If universities were to introduce more books written by Northerners, then perhaps young Indians would be more accepting of them.
In 2014, the murder of Nido Taniam revealed the depth and toxicity of the discrimination. Nido was a 20 year old who went into a market in Delhi in order to ask for directions. The shopkeepers made fun of him, and a fight began, resulting in his death. His murder sparked protest acorss the country. Campaigns attempting to fight against racism and ensure police were trained to deal with racist events popped up. In the wake of Tido’s murder, a panel was created with the purpose of probing into the discrimination of Northerners. The panel has made recommendations for court procedures, police reform, and has suggested more representation of Northeast Indians in state roles. Yet few of these recommendations have been implemented, and unfortunately, discrimination is still nearly as widespread and prevalent as before.
The recent resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States may help spur further action within India. Activists in India hope that in the wake of this movement, Indians will be inspired to fight for their fellow countrymen and help root out discrimination within both the legal system and society as a whole.
Clearly, authorities have intervened to some extent. They have attempted to eliminate a harmful slur against Northerners, and they have tried to connect the North with the rest of the country. Yet because their intervention is limited, activists have had to step in and bridge the gap towards further action. Despite all these efforts, Northerners still face significant abuse and prejudice. However, with the the Black Lives Matter movement, Indians and people around the world may gain awareness of the discrimination they face.
Racism and prejudice in India is not so simple as a difference between northerners and southerners; however, racism’s origins in the nation do indeed stem from regional differences. To claim that all Northerners are victims to the South would be a false pretense. Indian people are not prejudiced towards all Northerners, just to Northeasterners. Furthermore, Southern Indians may even be discriminated against by Northerners.
Southern Indians tend to have a darker complexion, while those living in the North tend to have a gene variation that makes their skin lighter. This fact has led to Northerners being called “gora chittas,” while Southerners are discriminated against for their dark skin. This phenomenon is due to the fact that many Indians have a white skin fixation.
This white skin fixation may have arrived from India’s colonial period, when white-skinned British had authority over Indians. Yet long after the British left the country, colonial prejudices remain. Bollywood may be guilty for spreading these prejudices, since it favorably features lighter skinned individuals.
Colorism is rampant throughout many aspects of Indian society. In fact, Christy Jennifer, a South Indian who is a producer in Chennai, has exclaimed that “[e]very day, my dignity and self-esteem were reduced to the color of my skin.” She then continued to say that she “felt a worthless piece of flesh.” Jennifer’s plight is one that darker skinned individuals around the country face. They are discriminated against in the workplace, in marriage, and in school. Women with dark skin who are going to get married are insulted, and in schools, students with darker skinned are more frequently bullied. Thus, it comes as no surprise that products that make one's skin lighter are frequently bought. Oils, soaps, creams and serums that promise to lighten someone's skin are mainstays in the Indian cosmetics market.
It seems that discrimination in India is so inherent that some people may engage in bias without even noticing. An Indian politician, Tarun Vijay, said in 2017 that racism didn’t exist in India. He said that "[i]f we were racist, why would we have the south? Why do we live with them? We have black people around us." His words caused uproar as people exclaimed that he had basically said that North Indians could choose whether to keep the South.
America’s Black Lives Matter movement, has however caused a change in India. Shaadi.com, which is a popular Indian matchmaking website, removed a filter which permitted individuals to select patterns based on skin color. Unilever, an international organization, said they were going to remove labels from their products that said things like “fair,” “white,” and “light.” This would include skin-lightening creams that are widely used in india. Time will tell whether these changes will be fleeting or long lasting.
The racism against darker skinned individuals is one that has unfortunately been far too widespread across the world for quite some time and is not foreign to India. Southerners with darker skin are insulted and discriminated against in many areas of their life, including in their schools, and in their jobs. However, the anti-racism sentiment in the United States has had an impact in India as well, and companies are already taking measures to reduce discrimination in the country.
Evaluating three different perspectives in India show us that discrimination is a phenomenon everpresent in the country; however, it is not something that comes strictly from the south to the north, or from the north to the south. Instead, both north easterners and darker skinned southerners are discriminated against because of their complexion.
Southern Indians tend to have a darker complexion, while those living in the North tend to have a gene variation that makes their skin lighter. This fact has led to Northerners being called “gora chittas,” while Southerners are discriminated against for their dark skin. This phenomenon is due to the fact that many Indians have a white skin fixation.
This white skin fixation may have arrived from India’s colonial period, when white-skinned British had authority over Indians. Yet long after the British left the country, colonial prejudices remain. Bollywood may be guilty for spreading these prejudices, since it favorably features lighter skinned individuals.
Colorism is rampant throughout many aspects of Indian society. In fact, Christy Jennifer, a South Indian who is a producer in Chennai, has exclaimed that “[e]very day, my dignity and self-esteem were reduced to the color of my skin.” She then continued to say that she “felt a worthless piece of flesh.” Jennifer’s plight is one that darker skinned individuals around the country face. They are discriminated against in the workplace, in marriage, and in school. Women with dark skin who are going to get married are insulted, and in schools, students with darker skinned are more frequently bullied. Thus, it comes as no surprise that products that make one's skin lighter are frequently bought. Oils, soaps, creams and serums that promise to lighten someone's skin are mainstays in the Indian cosmetics market.
It seems that discrimination in India is so inherent that some people may engage in bias without even noticing. An Indian politician, Tarun Vijay, said in 2017 that racism didn’t exist in India. He said that "[i]f we were racist, why would we have the south? Why do we live with them? We have black people around us." His words caused uproar as people exclaimed that he had basically said that North Indians could choose whether to keep the South.
America’s Black Lives Matter movement, has however caused a change in India. Shaadi.com, which is a popular Indian matchmaking website, removed a filter which permitted individuals to select patterns based on skin color. Unilever, an international organization, said they were going to remove labels from their products that said things like “fair,” “white,” and “light.” This would include skin-lightening creams that are widely used in india. Time will tell whether these changes will be fleeting or long lasting.
The racism against darker skinned individuals is one that has unfortunately been far too widespread across the world for quite some time and is not foreign to India. Southerners with darker skin are insulted and discriminated against in many areas of their life, including in their schools, and in their jobs. However, the anti-racism sentiment in the United States has had an impact in India as well, and companies are already taking measures to reduce discrimination in the country.
Evaluating three different perspectives in India show us that discrimination is a phenomenon everpresent in the country; however, it is not something that comes strictly from the south to the north, or from the north to the south. Instead, both north easterners and darker skinned southerners are discriminated against because of their complexion.
Person. “Nido Taniam And Racism in India,” February 6, 2014. https://time.com/4876/nido-taniam-india-racism/.
Das, Bijoyeta. “India's Northeast Speaks out against Racism.” China | Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera, February 19, 2014. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/02/voices-from-india-northeast-201421811314600858.html.
Banerji, Annie. “Spat on and Abused: Coronavirus Fuels Racism against India's Northeasterners.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, June 19, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-india-discriminati/spat-on-and-abused-coronavirus-fuels-racism-against-indias-northeasterners-idUSKBN23Q2JS.
Sadhana Nadathur Jayakumar, Tatsita Mishra, and Vaishnavi Mahurkar “A Racist India & How Its Racism Is Different For North-Eastern Women.” Feminism In India, June 9, 2020. https://feminisminindia.com/2020/06/08/racist-india-racism-different-north-eastern-women/.
“Do People in India's Northeast Feel Alienated?” BBC News. BBC, March 4, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43252434.
“Indian Media: 'Hate Crimes' against Students from North-East.” BBC News. BBC, February 11, 2014. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-26131423.
Yasir, Sameer, and Jeffrey Gettleman. “India Debates Skin-Tone Bias as Beauty Companies Alter Ads.” The New York Times. The New York Times, June 28, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/28/world/asia/india-skin-color-unilever.html.
“MP's South Indian Racism Comment Sparks Backlash.” BBC News. BBC, April 7, 2017. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39530215.
“Let's Talk about Racism: Why Indian Americans Have a White Skin Fixation.” Hindustan Times, May 23, 2017. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/let-s-talk-about-racism-prejudice-of-indians-a-form-of-self-denial/story-gY8GXUuTF6SM4LeoCPkNVI.html.
“Let's Talk about Racism: North Indians Are 'Gora-Chitta', Dark Skin Is for the South.” Hindustan Times, May 24, 2017. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/lets-talk-about-racism-you-look-south-indian-but-your-sister-looks-indian/story-4DgxcpTrZPC7db9rqziWgM.html.
“Indian Woman Kills Herself over 'Dark Complexion Taunts'.” BBC News. BBC, October 30, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50218947.
Prasad, R. “Common Genetic Variants for Skin Colour in Indians Found.” The Hindu. The Hindu, October 11, 2017. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/common-genetic-variants-for-skin-colour-in-indians-found/article19840725.ece.
Das, Bijoyeta. “India's Northeast Speaks out against Racism.” China | Al Jazeera. Al Jazeera, February 19, 2014. https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2014/02/voices-from-india-northeast-201421811314600858.html.
Banerji, Annie. “Spat on and Abused: Coronavirus Fuels Racism against India's Northeasterners.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, June 19, 2020. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-india-discriminati/spat-on-and-abused-coronavirus-fuels-racism-against-indias-northeasterners-idUSKBN23Q2JS.
Sadhana Nadathur Jayakumar, Tatsita Mishra, and Vaishnavi Mahurkar “A Racist India & How Its Racism Is Different For North-Eastern Women.” Feminism In India, June 9, 2020. https://feminisminindia.com/2020/06/08/racist-india-racism-different-north-eastern-women/.
“Do People in India's Northeast Feel Alienated?” BBC News. BBC, March 4, 2018. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-43252434.
“Indian Media: 'Hate Crimes' against Students from North-East.” BBC News. BBC, February 11, 2014. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-26131423.
Yasir, Sameer, and Jeffrey Gettleman. “India Debates Skin-Tone Bias as Beauty Companies Alter Ads.” The New York Times. The New York Times, June 28, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/28/world/asia/india-skin-color-unilever.html.
“MP's South Indian Racism Comment Sparks Backlash.” BBC News. BBC, April 7, 2017. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-39530215.
“Let's Talk about Racism: Why Indian Americans Have a White Skin Fixation.” Hindustan Times, May 23, 2017. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/let-s-talk-about-racism-prejudice-of-indians-a-form-of-self-denial/story-gY8GXUuTF6SM4LeoCPkNVI.html.
“Let's Talk about Racism: North Indians Are 'Gora-Chitta', Dark Skin Is for the South.” Hindustan Times, May 24, 2017. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/lets-talk-about-racism-you-look-south-indian-but-your-sister-looks-indian/story-4DgxcpTrZPC7db9rqziWgM.html.
“Indian Woman Kills Herself over 'Dark Complexion Taunts'.” BBC News. BBC, October 30, 2019. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-50218947.
Prasad, R. “Common Genetic Variants for Skin Colour in Indians Found.” The Hindu. The Hindu, October 11, 2017. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/common-genetic-variants-for-skin-colour-in-indians-found/article19840725.ece.
