President voices concern over attacks on African nationals

New Delhi, May 30

Amid rising tempers in wake of the recent killing of a Congolese man in a brawl, some African nationals allegedly beat up a taxi driver here on Monday even as President Pranab Mukherjee expressed concern over a string of alleged attacks on African nationals in the country.

The Centre, meanwhile, assured the murdered Congolese national’s family of a speedy trial and prosecution of all those responsible for the crime.

It will be most unfortunate if the people of India were to "dilute our long tradition of friendship with the people of Africa”, Mukherjee said.

Addressing the delegates of 7th Annual Heads of Mission Conference who called on him, the President said, “It would be most unfortunate if the people of India were to dilute our long tradition of friendship with the people of Africa and the welcome we have always extended to them in our country.”

African students in India should have no reason to fear for their safety and security."

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A taxi driver was allegedly beaten up for refusing to take extra passengers in the early hours of Saturday at CDR Chowk in Mehrauli. Nuruddin, a driver from cab aggregator Ola, claimed that six African nationals—among them a woman—beat him up when he refused to allow more than four passengers in the vehicle.

He suffered injuries on his face and is undergoing treatment at Jai Prakash Narayan Trauma Centre. The men fled but the driver detained the woman, police said.

The incident comes days after six African nationals were attacked in the national capital.

A Congo national was beaten to death after an argument over hiring an autorickshaw in the city earlier this month. A few days later, a Nigerian student was beaten up by locals after an argument over parking. Though police claim these are stray incidents, African students in the country have voiced their concern.

Meanwhile, several African students staged a protest at Jantar Mantar on Monday to demand swift action.

“We want the government’s support as the incidents of attacks on people from African continent are increasing in the city. The Indian government needs to ensure safety of African nationals and act swiftly on such incidents,” a protester said.

Meanwhile, a senior official of External Affairs Ministry (MEA), who met the family members of Masonda Ketada Oliver of Congo at the airport on their arrival here, assured them of the speedy trial.

He informed them that the Government would bear all expenses related to dispatch of mortal remains of Oliver, MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

He said the family thanked the government for the assistance.

The 23-year-old Congolese national Oliver, who was a French teacher at a private institute, was beaten to death in Vasant Kunj area of South Delhi following a brawl over hiring of an autorickshaw.

Envoys of African countries had expressed shock and outrage over the killing, following which India assured them of safety of African nationals.

‘Need to make youngsters aware of age-old India-Africa ties’

Addressing the delegates of 7th Annual Heads of Mission Conference, President Pranab Mukherjee said, “We shall have to create appropriate awareness in the minds of our youngsters who may not know the history, age old relations (between India and Africa)...India has had trading relations with African countries for centuries and everyone of the 54 countries of Africa has a thriving Indian community doing business, industry etc.

"We cannot allow these to be jeopardised in anyway and create a bad precedent which is not the ethos, which is not part of the core values of our civilisation," a Rashtrapati Bhavan statement quoted Mukherjee as having told the delegation.

The President said he was happy that Ministry of External Affairs in consultation with Ministry of Home Affairs is proactively following up on the few isolated incidents that have occurred and working closely with authorities to ensure the safety of African students in India.

Mukherjee said the bonds between the people of India and the people of Africa have been forged since time immemorial.

"As a political activist, as a member of parliament, I have noticed how close we (India and Africa) are with each other. Almost a century ago Rabindranath Tagore wrote a beautiful poem titled Africa expressing his anguish, pathos, sense of pain on apartheid," he said.

Mukherjee said leaders like Gamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana stood shoulder to shoulder with Jawaharlal Nehru at the Afro-Asian Conference in Bandung in 1955 and in founding the Non-aligned Movement in 1961.

"Nelson Mandela was an embodiment of Gandhian principles.

India led the long international struggle for the end of colonialism and apartheid in Africa," the President said.

The President said in 1946 Government of India decided to stop any trade relationship with South Africa till apartheid was not lifted.

"At that time decision was a bold decision because South Africa accounted for five per cent of total international trade with India," he said.

Mukherjee said it was only in 1994, after the end of apartheid, that he as Commerce Minister restored normal trade relations with that country.

"Whole of India stood in support of African leaders like Jomo Kenyatta, Julius Nyerere and Kenneth Kaunda during this freedom struggle," he said. — Agencies