A blot on India: Disrespect for diversity a worrying trend

UNITY in diversity — is that a lived reality in India or just a mirage? The Supreme Court has expressed concern over Indian citizens being targeted by their compatriots because of cultural and racial differences. Two students from Kerala were allegedly assaulted by local residents and the police in New Delhi on September 24; accused of theft, they were also forced to speak Hindi and ridiculed for wearing a lungi/mundu — a traditional attire of their state. Sadly, the incident has not triggered outrage across the country, in stark contrast to the furore witnessed whenever Indians are subjected to racial abuse and violence in the West.

The court mentioned this disturbing episode while hearing a petition that was filed a decade ago following a series of attacks on people from the Northeast in the national capital. A glaring case was that of Nido Tania, a student from Arunachal Pradesh — he had died in 2014 after a fight with shopkeepers who had mocked his hairstyle. On the court’s directions, the Centre had formed a monitoring committee to deal with cases of hate crime and racial discrimination as well as violence. However, the petitioner has claimed that the panel, which is mandated to hold meetings on a quarterly basis, has met only 14 times in nine years. This sums up the government’s half-hearted approach towards curbing the menace and promoting pluralism.

Earlier this year, Kashmiri students and traders faced threats in several parts of the country after the Pahalgam terror attack. Treating fellow Indians like outsiders or traitors on one pretext or another is a trend that bodes ill for our democracy and secular fabric. “We are one country,” the apex court has rightly said. This simple yet profound truth should be imbibed by every Indian, rising above all kinds of differences. A nation that considers Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (the world is one family) as its guiding principle should first ensure that all Indians live together in peace and harmony.