India-Africa relations challenged - racism or else?
India's Union Home Minister condemned the attacks and asked the city police to take strict action against the perpetrators. However, Delhi police dismissed the recent spate of attacks targeting Africans as racially motivated, insisting the violent crimes were "isolated incidents" and not racist in nature. Minister said that there was "no element of racism" following attacks when six Africans were beaten across New Delhi's Mehrauli neighbourhood.
In a rare show of unity, a group of African ambassadors said their nationals were living in a "pervading climate of fear and insecurity". They warned they would recommend their governments not to send students to India until safety conditions improve, following a string of what they said were unpunished racial attacks.Thousands of people from African countries study and work in India but several incidents have raised concerns of racist violence and discrimination.There are around 25,000 African students in India in both private and state institutions, as per the Association for African Students in India.
Backlash in Africa
Even as India tried to control the diplomatic damage caused by the threat of African envoys not participating in the government’s Africa Day function, the backlash from the recent death of a Congolese student was also felt in Kinshasa, where the Indian community has had a tense week with mobs throwing stones at their businesses.
Analysis
There can be no dispute about the fact that the perpetrators of the recent killing must be brought to book quickly and deterrent punishment meted out to them, but such attacks are actually a reflection of the general law and order situation which is a matter of concern in the capital. Indeed, road rage has taken toll of many lives in Delhi in recent days.
To consider a racial pattern in the killing of the African youth would be wrong, especially when there is no evidence to establish this consideration. There is no denying that a close watch needs to be kept on those elements who are involved in discrediting India in foreign eyes.Besides, not only the Indians but also the African Heads of Missions have something to introspect about. In Mumbai, Delhi and other cities, Africans are identified with drug-peddling and looked upon with suspicion. Presently there are more than 100 Nigerians lodged in Delhi’s Tihar Jail, most of them are accused of peddling drugs. When such is the record of a section of Africans, it is difficult to expect Indians to be free of prejudices against them in general. For no fault of theirs, Africans in general by dint of their physique are looked upon as bullies and toughs.
Few years ago, India had expressed consternation when a series of brutal attacks on Indian expatriates and ethnic Indians occurred in Australia. Indian students have been going to universities in Australia on a major scale in recent times and these attacks were seen to have a pattern but better times returned in due course. The Australian government was pro-active and so have to be the governments across the country in India to ensure that foreigners feel safe and secure. As far as Delhi is concerned there is a general spurt in crime which needs to be controlled and it would be but fair if foreign students get special attention from the police.
Way ahead
Though India-Africa ties have seen an upturn with Modi’s new initiatives, there is still much to be achieved. India’s trade with Africa has increased from $39 billion in 2009-10 to $71.4 billion in 2014-15, with the surge in exports. But China’s trade with Africa stands at over $200 billion which is an indication that there is still a long way to go. India indeed has much to offer to the Africans in terms of defence equipment and training of defence personnel and in areas of trade and investment. It is incumbent on India to ensure that glitches in Indo-African relations are not allowed to sour the otherwise congenial environment of bonhomie between them.
(With inputs from newspapers)
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