Greater Noida attacks: Are Indians racist towards African nationals? Web poll

The attacks on ‘Nigerian’ students in Greater Noida over the past two days appear to confirm an ugly truth about Indian society.

The attacks on ‘Nigerian’ students in Greater Noida over the past two days appear to confirm an ugly truth about Indian society.

African nationals recuperate at Kailash Hospital in Noida after being beaten up by a mob near Pari Chowk in Greater Noida.. (Virendra Singh Gosain/ HT Photo)

Tens of thousands of Africans live in India for work and study but say they face a harrowing time transacting even the most basic chores - shopping, eating out or paying bills - because of the colour of their skin.

In Delhi, they have been the target of a spate of attacks in recent years - six Africans were thrashed in three separate incidents in Chhattarpur last year. A week before that, a Congolese national was bludgeoned to death. In Bengaluru, a Tanzanian student and her friends were attacked by a mob last year.

But Africans--and there are an estimated 40,000 of them in India--say the assaults are only the tip of an iceberg of discrimination, where they are often denied housing, and called racial slurs on the streets. Others say local residents harbour deep suspicion over Africans being crime-prone, drug peddlers and sex workers. Many of them have tried to assimilate with local communities, but only with limited success. Take our poll, let’s know about the issue.