E-Paper
Diwali at London’s Trafalgar Square: Racist remarks on celebration video ask Indians to ‘Go back’
Diwali 2024: A video capturing Diwali celebrations at London’s Trafalgar Square and featuring Mayor Sadiq Khan has prompted a flurry of racist comments.
Diwali 2024: Each year, the Indian community settled in London celebrates Diwali, and this year is no different. Announcing the event set to take place on October 27, Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, issued a video. It captures how the festival of lights is enthusiastically celebrated in the foreign land. While a few expressed excitement about attending the event, most turned to racism—with many asking the Indians in the UK to “Go back.”
“27 October 2024 - Are you Joining for the biggest Diwali Festival at Trafalgar Square?” Akshay and Deepali, Indian-origin content creators settled in London, posted.
Also Read: Indian-origin man says ‘I’m Canadian’ to woman’s racist rant, flags ‘disturbing rise in hate’
The video opens with a text insert: “This is how we celebrate Diwali in London.” Khan says the same thing as the video, which shows a montage of celebrations from previous years. It captures the Indian diaspora dancing and singing.
"From my family to yours, Happy Diwali,” Khan says as the video ends. The event is open to all and will take place on October 27 between 1 pm and 7 pm.
Take a look at the video here:
The ugly side of social media:
“Go back to India,” an individual wrote. Another added, “That's lucky. The English aren't allowed to celebrate anything in case it causes offence.” A third posted, “I thought it was in India. This is not good.” A fourth commented, “We don't want it in our country.”
Also Read: 'Go back to where you came from': Indian man faces racism in New Zealand, shares ordeal
About the event:
“The Diwali in London (DiL) committee, in partnership with the MAYOR OF LONDON, brings Diwali On Trafalgar Square (DOTS) to London. DiL comprises of several diverse member organisations with representatives from a cross section of multicultural communities of India who work together in harmony to ensure the seamless running of DOTS,” says an official statement about the event.
