A video of a woman sitting on the floor of a Canadian railway station has sparked anti-India hate messages, despite there being no confirmation of the woman’s ethnicity or citizenship. The video gained attention after it was posted on X (formerly Twitter) with an inflammatory caption suggesting that the woman was begging for alms.
“Indian lady spotted begging at a Canadian station,” read the caption on X. “At home, they depend on alimony and abroad the freebie mindset shows up as begging!”
The on-screen caption on the video seemed to confirm this narrative. “Viral video: Young lady begging at Canadian station. Didi visa lekar bhikh mangne gyi hai (Sister has taken a visa to go abroad and beg),” the on-screen caption said.
What does the video show?
The video opens with a shot of the woman sitting on the floor of a railway station. The woman – a brunette – seems to be dressed nicely in a top, skirt and what appears to be a designer bag. She holds the outer cover of a Pampers diaper pack in her hand.
When the unidentified woman noticed she was being filmed, she held up the Pampers packet to cover her face. As the cameraman kept moving the camera in an effort to capture her face, the woman eventually got up and left.
{{/usCountry}}When the unidentified woman noticed she was being filmed, she held up the Pampers packet to cover her face. As the cameraman kept moving the camera in an effort to capture her face, the woman eventually got up and left.
{{/usCountry}}It is not clear from the 20-second clip whether the woman was begging or just sitting on the floor.
Where did the incident take place?
The signage in the video indicates that it was filmed in Canada, although there has been no confirmation from official sources.
At one point in the clip, an overhead sign can be seen that reads “Vaughan”. Vaughan is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located just north of Toronto.
The Vaughan Metropolitan Centre (VMC) station is on Line 1 (Yonge–University line) of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) subway in Canada.
How did the internet react to the video?
The footage sparked anger against Indians, even as some defended the woman and others wondered whether the video was staged. (Also read: Canadian woman claims she was refused apartment in Canada for not being ‘Gujarati Indian’)
“Indian women should be deported from foreign countries,” read one comment on X. “Canada is importing beggars from India,” another person added.
Some rose to defend the woman and asked why she was filmed without consent.
“Is this legal in Canada to film anyone like this without any permission?” an Instagram user asked.
“Instead of capturing her videos one should have chalked out some plan for her wellbeing back there,” another said.
"How do you know she is an Indian? Are you aware that South Asians look alike? Apparently, she is a Sri Lankan and NOT and Indian," an X user added.