Why are Indians getting bashed in Australia?

 

The recent attacks on Indian students in Australia have left all of us angered and frustrated. Me, like most of the other concerned Indians, have been following the stories in the media regularly. And as the same as everyone else, I think it sucks.

 

I was never too fond of Australians. My first impression of the Australians was formed from the kind of cricket they played. And I cringed every time they swore their way out of crunch situations, watching the very agreeable Indians left without the correct words. Then came a time in cricket, when we started to respond, but we were so bad at it that it came to be seen that Indians were the ones that were rude. That wasn’t true of course; it’s just that centuries of politeness that has percolated through our very DNA has made it difficult for us to be aggressive both naturally and smartly. Yes, smartly. Even when the Australians are shouting curses or rubbing shoulders they have a certain way of doing it that makes it not very obvious. That comes mainly from practice. A country, whose citizens were originally conmen, prides itself with its tough ways, provocation being a way of life. And when we try to copy it, we won’t get it right initially for sure. And we did not. During the latest Indian tour to Australia, there were a number of Indians charged with disciplinary actions, Bhajji being the most notable of them all, with his animated "monkey
 remark. But, we Indians, we learn fast. Taking cue from those mistakes and with help from some young blood in the team, India kicked ass when the Kangaroos visited India this time. We not only beat them in cricket, we also beat them on their own game. Swearing.

 

And then the movie “Australia” provided some insights to their brutal cleansing of the aborigines. The “stolen generations”.  And an apology coming too late, but from none other than the Australian Prime Minister himself. And even though it says a lot, I don’t give it much weight age, because it’s just a movie.

 

 

Its quiet obvious, these attacks have become more prominent at a time when the world is reeling under recession and Australia is feeling the heat as well. To give them a fair argument, the people who commit these crimes, those illiterate bastards, they don't represent Australia. No one individual or a small group of individuals can account for a complete country. And I am sure there are a lot of good fellows down there who have a lot of goodwill for the Indians, and who condemn these acts as much as we do. But, somehow, it reflects the general state of mind of the country. The fact is that when under pressure, the Australian psyche is to resort to violence. And violence feeds and survives on hate. Which means that there has been an undercurrent of hate flowing all along. The hate that comes from a superiority complex which is deeply ingrained in their society has to come from a racist mindset. 

 

It’s not unexpected then to see the Australian ministry giving out statement after statement that the crimes are not racism based. As preposterous it is to hear such things, its quiet understandable where it is coming from. Not only does the government feel a need to preserve its image of a not-so-racist country (unlike most of the countries in Europe which are tainted beyond repair), but it comes from a certain escapism of reality that they are racist at heart. No one wants to accept they are racists. That’s the sting about racism. As much as people practice it, in public they run away from it. And it’s sick. It’s sick to see that while a man lies on his deathbed in a hospital, the government doesn’t even have enough balls to admit the real reason behind the attacks.

 

It has always wondered me why Indians are the most severe target of racism in most countries. I am in Europe currently and as much as it seems hidden, racism is extremely prevalent here. No, not like Australia. It’s not at all violent here. Well, not in Sweden at least. But, still it’s there. A lot. It’s in the eyes. I see it all the time. Day in and Day out. Travelling in buses and trains and on the streets and even at work sometimes. I see it all the time. And it’s not just a general sense of racism towards all foreign elements. There’s a different more severe hatred for us Indians. A more "special" hate, for us "special" Indians. I have always wondered why.

 

I have thought hard and this is what I could come up with. It maybe not entirely convincing, but it’s also completely undeniable. Number 1 reason is the fact that we have a huge well educated middle class that takes up premium jobs in their countries. Where people from China or Pakistan or Iraq work in low paying labour based jobs, we Indians get to walk and talk with the best in the country, in almost every field. Another reason that I could come up with is our culture, heritage and spirituality. Yes, it’s a two edge sword. They mock it and they still envy it. They know we are smart. And they don’t like it. It’s kind of difficult to explain, but it seems sometimes they almost hate us out of inferiority. Then, there is the looks factor. Indians, by far, are the worst looking of the homo-sapiens species on the planet. Among the non-whites, Chinese are fairer and almost always well dressed and fit. Africans are supremely fit and strong, a lot of times the centre of many a white women's fantasies. The middle easterners are all fair and well built. Same for the South Americans. That leaves us deformed, unhealthy, hairy, not so good looking Indians. With the weird noses and hair that smell of coconut oil. And I think in a lot of cases this is the main reason. I am not saying that all Indians working abroad are fat, hairy or baldy dressed. What I am saying is that most of them are. At least that’s what I find. When Russel Peters said in one of his acts, that Indians are the hairiest of the lot, both men and women, I realized he was not kidding. It was true. We are messy. And that generates a lot of dislike. But beyond this, I really don’t understand. I’ve just finished reading Shantaram, and it makes me feel like I belong to one of the better races in the world. To one of the special races in the world. It almost feels like a blessed race. But, the special hatred shown to Indians also makes it a specially cursed race. It sometimes gives me the feeling of belonging to a superhuman race. A race whose blessing is its curse. The pain and the pleasure of it always so mixed up, so together. 

 

But when you look at those defaced, beaten down, hurt Indians down under, it makes you go down under your skin and hide. It’s a curse you start thinking. They were bluffing about the blessing; it’s just a curse. Is it my fault that I worked my ass off through school and college to be able to study and work outside my country. To work in a better environment, to look for better opportunities. To have the “foreign dream”. Only to see the students are being attacked and Obama is trying to put an end to outsourcing? Where in the whole scheme of things did I do wrong, I am forced to ask. And I feel helpless and powerless and defenceless. I feel weak. A feeling that I am sure is shared by thousands of Indians down under. They must be feeling weak. Because they ARE weak.

 

Yes, coming to the point of the blog. The primary reasons Indians are getting attacked in Australia is because they are weak. Simply physically weak. Most of them are students. This means they belong to middle class families. Families, that tell their kids to put an additional hour into study rather go out and play some football. Families, for whom a good score in the Boards is more important than being fit. Result; a big chunk of highly motivated, intelligent, hardworking, ambitious but WEAK Indians, and this is the weakness is what they target now. The most basic of all forms of weaknesses. 

 

So, what’s the answer to the puzzle? What’s the solution you ask?

Well, join Puneet Babbar’s boot camp. Start gyming. Get strong. So that the next time a motherfucker messes up with you, you fight back. You fight back and you make sure you tell him that you are not too be messed with. For you are a special force. A special force called India.