Hate Crime in India OKAY?

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Posted: 16 years ago

I was watching NDTV this afternoon and they talked about how Biharian laborers and other low income ethnic groups are being attacked and killed etc in Mumbai???

WTF???They didn't even treat it like it was a big news. Just another Mumbai day, another poor guy beaten to death by extremists with a chance of afternoon showers.. Now if a cricketer got slapped by another then yeah that's something worth covering UGH

I think its a HUGE deal, I don't know why international media aren't covering this? It is almost a mini genocide.

My heart tied in a knot thinking that these poor people. They can't even live in their own country. Also, one time they interviewed some normal people and they were like emphathizing with the goons and racist thugs, gosh don't people have humanity anymore? They were like go back to where you are from? Umm how about all the non Mumbaians taking their business/money/resources/expertise/movie industry and shifting them elsewhere..

How about their own family who immigrated to western countries? What will they think if their relatives were beaten black and blue and told to leave their adopted homeland.. i wish i had some super power so i could teach them some lessons (definitely NOT Gandhi style heck NO)

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200467

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Posted: 16 years ago

No, hate crime is NOT okay in India. Even most mumbaiyites do not support the goons like thackreys. They know RT is hell bent on making Maharashtra another Bihar and they are opposed to the idea. Read on the editorial from TOI in today's newspaper:

Down with Raj

26 Oct 2008, 0028 hrs IST, Shobhaa De

Okay guys. Time for introspection. Raj on a rampage is news. Bad news. Raj's lock-up diet (chapattis, dal, vegetables, milk tea, bread) is not news

at all. And yet, media dished out every minute detail about Raj's short stay as a mehmaan of the Manpada police station. We were told about the bare room, the stark conditions, the change of clothes.... even how traumatic it must have been for Raj to slide out of his Merc and into a police van when he was picked up. Pages and valuable hours on TV were devoted to this meaningless info. The subtext read differently, of course. By projecting these images ad nauseum, the sense people were getting was that of an omnipotent demi-God being subjected to the rough treatment reserved for lesser mortals. In the process, Raj the Tyrant was converted into Raj the Martyr. His supporters must be jubilant. Even the canniest spin doctors from Barack Obama's camp could not have orchestrated a greater media coup. A few hours of sitting it out in a lock-up generated more national and international publicity for a man who was virtually unknown less than a year ago.

How did Mumbai react? Well, going by the raucous birthday celebrations at Chhagan Bhujbal's swanky bungalow in South Mumbai the same night (complete with laser beams and Bollywood hits from the 60s), i would say Mumbai was rocking as usual, give or take a few burnt buses and cars, several smashed windshields, stampedes, arson, rioting mobs, rock-hurling goons, shuttered shops, cowering taxi drivers and the odd Mumbaikar who stayed put watching the mayhem on TV, and imagining the entire city was burning. Apathy or a state of denial? Indifference or arrogance? Is there something wrong with all of us in this crazy megapolis? I was at a dinner party for top American lawyers where the conversation had little to do with the violence taking place just a few kilometers away and more with networking and deal making. Yes, the music from Bhujbal's birthday bash happening across the compound wall was a nuisance. But it was largely business as usual. Just one solitary voice was heard expressing anguish over the ghastly situation. It belonged to a Marathi Manoos - a prominent lawyer and Raj's neighbour at Shivaji Park. He expressed his rage at the nasty developments and repeatedly castigated Raj, saying the educated Marathi Manoos was unambiguously opposed to such goondagiri and ashamed to be tarred by the same brush. He sounded genuinely pained at the political implications, arguing that the new alliances being forged via violence and hatred, would seriously damage Mumbai's interests, commercially and culturally. But that the environment of insecurity generated by the MNS would inevitably culminate in unhealthy alignments during the coming elections.

Mumbai is at a key crossroad right now. If the average Mumbaikar keeps mum and remains a passive bystander, we will be handing over the city to unruly elements out to exploit the dreadful situation still further. As a Maharashtrian myself, I wonder where our outspoken intellectuals have disappeared? Why are they silent? I hate to think they are afraid... or worse, that they tacitly endorse what is going on in the name of protecting Maharashtrian interests. Maharashtra has always taken pride in its outstanding 'Thought Leaders'. Surrender and fear were never the options. Raj has a political objective. But what about a moral one? As I watched the disturbing coverage flashed repeatedly across international TV channels, my heart broke. For those of us who are homegrown Mumbaikars, heavily invested (emotionally and cerebrally) in this great city, we have everything at stake - most of all a sense of pride. This wanton approach to settling political scores, grabbing power, killing innocents, is both tragic and insulting. Raj's tryst with destiny (and Indian jails!) may have just begun. But Mumbai's tryst with history is far more important. We must not allow Mumbai to be cold-bloodedly bartered. Speak up! From Raj to Swaraj - let's go for it!

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We had a debate on the same line at:

https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/debate-mansion/1063425/all-talk-about-protectionism-from

Yes, some will support the goon like RT because of regional affiliations just like some biharies support Laloo but most Indians are against the gundagardi of the likes of Laaloo and thackreys. Some marathis see RT as their savior who will save them from the likes of laloos and paswans but it's amazing to see how much thackreys resemble Laloo in their speech, thinking and actions. God knows when people will realize they all are the chips of the same block😆

Edited by Gauri_3 - 16 years ago

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SholaJoBhadkey

@SholaJoBhadkey

Dazzler

Posted: 16 years ago

Here's another excellent one from the same paper!

INDIASPORA

A comedy of terrors

26 Oct 2008, 0046 hrs IST, Chidanand Rajghatta

Text:

Raj Thackeray probably hasn't heard or maybe just doesn't care that the US is now certifiably in a recession. As we are discovering quickly, this is

not an exclusively American problem. The decoupling theory - that what happens in the US does not affect India - has been effectively busted. We can feel the heat of the American slowdown in the seat of our pants. Pink slips in Pune will follow lay-offs in Los Angeles as surely as night follows day.

Eventually, the man who seems to wear a sweater even in summer might find that Maharashtra's cotton farmers are feeling the heat, too, because folks from Manhattan and Monterrey aren't buying enough T-shirts. They aren't buying much of anything because many of them are losing their jobs to immigrants, including to white collar folks from distant Mumbai and Pune. All this is probably very difficult to follow for the mob, but hey, it's called a circle.

There are two ways people here handle the misfortune of job loss and displacement. The smart ones re-train, re-locate, and recalibrate their lives, turning adversity into advantage. The merely smart-assy ones vent - with words. Either way, so far they haven't gone around beating up foreigners/immigrants/outsiders and burning buses and trains. Such behaviour is left to retards.

Nearly a decade after the flames of outsourcing began licking at the edges of American economy, venting against the trend is now a small-scale industry. A proliferation of bumper stickers, coffee mugs, sweat shirts, and lapel buttons fume about job loss in the US. From the plaintive 'Please Help Stop Outsourcing' to the inviting 'Kiss Me, I'm Outsourced,' American unemployment discourse is a babble of whiny or angry or funny anti-outsourcing slogans.

'I trained the newly hired and i became the newly fired,' reads one T-shirt slogan with resignation, while another reminisces, 'I'm so old i remember when America made things.' Coffee mugs and bumper stickers urge outsourcing of the White House, Congress, and Bush, among other pet hates. Some slogans could serve to promote employment tourism to India. 'My Job Went to India. Unfortunately i am Still Here,' reads one. Another says: 'India - The Exotic Land of Your Outsourced Jobs.'

People of Indian origin are also getting into the act. 'Indian-American - The Best of Both Worlds' reads one recent poster. A community which once wailed about getting mugged, now boldly wears a T-shirt that reads: 'INDIAN (Dots, not Feathers).' Another one urges, 'Kiss Me, I'm A Patel.' And as if in response to a recent case of discrimination where Indians were denied rental accommodation on account of their spice-laden cooking, there's a new poster which reads, 'If You Can't Stand the Curry, Get Out of my Kitchen.'

The coolest reaction has come in response to the Macaca episode, where an Indian-American activist was called an ape. One outlet is now cranking out merchandise capitalising on the incident. 'Virginia is for Macacas,' reads one T-shirt, spoofing the state's slogan, 'Virginia is for Lovers.' Another shows a monkey with the caption, 'Virginian Macaca against Allen' (the Senator who made the inflammatory remark). There's a poster with a map of India under the slogan, 'I'm from Macaca.' My favourite: A poster showing a chimp hanging from a tree above a caption that reads, 'Swing Vote.' Clever.

Such sang-froid should come easily to India, a country which is even more plural than the US and whose signature is peace and tolerance. But somehow violence and bloodletting - burning buses and trains, and attacking "outsiders" - has become our hallmark. Staying cool is too much effort for our frenzied resident macacas - our maakads, bandars, and kothees. It's easier to light a fire and watch the world burn. Never mind if it eventually consumes them.

Edited by SholaJoBhadkey - 16 years ago

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chal_phek_mat

@chal_phek_mat

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Posted: 16 years ago

India is a deeply divided country based upon religion, caste , region amongst other things, literally and figuratively. The terminology of what is allowable actions and not allowable actions is based upon which side of the fence you are on.

If a person of one religion threatens to shoot up a town/bus and actually does it, he is considered a terrorist. But if the person happens to be of another religion he is not termed as terrorist, he is called a misguided youth and people try to find reasons to justify it. In the western world both the acts would be termed as Terrorism, but in India they are not.

If people of one caste get together, do sloganeering against people of another caste, it is considered vote bank politics, but done the reverse it is considered hate crime by some. In the western world it is considered discrimination and hate speech.

If someone is called a monkey in Virginia, it is considered hate speech. But if some Indian calls someone of another race, it is considered ok.

If people in one region are beaten up discriminated against based upon their region, that is hate crime. But same done in another region it is normal.

Honestly throughout my stay in India I have lost count of number of times people being getting beaten up for things that other people wont just because they happened to be of some religion/region or caste.

Hate crime is normal in India, not Okay, but the routine nature takes away the normal cringe you get out of a Hate crime

Again I am not justifying, but it is like a Bomb going off and killing people, it is a big deal if it happens once in a while vs it happens every 3-6 months and then you get used to it as a fact of life

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200467

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Posted: 16 years ago

Looks like a good way to keep the head goons in check.😊 Read on.......

Wages Of Violence

29 Oct 2008, 0000 hrs IST

Last week, the Maharashtra government moved with uncharacteristic speed to promulgate an ordinance which seeks to make rioters pay for damage to

public and private property. Its hand was undoubtedly forced by outpourings of anger in the Lok Sabha as well as the Mumbai street for being soft on MNS vandals who had brought the city to a halt following Raj Thackeray's arrest. Whatever the compulsions, a law of this kind is overdue.

For far too long, political cadres have got away with wanton destruction of public and private property in the brazen knowledge that they will not be held accountable. This misguided sense of entitlement needs to be broken. MNS cadres, who burnt and smashed hundreds of BEST and State Transport buses, taxis and autorickshaws, may have got away because the new law cannot be applied with retrospective effect. But henceforth, it can be used by the Collector to assess the quantum of damage and extract compensation for the thuggery.

Cracking down on politically sponsored violence with a stiff financial penalty carries forward the landmark 2005
judgment of the Bombay high court penalising the Shiv Sena and BJP for a citywide bandh on the grounds that it infringed on the citizen?s right to livelihood. The fine of Rs 20 lakh that the two parties had to pay may seem like small change, but the fact is it did hit home?they have not called a bandh since. If the bandh is a source of terror, even more so are marauding mobs on the prowl. Damaging cabs, smashing storefronts and defacing movie marquees has to stop?no matter what the grievance. Such soft targets need to be protected from lawlessness, as does the working class, always among the hardest hit.

Ironically, it is not the MNS but the NCP, whose home minister spearheaded the ordinance, that is the first victim. It has been fined Rs 20,000 for ransacking a Vishwa Hindu Parishad office in Nashik. This effectively indicates that political violence is not the preserve of any one party?though some, notably the Shiv Sena and the MNS, have turned it into their calling card.

However nominal the penalty, it should serve as a salutary warning to all parties to rein in their so-called 'activists'. The sooner we turn into a zero-tolerance society, the easier it will be to restore law and order to our streets.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Columnists/Shobhaa_De/Politically

_Incorrect/Wages_Of_Violence/articleshow/3649698.cms

Edited by Gauri_3 - 16 years ago

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200467

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Posted: 16 years ago

Six arrested for lynching UP man in Mumbai

30 Oct 2008, 1600 hrs IST, AGENCIES

MUMBAI: Six persons were on Thursday arrested in connection with the murder of an Uttar Pradesh migrant in a suburban local train here, a senior

Government Railway Police officer said. ( )

The six arrested have been identified as Vikas Dattu Waghmare (26), Manoj Ramdas Palande (30), Avinash Narhari Thombre (24), Ajay Dilip Hadap (18), Sanjay Hadap (18) and Ketan Kashinath Hadap (23), Additional Director General of Police (GRP) K P Raghuvanshi said.

"All the six were produced in the railway court in Kalyan today and they were remanded to police custody till November 3," Raghuvanshi said.

The incident was not a "hate crime" but it was a thing that happened on the spur of the moment, he said.

He also said that all the six arrested have no political affiliation.

On Wednesday, the GRP, which takes orders from the railway ministry, detained 20 people in connection with Tuesday's violence.

The Maharashtra government has tried to downplay the lynching of the UP labourer, saying it wasn't a hate crime against north Indians, amid reports that some of them could be from Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.

The victim, Dharamdev Rai (25), was on a Victoria Terminus-bound local train from Khopoli along with his three friends on Tuesday when a group of 10-12 Marathi-speaking youths attacked them. The four were on their way to catch a train home to UP for the Diwali holidays.

As the incident - coming close on the heels of Mumbai cops gunning down Patna man Rahul Raj in a BEST bus - increased pressure on the Maharashtra government to stop violence against north Indians , deputy CM R R Patil said initial reports suggested there was nothing to indicate that the attackers targeted the men for being north Indians.

When we catch the culprits, we will find the real reason for the murder. But initial reports suggest that nobody shouted any slogan in support of Marathis or any outfit or any leader, said Patil. He, however, announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the victim.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/6_in_police_remand_for_

lynching_UP_man_on_Mumbai_train/articleshow/3654147.cms

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This is the perfect exampleof the aftermath of rabid ramblings of RT and Laloo...bloody politics at its worst. The police claims "there was nothing to indicate that the attackers targeted the men for being north indians". How come no one else, i.e., not even a single marathi got hurt in this whole ordeal............food for thought😉 What exactly happened that instigated the "spur of the moment" reaction from the non-politically affiliated marathi youths?

I feel bad when I see a whole generation going down the drain - whether it's marathi, bihari, north indian, or south indian young generation. Politicians/wanna be politicians are ruining one whole generation and possibly the next generation after this as well. Think about that 14 month old daughter of the north indian man killed right before diwali. You really think she'll grow up keeping an open mind about the marathis? This is how the madness keeps on going in a never ending loop. Pathetic...isn't it.

Edited by Gauri_3 - 16 years ago