Day after violence, African students across city speak out

‘Our image about India was shattered soon after we arrived here’

AFRICANS WHO come to India for studies usually have very romantic notions about the country, mostly inspired by Bollywood flicks, said an African software engineering student, adding that the image is gone forever the moment they land in India.

Presidoek Ugoni had come to Delhi from Nigeria to pursue a course in Engineering three years back. “On the very first day in the classroom I realised that I was an object of ridicule. They would say things in Hindi about me, which I didn’t understand but understood it well enough to realise that they were making fun of me,” said Presidoek.

“When we had first come to India a few years back, the attacks on us were mostly sporadic incidents committed by individuals. But what is happening in Greater Noida right now is scary, with mobs taking part in it,” said Ezeugo Lawrence, who is pursing a medicine degree from one of capital’s private medical colleges.

Another student also voiced similar sentiments. “There is a big gulf between Indians and Africans in terms of culture. We realise that but we have to bridge that gap. We are holding various events like cultural exchanges and cultural fests to bridge this gap and they are yielding results, but sadly that is not enough,” said the student.

An organisation of African

The media interaction came to a halt suddenly when two cops appeared at the park and asked the African students if they had taken permission to hold the press interaction

students in Delhi was interacting with the media where the students voiced concerns about severe societal bias against the entire community.

“Locals have to be sensitised. How can we engage with Indians if they continue to harbour so many stereotypes against us? We are neither cannibals, nor drug dealers,” said Samual Jack, the president of the Associations of African Students in India.

“We receive so many assurances from the government that these attacks will stop, but these are never implemented,” said Jack, a postgraduate student of Delhi University.

The media interaction came to a halt suddenly when two policemen from Vasant Kunj police station appeared in the park in Vasant Vihar and asked the African students if they had taken permission to hold the press interaction. “We have received complaints from residents of the locality, please end it,” said a policeman.