Our collective denial of racism impedes social and economic progress

The national capital region made news, once again, for all the wrong reasons. Dozens of Africans faced unprovoked and incomprehensible attacks by hundreds of Greater Noida residents, while onlookers stood by mutely. It began with the tragic death, in NSG Enclave, of 17-year-old Manish Khari: yet another young life lost to the abhorrent drug menace. Friends and sympathisers of the bereaved family, convinced that five Nigerian neighbours were responsible for his death, turned their fury on every African they encountered on the street, and in shopping malls. Police arrested, and later released the five Nigerians for lack of evidence. They have apprehended over 300 suspected attackers. Perplexingly, Greater Noida police maintain that the mob violence directed against persons of a particular race does not constitute “hate crime”.

The silver lining in the gathering storm clouds came by way of swift and firm response from Ministry of External Affairs. Minister Sushma Swaraj condemned the “deplorable” attacks on the African nationals; urged the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh to intervene; and reached out to reassure the African students’ associations. These are not mere gestures mandated by diplomatic protocol. Rather, they are a measure of Government of India’s credibility, integrity and international standing. The law of the land presumes innocence until proven guilty. Manish Khari’s parents deserve answers. So do the foreign nationals who were beaten up within inches of their lives, and have absolutely nothing to do with young Manish’s death. This situation is wrong at so many levels that one does not know where to begin. It exposes several fault-lines in India’s social and civilisational ethos: I focus on two that trouble me the most.

The first vexing issue is the rise of vigilante justice. An urgent challenge is to strengthen rule of law, and to instil public confidence in law enforcement authorities. Rumour and mob violence ought to be countered by effective intelligence-gathering, policing, and legal-judicial remedies. It is reported that CCTV cameras in NSG Enclave were broken; and there is no way to tell if the young man was last seen in the company of the African nationals, as claimed by his relatives. Technology is a friend of community policing, and should be deployed to the fullest. Civic bodies in key localities such as Greater Noida, should do more to sensitise the local population to- wards foreign residents, who are, after all, here legally on government-issued visas, and bring in revenue to local colleges, institutes, landlords and businesses. Not every African is a drug dealer, and not every drug dealer is African. Far from it.

The second, and more horrifying aspect of the situation, concerns the cultural outlook of certain Indians. It is one thing to accuse African students of drug trafficking, in itself a serious charge. It is entirely another matter to malign fellow human beings with unspeakable and inhumane accusations. The charge of “cannibalism” levelled at the five Nigerian students is shameful and unconscionable. 21st century India looks towards Mars missions, and budget space exploration. And here we have Indians reproducing 19th century colonial attitudes towards our partners in the developing world.

We are quick to denounce hate-crimes and racist attacks on Indians living abroad. Yet, we are unwilling to hold a mirror to ourselves, and reflect on how we treat foreigners in our midst. News reports tell us that not one Indian at the scene rushed to assist the besieged foreigners. What about Indian values that we always speak of? Courage, honour, tolerance, hospitality. Dr Ambedkar warned, “Indifferentism is the worst kind of disease that can affect people.” He also predicted that so long as we are unwilling to confront our bigotry and prejudice, there can be no social liberation.

India aspires to be a responsible global power. Great power status is not simply about meeting GDP targets, or about military modernisation. This is also about mobilising our civilisational and social resources in a manner that lifts our nation, and inspires others. During the 1950s and 1960s, African movements on the cusp of nationhood drew inspiration from Indian decolonisation. India stood with them in solidarity. Today, these old solidarities no longer seem to matter, and we may well be in danger of squandering all the goodwill we have accrued. Over the course of my academic and professional life, I have been privileged to interact with thousands of Africans, and without exception, they have displayed great knowledge of, and affection towards India. Most Indians do not know, or care, that “Africa” is not a country, but a vast, vibrant and diverse continent with 54 nations; each with proud traditions, anti-colonial legacies, modern entrepreneurship, and across-the-board female leadership. Much like us!

As “Make in India” takes off successfully, and even as Indian companies expand global footprints, so too must we prepare to host thousands, perhaps millions of foreign nationals who will flock to our shores, attracted by education and job prospects. And as we build Brand India abroad, we must rebuild a value-based society at home. We must recognise that as our global profile rises, we will increasingly come under scrutiny. We will be judged not only by the quality of our manufactured goods, but also by the quality of our social relations: how we treat fellow Indians and foreign nationals; how we tackle castebased discrimination and gender-based violence; and how we fulfil the promise of the Indian Constitution in terms of justice for all. Indira Ravindran is with the Faculty of International Relations, Shanghai International Studies University, China. For someone like me, who was either born in the national capital or grew up here, there are certain defining landmarks of the city and there is no denying that Regal Cinema and Building is one of the most notable amongst them. Therefore, when the management of this iconic institution decided to order its closure following irreconcilable differences in the extended Dayal family, as well as the fact that there were limitations of financial resources to upgrade it in its present form, it came as a rude shock. It is apparent that there are indelible memories related to this particular cinema hall, which also served as a theatre to host plays by famous British groups such as Geoffrey Kendal’s Shakespeareana and our own Prithvi Theatres, founded by Prithviraj Kapoor. It is well known that visiting groups from Britain would take singular pride in performing here and at the Gaiety Theatre in Shimla, the two most well known platforms for staging plays in the colonial era.

Delhi University’s former Dean of Cultural Affairs, Prof Sydney Rebeiro recounts having witnessed magic shows in the 1950s so as to illustrate that Regal was more than a cinema hall. It had the most structured seating arrangement, which enabled viewers occupying any seat to have an equally good view of the screen. This was obviously because the seating was designed keeping in mind the demands of staging plays. Raj Kapoor, due to his father’s long-standing association with the theatre, made it a point to ensure that all his productions were screened at Regal and at Moti Cinema in Chandni Chowk. No wonder the curtain closed with the final bow to the country’s greatest showman by screening his magnum opus, Mera Naam Joker and the path-breaking Sangam as the final two films on its last day.

Delhi, undoubtedly, is an exceptionally historic city. However, Regal building and the cinema symbolised its changing face after the British decided to make it their capital. Horse carriages and later cars would stop in the porch for cinegoers to alight and proceed inside through a majestic staircase leading to its balcony. The cinema complex had the well known Standard restaurant on one side, where the novelty was a juke box. In addition, espresso coffee accompanied with brownie biscuits were served in the restaurant, and Regal’s snack bar was known for its piping hot and sumptuous samosas, carted in from the walled city, as well as its indigenous wafers.

Interestingly, Regal always remained the most significant part of Connaught Place till it was disconnected from the inner circle due to the construction of the underground Palika Bazar, which encroached upon the parking area coming up on the site of the Indian Coffee House and the Theatre Communication building, around which many state emporia flourished.

Sadly, Regal’s closure reflects the graphically changing character of Connaught Place, where well known establishments are giving way to hookah bars and eateries and businesses which defy the very nature of what was once a culturally rich shopping complex. In the Regal building itself, the internationally acclaimed Gaylord restaurant has ceased to exist and many years before that shutters too were pulled down on Davicos. The corner of the building with its inter-section with Parliament Street was often called Delhi’s “Scandal Point”, inspired by how a particular place on the Mall in Shimla was referred to due to an interesting anecdotal history attached to it. The folklore was that one would run into people one had not met in years at this spot of the building.

India’s first discotheque, The Cellar, was opened at one end, along with a quaint cafe named the Parlour in the mid 1960s. School kids and collegiates would consider it an extraordinary privilege to go to The Cellar, where loud music and a dance floor beckoned them. The Parlour was sombre and solemn and this is where Delhi’s top student leaders, regardless of their political affiliations, would spend their evenings, sipping coffee and discussing current affairs. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was a regular and so were pro Congress leaders like Rohit Bal Vohra, Deepak Malhotra and Bahadur Singh, besides socialists such as Raj Kumar Jain, Lalit Mohan Gautam and Gopi Manchanda. At that time, Jaitley’s political mentor, Shriram Khanna was ever present and so was Mujib, a former president of Jamia Millia Islamia who would play a most gracious host.

The Regal building’s prominence was also highlighted by the presence of the Kwality restaurant towards Parliament Street and not to forget the western music shop, A. Godin and Sons. Gainda Mull Hemraj, a department store, with branches in Shimla and other places and a tobacconist were its integral part as was the Tea House next to Gaylords where horse racing enthusiasts would catch up on the latest betting.

Viewing a movie at the cinema meant that one could absorb the entire experience of being in Connaught Place in its entirety. A stroll in any direction showed different shades of CP. Crossing the outer circle towards the Coffee House would lead to Delhi’s first open air drive-in restaurant, The Ramble, known for its burgers and soft drinks. The winding up of Regal amplifies the fact that Connaught Place will never be the same again. Between us.