I recently joined Cookie (formerly known as 9chat), which is an extension of 9chat where people from different countries can chat, ask questions, post pictures, share jokes, etc. As I went through a couple of posts, I was surprised to see a great deal of hostility shown towards Indians. Initially, I dismissed it as racism but eventually saw that people from all countries seem to target Indians.
I then decided to ask a question of my own. I posted a question asking why people were so hostile with Indians. The reply I got, left me both embarrassed and angry. All the replies I got referred to Indians as ‘thirsty’. Apparently, we Indians, especially the males have made quite a name for ourselves on such apps. For once, instead of arguing with the people, I asked them why they referred to Indians as ‘thirsty’. I was asked to open a picture posted by any woman on 9chat.
I was horrified when I discovered the comments posted by Indian men. As I browsed through the comments, I had more replies to the question I had asked. The replies included that it was because I belonged to a ‘backward’ country that fails to produce ‘normal’ men. I apologised on behalf of the ‘thirsty’ men and assured them that not all India men are vile.
It is an embarrassment, to say the least, that in a country where people pray to goddesses, many women are at the receiving end of abuse, and recent cases of rape and molestation have not helped our global image. Unfortunately, I could understand the root causes of the problem but could not find a permanent solution. There are steps that can be taken but they are either too impractical or too minor. So, I urge the readers of this post to come up with solutions, if they can.
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Image used for representational purposes only.