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The Color of Hate: A brief history of racist attacks against African nationals in India



How many Indian students studying abroad, had to face a post like this on facebook, none will be the obvious answer. Yet, this is a reality faced by Africans in India.

The Indian obsession with lighter skin colour is a billion dollar reality evident from the worth of the Indian fairness cream market which is more than Rs. 3000 crores.This obsession, however, is manifesting in several unimaginable ways especially over the African community living in India.

African nationals, mostly comprising of students and medical tourists, are served a differential treatment by the Indian public most of the times. They are often typecasted into being drug peddlers and prostitutes. They are attacked and abused on a daily basis in the country.

Scaringly most of the attacks were led by unruly mobs who unleash violence without any humanistic regard. Added to this list are the unnatural deaths of African nationals which are often dismissed as drug overdose deaths or accident deaths, the recent mysterious death of a Nigerian garment merchant is still on the hooks for contradictory statements from the police.

Let us look at the history of such occurrences in the recent past

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