ABUJA/NEW DELHI, Mar 31:
Amid attacks on Africans in India, the Indian community in Nigeria today voiced support for Nigerians living in the country saying such a trend was “disturbing” as Africans never mistreat foreigners.
Asserting that the conception about Africa and Africans among many Indians is incorrect, the Indians living in Nigeria have strongly condemned the attacks on Nigerians in Greater Noida.
“I was deeply disturbed by the attacks on the Nigerian students in India. But I feel Indians mistreat the Africans anyway. Their conception about Africa and Africans is wrong. There has never been a case where an African has mistreated a foreigner in their country,” said Arunraj Muruganandam, who is based in Lagos for the last 15 years.
“The whole fact that we somehow feel we are superior to them is very uncomforting. Even when I first went from Nigeria, there were racist jokes played on me…I feel the Indians apart from those who have lived in Africa will never treat the Africans well,” he said over phone.
Asked if he ever felt discriminated or harassed in Nigeria, the 25-year-old mechanical engineer hailing from Chennai said, “Never. I have felt more at home here.”
Resource-rich Nigeria is a major trading partner of India having footprints of many leading Indian companies including Tata and Bharti Airtel. While over 35,000 Indians live in the East African country, around 30,000 Nigerians travel to India for education, medical tourism and business.
Nigerian students were attacked by several people during a candle-light march for a 17-year-old Indian boy, who died of suspected drug overdose last week in Greater Noida.
The boy’s parents alleged that the foreigners had kidnapped him and given him drugs which led to his death. 51-year-old Sanjeev Purwar, who has been staying in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, for over two decades, said when Indians are troubled or assaulted due to apartheid in the US, the UK or Australia all countrymen raise their voice in unison. (PTI)
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