We Indians love to discriminate amongst ourselves on the grounds of caste, religion, colour, creed and region even though it is prohibited under law. However, Indians from the Northeast are subjected to racism and often called ‘chinkies’ or ‘Chinese’ for their looks that differ from the rest of the population. Amid the coronavirus crisis in the country, this racism against them has grown manifold and actor and singer Meiyang Chang is the latest to have been subjected to racism.
The former Indian Idol contestant-turned actor recalled a recent incident when two men sped past him on a bike as he was jogging near his home in Mumbai, screamed ‘corona’ and laughed. Chang told a leading daily in an interview that while he has often been a target of such racist comments, such incidents have become more frequent amid the Coronavirus pandemic. He said, “I go for a jog every day near my house in Mumbai. The other day, two guys sped past me on a bike, screaming ‘corona’ and laughing. I wanted to scream back and hurl the choicest of gaalis, but I didn’t see any point in it. How do you punish people for their stupidity or ignorance? Over the years, I have become used to these comments and yes, they are hurtful. I try to move on and be optimistic, but it does affect you. I have been called Chinese, Chinki and Nepali in the past. I feel that as a country, we are casually racist, be it on the basis of colour, caste, or ethnicity.”
He said, “Of late, my friends have been teasing me saying, ‘Chang se door raho’. Of course, I know that they don’t mean any harm and there’s no ulterior motive; it’s all in good fun. Trouble starts when random people do it with malicious intent. Just a few days ago, I had complimented a friend on Instagram, but a few guys who had nothing to do with me or her, called me ‘coronavirus’ in the comments section. I took a screenshot of those comments, blurred their names as I don’t believe in public shaming, and shared it on my page. Later, they apologized to me and I let it pass.”
He also said that he understands people’s curiosity about his looks but it hurts when they resort to name-calling. He takes pride in his Indian identity and his Chinese roots. He said, Three generations of my family were born in India. I was born in Dhanbad (Jharkhand). My ancestors were Chinese, and we have their genes. How can I hide that and why should I? I don’t mind the curiosity at all. When I was in boarding school, initially, I used to take offence when people asked me if I was Nepali, Chinese or Japanese. Over time, I realised that I look different. I have oriental features and people are just curious. I am Indian and my genes, Chinese. I call myself Indian-Chinese. Those who take pleasure in calling me Chinese, please continue to do so, but don’t forget to add Indian before that. I expect a little sensitivity from people, especially when the world is fighting a pandemic.”
The hate coming Chang’s way is because Coronavirus started in China and US President Donald Trump addressed is as the ‘Chinese Virus’ in one of his press conferences. The Coronavirus has wreaked havoc around the world and is still going strong even though tough measures have been taken by the governments of several countries.
(Source: Bombay Times)
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