Opinion | The surge in Anti-Indian racism and its clash with geopolitical aspirations
By Tom Fowdy
It goes without saying that under Elon Musk, Twitter, or now better known as "X" has become a cesspit of racism, far-right politics and even outright Nazi apologism. Although I disliked Jack Dorsey's management of the platform precisely because it cooperated with Anti-China organizations, and actively sought to suppress pro-Chinese voices, the platform's decline in quality under Musk has been a sight to behold which has without a doubt unleashed political instability throughout the world, especially through the return of previously banned or "no-platformed" voices. Hence, "X" got the chop in Brazil.
Amidst all unsavory things now free to circulate on the platform, I have noticed in recent months what has been a concentrated surge in Anti-Indian posting in these dark corners, which the algorithm keeps recommending to me anyway (besides rampant Anti-semitism and Holocaust denial). This brand of Anti-Indian racism is a new cultural phenomenon I have not seen before and has invented a new slur to go with it. Typically, the prejudice goes along the lines of depicting Indian people in highly unsanitary ways, openly generalizing the country's longstanding hygiene, poverty, and infrastructure problems. These insults coincide with the use of racist imagery and caricatures, both drawn in MS Paint and increasingly AI-generated.
Then, last week, a Twitter account called "Barry Stanton", a parody account run by a UK-based individual, surged on the platform after pushing an avalanche of posts targeting India. The "Barry Stanton" idea first emerged in 2017 after someone stole the unflattering, unaware selfie of a British granddad to create a satirical take on a "British racist". In the Elon Musk era, this account took on a more sincere demeanor and started ridiculing Indians on an industrial scale. The account was ultimately banned after being mass-reported by Indian nationalists on the platform, but will probably return.
This got me thinking, where did this "new generation" of Anti-Indian racism come from? In Britain at least, Indian people are viewed quite positively, especially Sikhs, and usually xenophobia and prejudice for those from the subcontinent are viewed through the cultural generalization of "Islam" and therefore targeted at Pakistanis and Bangladeshis. Due to the legacy of the Empire, the idea of "India" is still subject to a degree of romanticism in Britain. After all, our previous Prime Minister was a British-born Indian and as are several of the leading figures in the Conservative Party. This new online phenomenon is not following British public opinion at large, even if some of its participants are now British.
Instead, it is my observation that the surge in this new era of racism is in fact coming from the other side of the Atlantic, that is from the US and Canada and appears to be a direct reaction to recent waves of Indian immigration to both countries. India of course is a developing country that is now the most populous country in the world, with 1.4 billion people (having just overtaken China). India, being a lot poorer than China and also suffering immense wealth inequality, naturally finds its biggest export is people, and is seen as necessary even so much that its government actively demands other countries loosen their visa restrictions as part of free trade negotiations (something the UK has balked on).
In Canada, a country that currently has an extremely pro-immigration government, Indian annual migration has increased by 326% in the last decade, while according to Forbes, "Indian enrollment at Canadian universities rose more than 5,800% in the last two decades, from 2,181 in 2000 to 128,928 in 2021, an increase of 126,747 students." This surge in immigration may have fuelled in far-circles the new narrative of Anti-Indian sentiment. Although the Canada-Indian relationship has suffered on a bilateral level following the controversy over the assassination of a Sikh activist, one wonders if Canada's embrace of India was actively fuelled by the self-destruction of its relationship with China, and moreover the idealization of India as a new "partner" in the spirit of the so-called "Indo-Pacific?"
While this may tell part of the story, another factor may be the rise of "Indian netizens" online. As India has become more developed and gained mass internet access, as well as access to smartphones, hoards of Indian nationalists have also made their presence felt on platforms such as Twitter, which has led to many accusations being made against them. This online "social connection" represents a demographic change, one which is not quite felt by the Chinese due to government regulations creating a largely differential social media superstructure.
But this all gets me thinking, while western leaders have hailed India as a "democratic partner" and "counterweight" to China, the situation is not as comfortable or idealistic as that. I have after all always been an advocate of the theory that the West's attempts to lockstep a solid geopolitical relationship with India, as an economic and political counterweight to Beijing, will fail, precisely because New Delhi has fundamental differences to the West and its many problems cannot be taken for granted. While partnership might be a good sell in Britain, the new generation of Anti-Indian sentiment suggests that leaders might have a hard time selling closer economic, political and cultural ties with New Delhi to their own populations, especially in an era where nationalist sentiment is rising across the board.
The author is a well-seasoned writer and analyst with a large portfolio related to China topics, especially in the field of politics, international relations and more. He graduated with an Msc. in Chinese Studies from Oxford University in 2018.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
Read more articles by Tom Fowdy:
Opinion | The endgame of the Ukraine War
Opinion | Britain is moderating its China Policy, that's good news
Opinion | Black Myth Wukong, an example of how soft power is done right
Comment