Two African Students Assaulted at Roorkee Institute of Technology

Trigger warning: Videos below contain disturbing visuals of violence

Two African students were brutally assaulted by security guards at the Roorkee Institute of Technology in Haridwar, Uttarakhand on 15 July 2020. The students were dragged out of the hostel and their clothes were torn. Videos show the students forcibly being dragged on the floor and more than 10 guards can be seen beating up and assaulting the two students.

This incident occurred after there was allegedly an argument between the students and the guards when the two African nationals were asked to vacate their hostel rooms. The Institute has stated that the students were given notice to vacate the hostel a week ago, but failed to comply with the lockdown-related rules of the college. It has been alleged that the Institute hired 30 men to beat up the international students and force them to vacate the premises.

After more than 200 Indian students extended support to these students, an FIR was registered by the police. The local police have reportedly arrested 6 people for this assault on the students. It is unclear whether or not the students have been rusticated from the college.

This is not an isolated instance of such violence against Africans in India. Racist attitudes towards Blacks are widely prevalent within the country. Previously, in 2017, four Nigerians were attacked near a mall in Greater Noida. Another incident of hostility towards Blacks was reported when two African women were shouted down by a group of men in the Delhi Metro in 2017. An African professor in Delhi pointed out, “India is a racist country. Indians are not ready to accept foreigners, especially those from Africa.”

Many have pointed out the hypocrisy of upper caste Indians condemning the death of George Floyd in America and tweeting ‘#BlackLivesMatter’ while continuing to perpetuate casteist and racist violence within India.

Read Next: Black Lives Matter: Protests Across US Over the Murder of George Floyd

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March 2024
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