The attack set off a back and forth between the Nigerian and Indian governments. On March 29, 2017, five Indian men suspected of attacking Nigerians were arrested.
The Stream, a programme on Al Jazeera has put a spotlight on the xenophobic attacks. They reached out to Nigerians in India to understand what it means to be a black person living in the Asian country.
"They see us as cannibals; they see us as prostitutes; they see us as drug addicts,” says Mina Wumbey, a Ghanaian student in Hyderabad, referring to how she feels stereotyped as an African in India. Wumbey told The Stream that not all Indians are racist, but in her experience “the majority” are.
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A Nigerian student Sadiq Bello spoke about his experience. "If you are black, they consider you as trash."
This episode of The Stream features Nigerian brothers Endurance and Precious Amalawa who were strolling with a friend through a shopping mall in a New Delhi suburb when suddenly a mob of Indian students violently assaulted them. They speak about the attack.
Indian photographer Mahesh Shantaram was also a guest on The Stream, and he speaks about racism in his country. “My experience is that it’s everywhere. I’ve met Africans all over India… and we see the same or similar incidents repeating themselves" he says.
You can watch the full video on racism in India below;
