The North-South divide in India is an ongoing dialog — woven into political rhetoric, joke punchlines, and on a regular basis discussions. Whereas typically rooted in regional pleasure, it could possibly generally reveal deeper societal biases. Lately, a Reddit person shared a private expertise, claiming, “North Indians simply power others to dwell like them.”
In a prolonged put up, the person recounted experiences of discrimination confronted as a South Indian dwelling in Maharashtra and later in Delhi. “In my entire life, I barely met 10-15 individuals who didn’t bully me for being South Indian,” they wrote. They recalled an incident from eighth grade the place a trainer singled out South Indian college students, solely to mock them: “She mentioned, ‘Please don’t discuss in my class or in teams since you guys make the identical noise as once you fill rocks in a tin can.’”
The person additional described the cultural alienation they felt, from being mocked for his or her language and flicks to even being ridiculed for consuming with their fingers. “You guys made enjoyable of every part. And the worst half? The identical individuals who instructed us to ‘return’ compelled us to be taught Hindi, compelled us to adapt, and nonetheless bullied us for being South Indian,” they shared.
The put up struck a chord with many, main others to share related experiences. “I lived in Delhi throughout my childhood and was bullied for being South Indian. My Hindi is rattling good, however I nonetheless confronted points,” one commenter wrote. One other added, “That is precisely why I refuse to be taught Hindi. Even in the event you communicate it fluently, you’re nonetheless an outsider.”
One person recounted dealing with racism even in an internet gaming session. “I used to be taking part in Valorant, and the second my teammate spoke Malayalam, the chat was stuffed with ‘Dosa, idly, sambar, chutney’ spam. It’s only a recreation, however youngsters behaving this fashion worries me about India’s future.”
Nevertheless, some identified that the bias is just not one-sided. A Bihari person shared their very own struggles with discrimination in South India: “I’ve confronted racism too. Some on this thread even. Racists exist in all places — we simply have to take the upper highway.”
A Bengali person dwelling in North India echoed related sentiments, alleging that individuals made derogatory remarks about their tradition and ladies. “North Indians are most likely among the most racist individuals on the planet, and it’s hilarious once they cry about being referred to as out.”