An African ambassadors envoy, on Monday said that India has failed to take “sufficient and visible deterring measures” in protecting the African students in the country from racial attacks. The group had asked for an international inquiry into the incident wherein five students were attacked in Greater Noida. The envoy also called these attacks ‘xenophobic and racial,’ and the case was not sufficiently condemned by the Indian government officials.
Last week, the locals of Greater Noida brutally beat up five Nigerians over the death of a Class 10 student by drug overdose. The locals stereotyped the stigma of Nigerians selling drugs and attacked the five students in the Pari Chowk area. The same students were also arrested by the police as locals alleged that these Africans had sold drugs to the school kid. This issue was addressed by the Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj, and also the UP CM Adityanah Yogi. Despite official intervention, no substantial action was taken against the abusers. The whole incident was recorded and published on social media wherein there was enough proof of attacks.
Apart from grabbing headlines in India, the incident also found its way to the top of African newspapers. In relation to this, the Indian ambassador was summoned to Abuja, the capital of Nigeria, after the Indian government named the whole incident as ‘deplorable.’
The Association of African Students in India has in the last week warned the government of approaching the global media and African Union, if no action was taken. The lack of substantial action by the Indian government agitated the African envoy and decided to take the matter into their own hands and approach the UN. They also addressed the African students and asked them to not go out of their homes until the issue was resolved.
