The North-South divide in India is an ongoing dialog — woven into political rhetoric, joke punchlines, and on a regular basis discussions. Whereas usually rooted in regional satisfaction, it might probably typically reveal deeper societal biases. Not too long ago, a Reddit consumer shared a private expertise, claiming, “North Indians simply power others to reside like them.”
In a prolonged put up, the consumer 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 stated, ‘Please don’t speak in my class or in teams since you guys make the identical noise as once you fill rocks in a tin can.’”
The consumer additional described the cultural alienation they felt, from being mocked for his or her language and films to even being ridiculed for consuming with their arms. “You guys made enjoyable of the whole lot. And the worst half? The identical individuals who instructed us to ‘return’ pressured us to be taught Hindi, pressured 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 comparable 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 for those who converse it fluently, you’re nonetheless an outsider.”
One consumer recounted going through 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 full of ‘Dosa, idly, sambar, chutney’ spam. It’s only a sport, however youngsters behaving this fashion worries me about India’s future.”
Nevertheless, some identified that the bias just isn’t one-sided. A Bihari consumer 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 street.”
A Bengali consumer dwelling in North India echoed comparable sentiments, alleging that individuals made derogatory remarks about their tradition and ladies. “North Indians are in all probability a number of the most racist folks on this planet, and it’s hilarious once they cry about being referred to as out.”
