The custodial killing of George Floyd on May 25, 2020 brought systemic racism in the United States to front pages of newspapers across the world once again. The horrific circumstances of Floyd’s death are, unfortunately, far from an exception. Violence against minorities, black men in particular, has become a feature of that society. Millions of American residents have taken to the streets in protest and millions more have expressed solidarity across social media platforms. India’s celebrities and sports icons have also chosen to express their views on the state of minorities in the USA. But, what happens when minorities are at the receiving end of violence and injustice in our own country? Why do we find it so difficult to empathise and show solidarity? What are the people we put on pedestals, and regard as demi-gods, afraid of? Why do we refuse to hold our elected representatives responsible, for excesses of the state or for errors of omission and negligence, when it comes to students, women, Muslims, Christians, Dalits, Adivasis, sexual minorities and others in India? And how long will we continue to celebrate the work and lives of those who refuse to take a stand when the going gets tough in our own homes? NewsClick’s Leslie Xavier, Vaibhav Raghunandan and Siddhanth Aney debate.
