By labelling the mob attack on a Tanzanian woman in Bengaluru as racism we run the risk of diluting the real nature of the crime committed. The woman was beaten up after a Sudanese man drove over and killed a woman. An incident like this would have enraged locals anywhere in India and there have been several cases of drivers and car occupants being beaten up. More often than not, members of the mob get away with it because police take little interest in the case and this is the genesis of the problem. In Bengaluru, the mob assumed that all dark-skinned people come from the same country or continent and one cannot and should not convert their lack of geography into racism. Many of us would have a problem identifying members of other races or telling who is a Tanzanian or a Nigerian, just like many foreigners would be unable to differentiate between a Maharashtrian or a Rajasthani. Earlier reports had suggested that the woman was stripped naked and paraded, but that is not the case. The Bengaluru police must stop making attempts to play down the incident and launch a thorough investigation so that the truth is uncovered and the guilty punished. Anything short of this would strengthen the chance of it being repeated.
