Racism in the Modern Day A belief in superiority of a particular race and prejudice based on this.

This is how the Oxford Dictionary defines Racism. Racism is a blot on society that has transgressed mankind over hundreds of years. Its concept has evolved over the years and has now become somewhat of a catchword for any kind of injustice or prejudice based on Race, origin, colour and culture, which are also the key factors in defragmenting the human society hence leading to Racism. The present times have seen a variety of racist incidents which not only signify the lack of understanding people have but also indicate the belief among certain people that they are superior over certain others. Take the recent attacks on students in Australia for instance. To quote Baljinder Singh, a victim of the recent 'racial' attack on Indian students in Australia: "My advice to every Indian student now, who wants to come to Australia, is please don't come and there's no life here." This statement given by Baljinder is quite justified. Particularly in the light of his horrific ordeal, he recounted: "I was very scared to see the knives. They asked me if I had any money. I told them to hang on, as I looked for my purse in my bag, which was very messy... In the first five seconds, one of the guys stabbed me in my stomach. I just fell down on the floor." This example is just one of the countless many that Indian students have had to suffer at the hands of natives in Australia who have clearly exhibited a lack of tolerance towards their fellow students and even more to their fellow human beings. Racism is a simmering phenomenon not just in Australia, but also in other countries like the US and the UK which are championing globalisation. For them, globalisation means the free mobility of capital to usurp the land and livelihood of people of developing countries; it has never meant the free movement of labour to their countries. Predictably, in the wake of the current economic recession spawned by their disastrous policies, we are seeing a renewed offensive of Racism against migrant workers from the Third World in these countries from attacks on Sikh cab drivers and retrenchment of Asian teachers in the US, to Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown's call for British jobs for British people, the drum of Racism is clearly being beaten by the ruling class to divert and mislead the anxiety of the working class in the face of recession. Cultural difference between various communities was one of the reasons for abetting Racism. With increasing migration and settlement worldwide, societies have tried to bind themselves together by inculcating different cultures and traditions and this is one of the reasons which has influenced hatred and eventually given rise to Racism. This can be explained with the recent examples of Asians been targeted in the western world. Asians are attacked because they have different culture and when they settle in the western world they bring uneasiness to western lifestyle, leading to Racism. Skin colour is another factor which has influenced Racism. Though subconsciously humans have the tendency to relate things with each other, colour is one of those factors. Africans are targeted because they are black and human conscience considers black to be related to bad or evil. Thus they have been victims of Racism from the white community, as they consider themselves to be superior to blacks. It can also be noted that origin and caste of people also plays a significant role in influencing Racism. In countries like India, particularly where different communities co-exist, there seems to be a divide between them the basis of faith and caste. People of upper cast will never rub shoulders with the lower cast ones. Eventually there is divide in the communities. Although with education, literacy levels have increased, yet the divides from ages among

different communities still exist based on Racism. It is clear from the aforementioned points that Racism has now become a social evil that not only has taken up deep roots within our communities but has now begun to influence our daily lives as well. Another example can be cited from the incidents that took place in Jena high School, Louisiana on Sep 6th, 2007. This was a case of six black boys, who face lifetime jail sentences for an alleged assault on a white peer. Almost a year ago to the date, in the small northern Louisiana town of Jena, a group of white students hung three nooses from a tree in front of Jena High School. The nooses were hung after a black student asked permission to sit under a tree that had been reserved by tradition for white students only. In response to the three nooses, nearly every black student in the school stood under the tree in a spontaneous and powerful act of nonviolent protest. The town's district attorney quickly arrived, flanked by police officers, and told the black students to stop making such a big deal over the nooses, which school officials termed to be a "harmless prank." The school assembly, like the schoolyard where all of this had begun, was divided by race, with the black students on one side and the white students on the other. Directing his remarks to the black students, District Attorney Reed Walters said, "I can make your lives disappear with a stroke of a pen." The white students who confessed to hanging the nooses never received any meaningful punishment, nor did the white students who months later beat up a black student at a school party, nor did the white former student who threatened two black students with a shotgun. But, after these incidents, when black students got into a fight with a white student, six Black youths were charged with attempted murder, and now face a lifetime in prison. The Black students may not have been involved in the fight, but they were known to be organizers of the protest under the tree. The white student was briefly hospitalized, but had no major injuries and was socializing with friends at a school ring ceremony the evening of the fight. This appalling tale of gross injustice is again one of the many that black people in the Americas have had to take but what is really shocking is how the racial slur has taken roots into the children of white families and the treatment they lend out to their own fellow peers is a harsh reminder of how badly the world today is affected by Racial tensions. Recent times have seen Racism kick into sports as well. In English Soccer, during a League Cup match between Blackpool and Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium on 22 September 2009, Blackpool player Jason Euell, who at the time was sat on the substitutes bench was racially abused by a Stoke fan, who was ejected from the stadium and subsequently arrested by Staffordshire Police, before being released pending inquiries. Euell, who received an official apology from Stoke City, later said: It did hurt. I felt I had to stand up for all colours and creeds and show that we won't accept it. I'm proud that I made a stand. It was a shock to hear what came out of the guy's mouth. Racism in football is not dead and buried but it's still a shock to hear that kind of thing in close proximity. There were people near the idiot who didn't agree with it, but there were others who turned a blind eye, which was disappointing. Racism, in any form is wrong and the time has come to tackle the problem unequivocally. It is necessary to kick Racism out of sports because it is intolerable. The skin colour, origin or nationality of athletes should no longer be cause for mockery and taunts from a small handful of individuals who are, unfortunately, responsible for bringing utterly intolerable attitudes into the game and who prevent the vast majority of supporters from enjoying their sport. At the end of it all we see that Racism is morally and socially wrong. The more we realize

that we are all of one blood, the more peace, freedom, and opportunity all people in the world will have. Even though Racism is wrong, it is still being practiced, in our country and in others. Id like to end with a quote by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. : "Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and that in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty."

David Deka 1st year Economics Hons.