This country article describes the struggles of being a young African student in modern day India. The article starts off by describing how the death of an Indian teenager in a city on the outskirts of New Delhi caused a local mob to severely beat and injure a Nigerian student who was studying in the same area, even though there was no clear evidence linking the Nigerian to the Indian teenager’s death. The article then describes similar violent attacks against African students that have recently taken place. The discussion then shifts to explaining how African students often come to India in pursuit of affordable higher education, but often struggle to find acceptance within Indian society due to long-standing stereotypes and stigma, which all too often boil over into violence.
This article relates to my country because it is a case study showcasing India’s overall problem with a rigid social structure that encourages stigma and leaves very little room for acceptance and growth. The fact that the African students look physically different from the average Indian and come from a completely different culture means they will always struggle to fit into the uncompromising social structure of India. This kind of inflexible mentality is at the root of many other societal problems, including the lack of women’s rights, homophobia, and the increasing rates of drug addiction in urban centers.
(Roy, 2017)
This article describes a recent development in the turbulent India-Pakistan relationship. A recent United States offer to help de-escalate tensions between the two nations was rejected by India but welcomed by Pakistan. These decisions have followed a recent trend where Pakistan has welcomed third party international help and mediation on disputes, while India maintains that the issues are solely between the two countries and must be resolved bilaterally. India is also adamant that what it sees as terrorist attacks and violent incursions on Indian soil by Pakistan must stop before any sort of significant negotiations can begin.
This article relates to my country because it showcases the latest development in the India-Pakistan relationship that is such a massive part of India’s history, culture, and foreign policy. It shows how the relationship is still very uneasy and full of tension, and highlights the difficulty in getting both sides to even start to negotiate at the same table, much less actually reach an agreement for peace. This really gives a picture of India’s complicated foreign policy issues, and emphasizes how delicate the India-Pakistan relationship is as a subject.
(Press Trust of India (PTI), 2015)