Feneck Mgawa, a 39-year-old mechanic from Malawi, came to South Africa 18 months ago. He owned a box of tools and got work right away, living modestly in a hovel in a squatter’s camp and sending cash home each month to his wife and two children.
He was exactly the kind of foreigner the hateful mob wanted to kill.
Last weekend, the marauders came to his shack and looked him over. Just to be sure they were not misdirecting their rage, they asked, “Are you a foreigner?” He spoke enough Zulu to lie, but what was the use? His accent would have given him away. He escaped with his life only after being beaten with sticks and pelted with rocks, he said.
Mr. Mgawa is now one of 6,000 immigrants displaced in recent days by xenophobic violence here in Reiger Park, just east of Johannesburg. Like many of the others, he is afraid to return to his shack or go to his job. He sleeps on the floor of a church and eats sandwiches and porridge donated by South Africans who are appalled at the murderous behavior of their countrymen. More from NY Times
They could well be talking of Bombay. Ten years of peace since 1992 is causing an annoying itch in some crotches. Unfortunately, we are more than willing to lend our scratching services to such "leaders", deliberately deluded that the growing xenophobia in all parts of India will somehow benefit us....
Welcome to Fool's Paradise. Mr.Thackeray and Mr.Gowda will be your hosts for the evening. Enjoy your Porridge and Bread.
.jpg)
3 comments:
Ohh yes..even if there is no xenophobia , our so called leaders are doing enough to create.
unlike our neighbors Burma, Pakistan and even Nepal, India has had a LOT more peaceful existence since 1947. it is a pity that clue-less leaders are hell-bent on changing that. ironically, selling hate in the name of "patriotism"
the spooky part, when you talk to the man on the street, whether the auto-driver or cloth-merchnat, is that he is BUYING into it...
:(
you know even your cynicism can be contagious...
hopefully people will indeed see through all this sham and know whats good for them.
yeah... hope i still do...
Post a Comment