Thread by @TheAtulMishra

#KarlRock is innocent because he looks different – a thread
I went to Bali in 2019. It was a nice short tour. I was returning from the Tanah Lot temple(a Vishnu temple), when I chanced upon an Indian couple, newly married, possibly honeymooners chattering in thick Punjabi accent.

They were clicking selfies. But that’s what every traveler does, right? But those guys were a little different.

An all Caucasian group comprising of half a dozen girls and around 8 guys was loitering around the temple. But they were strictly minding their work. The Indian couple went to them and started getting chatty.

The Desi Honeymooners wanted to get a pic with the group. A selfie with a Caucasian group was some sort of a memorabilia for them. When they were turned down, they looked crestfallen.

As an Indian, I was embarrassed, to say the least. The honeymooners quickly got busy clicking pictures again. But there is another story.

And this was narrated to me by my wife. She was in Delhi Metro. A white couple boarded the train at the Hauz Khas station. The train was packed to capacity. So the couple quietly stood near the gate.

Suddenly a man who was very calm all this while walks up to the couple and the following communication ensued:

“First time in India sir madam”
“No, we have been here before”
“Ok Ok, Delhi very nice place, visit Qutub Minar, very nice place”
“Sure”
“Any problem here sir”
“No”
“You can let me know, I can help”
“No thank you”
<Awkward silence>

“India weather very bad sir>
“hmm”
“you carry sun lotion, Ok?”
“sure”
<Awkward silence>

The man kept pestering the couple for 15 mins straight. The couple got down after a couple of stations. The man kept smiling and looking at them, then magically transformed to a calm guy as soon as the train sped away.

We were under the British rule for a long time and looks like the long period of suppression and servility has done a permanent damage. The awe of the white skin is still to leave us. And therefore some of us behave like complete nincompoops when white people are around.

And one doesn’t need to see it physically to understand this behavior. If a video so much as mentions India, droves of Indians raid the comment section to “thank” the uploader.

Karl Rice, known online as Karl Rock, is a Vlogger from New Zealand. He has quite a following in India because he is a “Gora” and can speak cutesy Hindi. He stormed to news headlines recently when he was blacklisted by the Modi government.

Karl protested the Indian government for the “Draconian CAA and NRC” laws. Foreign nationals are not allowed to engage in protests or political activities in India. Only Indian citizens are permitted to do so.

Violation of this restriction can attract provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 and the Foreigners (Amendment) Act, 2004. Additionally, He and his Indian wife also talked ill about Shri Krishna and called him a Womanizer.

Karl, while ranting in a video, said that the Indian gov stopped him from returning to India by unfairly adding his name to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ blacklist. “I left India to go travel Dubai and Pakistan in Oct 2020 and upon leaving they cancelled my visa at the airport.

But Brown followers of the white vlogger soon descended upon Social Media to protest their brown government. Some of their arguments were:

He promoted tourism in India vro
He warns us Against Scammers vro
He loves India na vro

While branded liberals supported him for purely political reasons, most of the Desi Janata supported him because he was a white guy, giving India the validation that they have always pined for.

It’s purely race that’s driving this absurd behavior. The lack of self-respect, lack of a strong sense of nationalism, and inherent pride in their customs, roots and culture is appalling.

India could become the biggest economic power of the world. India can become the biggest military superpower but till the time we don’t stop prostrating before the foreigners, all development will be outwardly and hollow.