Hate for people based on variant

[allmixedup12]

Before I start, for context I am a mixed race brit with British-Indian parents. I live in London and think it is an incredible place to be able to live and work.

Here is my issue - My father recently died of COVID19 in India, so I rushed from the UK to Delhi to be with my mom. It was sudden and devastating, and we are slowly trying to heal. However, we are grateful he did not suffer for long and have tried to make sense of it all. The situation in the country is truly appalling with so many senseless deaths. I am with my mother as long as it will take to help her heal and then return to the UK. Dont worry I have already recovered from COVID and wont pose a risk to anyone back home!

However, I have recently noticed a trend in the UK media which I find very disturbing and it is making me very uncomfortable to read some articles. Soon after the pandemic took force in India in April, the UK government put India on the red list, which I guess was understandable to protect the public health. UK was one of the first countries to do this, well ahead of the US and many european countries. So while the UK media goes to town on Johnson and co, they were reasonably fast compared to most others.

However, i note that my iphone news feed from most major news outlets - BBC, The telegraph and guardian - have a constant stream of articles about "indian variant" - the tone of many articles smacks of racism to me and it is really bothering me.

Travel restrictions aside, more recently the amount of media noise and articles quoting the "indian variant" as the source of all evil in the UK seems to be rife. Little known detail is that the increase in many parts of the UK has nothing to do with this variant as clarified here - www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-variants-genomically-confirmed-case-numbers/variants-distribution-of-cases-data

This feels very much like a vitrolic building up against Indian-origin people to me. I guess chinese/east asian origin people may have felt this way in Feb/March 20.

Sure, there is a variant and it was first detected in India. But there is so much media reporting which constantly keeps talking the variant as being Indian, it is almost as if the Indians all got together and came up with a variant to make the worlds life a misery (rest assured it is hurting people in India more than anyone else).

The WHO have also cautioned against naming variants in this manner because it is accusatory to the country where it is first detected - it could easily have been imported into the country from elsewhere.

On top of this, why call the variants as "Indian" or "Brazilian" but the virus is not called "Chinese". Two wrongs do not make a right, so i do not think it should be the Chinese virus, but I also think "Indian variant" demonizes Indians, "Brazilian variant" demonizes Brazilians. I am also curious why the variants detected in the UK are named according to local areas such as "Kent" but not british. Ironically, I live in Kent.

There is also no sympathy for British citizens who have ties to India and who have no choice but to travel to India to fulfil their duties as sons/daughters/grandchildren/nieces/nephews etc. So many people went to India to care/grieve for their dying/dead family members - and the media seems to be baying for blood as if to never let those brits ever come back to the UK and close the shutters. See article below as context

www.lbc.co.uk/news/revealed-over-100-direct-flights-from-india-landed-in-uk-since-country-was-place/

Sure many brits may not have international ties, but so many people who live in the UK do - it is such an extraordinarily global place. In this day and age, how can people act as if having the necessity to travel abroad is frivolous should somehow be stopped/punished and it is somehow bad...brits do not come in one shape and size i.e. white british with all family in buckhingamshire ffs

Just feel completely disillusioned. is this how you all feel about the news reporting/general feel on social media or AIBU?

[quote allmixedup12]@UberMullet My mom and dad lived together for 50 years. I did not go to attend the funeral (his body was cremated before I could get there due to the covid infection). I went there because my mother has not lived independently before, she was also infected and down with covid alone in the house, and her husband had just died. it boggles my mind people still think this is somehow as situation where children have a choice to travel or not...

And based on this those returning from red list countries should be hung out to dry/flights banned? What insanity has come upon us...[/quote]
And yet this is what has happened in the UK during this last 18 months.
Did you not read last spring about that poor 13 year old child who died in hospital totally alone because his parents were not allowed in the room?
Many people have died alone in the UK (and spouses been left alone because of it) and that was just domestic circumstances! I’m not saying I agree with that though. Of course it is barbaric- a lot of things during this last 18 months have been.
However, many people were allowed to travel to India for lesser reasons- weddings etc and have been allowed back in to the UK, not bothered isolating and their families have not isolated either. That is how this variant has spread so much initially.

Covid was not called the China virus no, by rights it should have been called the Chinese variant but there was only one variant at that time so of course it was just covid.
I do get what you are saying about calling it Indian varient but then again, plenty of other countries have had a varient too - the UK has had the biggest so far! So it’s not singling India out. In another few months it will be another countries turn and the Indian varient will be largely forgotten.
It was found in India and affected Indian people first so why isn’t it the Indian varient?

It’s embarrassing! Where are the threads against the surge in Asian hate crime since covid?

Because I tell you - if there was a people to come out of this with the shitty end of the stick it’s them!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/coronavirus-racism-chinese-hate-crimes-b1811881.html%3famp

Chinese people have suffered shocking racism through out this whole pandemic. Where were the threads for them?

There have been comments on here about the racism directed at people from China and South East Asia (as with South Asia many lump them altogether) especially after Trumps comments

@OhWhyNot

Oh right so we can only judge racism when it is explicit

Well that clears that up

I have not said it is racist to state where the variant comes from I have said the press know how some of their readers react and that it’s allowed racists once again to spout their anger

I really don’t know how to answer your comment about the Yorkshire variant without sounding patronising

Can you show me where this anger is?

Look on Twitter and remarks made on media websites

You won’t have to look for long

Patronising? Why would be patronise someone for living in a certain area and having a variant named after that area? Would you patronise an Indian person? A South African? Or is it just English people who can be patronised freely?

What a difference cultural norms make.

In the news now, are details of the Yorkshire variant. As a born and bred Yorkshire woman, I don't give a monkey's toss what they call a variant. It is what it is. A variant based on where it was first found. I give no extra weight to an Indian variant than to a Yorkshire variant. (Except to expect a Yorkshire variant to be superior to all other types. Well I am for Yorkshire after all, you'd expect me to live up to the stereotype, wouldn't you?).

I know that being from another country/ culture must make a difference in how you perceive the reporting, but honestly, I wouldn't concern myself.

My oldest friend has a family member in india for the same reason you are there. My family and friends just hope he is able to return here safe and well.

So sorry for your loss, opening poster

Kurt I am sure you are well aware that the media wouldn’t be able to rile so many people in the same way using the term Yorkshire variant as they are India variant

We know that it really doesn’t need to be spelt out

Where are these riled people you're speaking about?

You won't be quite so patronising if the Yorkshire variant starts spreading that's a fact.

I'm not offended that a variant is named after my area, because I know it just means that's where it was first identified. I can't see the point in anyone getting wound up about it tbh.

I’m not going to blame a group of people because of where they are from (or parents/grandparents) but it can’t come as a surprise that some people do

Look to Twitter and media comments if you want to see some of the bile directed at Indian people (let’s face it they wouldn’t know the difference between Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi or Sri Lankan’s)

But please don’t pretend comments in the media about a Yorkshire variant (or the Kent variant) invites or will invite the same level of vitriol

So just like people did when the pandemic started and Chinese people bore the brunt? Where was your outrage then?

I have been what makes you think I haven’t. Trumps comments were outrageous as are the attacks of people who are presumed to be Chinese (not all have been)

I am critical of a number of governments for various reasons over their handling of the pandemic

I'm so sorry about your dad, condolences to you. I don't think naming the variants after the place where they were first detected as racist, however, there are plenty of bigoted eejits out there who will use this as another reason to be racist. The same bigots that blamed China and anyone that had any heritage from there or anywhere in the far east for covid when it first hit in 2020. And as a side I think people saying it was a choice to go to india, that OP could have missed her fathers funeral and not been there to support DM are being very harsh. I don't know what sort of relationship they have with their parents but it wouldnt have been a choice for me. Hell no.

I find it really interesting that they weren't allowed to refer to it as the wuhan virus as it was deemed to be racially in appropriate, but all the variants, of a virus first seen in China, has the specific areas identified as the variant. COVID is COVID- I don't agree that different ares should be identified as it does make people more intolerant to those nationalities or areas. I'm sorry for your loss, and hope you and your mum are ok

Original poster I am sorry for your loss and wish you all well.

Your thoughts are understandable but I feel this hopefully once in a lifetime global pandemic will lead to a great (positive) reset in many ways. Yes naturally it's all negative and has impacted the planet in so many ways as of course our daily lives are increasingly internationally interconnected, be it family and friends or goods and services.

The recent extreme polarisation of politics and viewpoints probably brought to prominence by extreme popularity politics of Nigel Farage, Donald Trump etc has definitely impacted public relations and to some extent perceived and actual behaviours. The pandemic is the current social and political divide. However in terms of variant naming conventions I understand the official naming convention is technical ie SARS-CoV-2 and all the other known sequenced variants using similar technical labels. It is however media that have effectively applied agreed geographical references as this is easier for the public to relate to.

There has been much adverse socially troubling racism as you state since the outset and I am assuming because of ignorance as much as any inherent liberated bias to outright discrimination. I would imagine this is similar to the international terrorism issue where as you may appreciate people of certain appearance were initially likewise adversely impacted again based on ignorance, inherent resurfaced previously contained prejudice or unconscious bias. You may recall the London Metropolitan Police wrongly shooting an innocent Brazilian “suspect” in London years ago due to confusion because of (“Islamic”) terrorism. Again it is not wise to loosely apply religious, geographical or other semi visually distinguishable labels which have and may lead to further unintentional negative discriminatory consequences.

I believe and would like you to understand amongst the educated and professional cohorts (not necessary public at large) many of us are more knowledgeable and have a deeper more empathetic understanding of the wider picture with these issues in ongoing troubling times. This is a time for the world to unite and heal wounds not to open up fresh unnecessary divisions.

India is arguably the worst nation pandemic impacted but I am sure there is much unreported misery throughout other parts of the developing world but not with as much media interest. I suspect with rapid mutating super spreading there are many other as yet to be sequenced (or missed) variants of concern. Yorkshire is one of the latest variants to be acknowledged and now trending. Good luck and stay safe.

Calling it the Indian variant is not racist; all variants seem to be named where they originated (UK, Brazil etc) - it's just easier than writing B1097 or whatever. But, there are always people that then racially target the people from those countries. This is when it boils over into racism and there are unfortunately examples of that. Sorry for your loss op.

It is not racist to talk about the Indian variant of the virus, the variant in India, is a little different from some other countries, and is seen as a faster spreading virus, and the media.will obviously go to town,and report all kinds of ridiculous things about it.

But it is obviously going to spread fast, and far and wide, because of the huge populations in some parts, and the lack of great medical care,and the provisions for some very unwell people. Lots of poorer people cannot afford proper funerals.

Nobody can be racist about where a virus goes to,or where it started..Although some people ,initially came down hard on China at the beginning of all this.

OP I'm sorry for your loss . Both my parents are Indian born and you are overthinking this. Yes Covid should be called Covid and not the Chinese virus however in terms of variants, for ease they are called where they were first detected just like the Kent variant was called the British variant abroad.
As a Muslim minority family from India, I find it very ironic that the Indian Government have ordered social media there to delete any references to 'Indian' variant with accusations of racism yet they and the media were very quick to blame the first wave on a Muslim religious meeting (when the Global Pandemic outbreak hadn't been fully realised may I add) yet no references are made to this outbreak being explicitly linked to the thousands attending 'Hindu' festivals, in fact globally it has been called 'Indian' festivals. Either you're allowed to call a spade a spade or you aren't. Not just when it suits a narrative. There are multiple deep prejudices in the Indian Government and Media which has massively increased with Modi's (India's Trump) rise to power. Maybe you have a blind spot to this as it hasn't affected you.
Of course tourists from a covid hotspot should be quarantined like they are in many countries. My main issue is the astronomical cost (suspect a Tory crony lining their pockets here).

@AIMummy I am not a supporter of the Indian government or Indian politicians and frankly could not give a toss about the personalities. I am aware of the widespread discrimination of minorities in India and it is awful. Should this be the basis for Uk's behavior towards minorities in the UK?

I do think the UK (real human beings, rather than bloodthirsty media) is vastly more tolerant and accepting - I am proud of being British and calling the UK my home. The bar for us has to be high, and we cannot find the nearest discriminatory situation you can find and say well they are doing it so why shouldn't we. That is a fast road downhill to a homogenous intolerant society. There is a reason this is an amazing multi cultural place...I have been lucky to have travelled to many parts of the world and still cannot find a city as incredibly diverse and vibrant as London. Hence, this stuff is more complex for us I guess.

I agree the quarantine cost is astronomical, but as other posters have pointed out, it makes sense to have these rules to protect public health.

For what it is worth, people should know that brits returning to the UK from red list countries can go to many countries en route to spend 10 days there, especially in the Balkans, have a nice 2 week holiday and then head to the UK without quarantining - and save money in the process as the quarantine costs a lovely £200 per day to sit in a room!!!

The media hype/tone, as I have maintained from the beginning is what troubles me, and I do not agree it is so benign. It is anything but benign.

There is news today that astrazeneca is 60% effective vs this variant - At this point I am not sure what that even means..so only about half the people really are protected???

I will wait to see till the politicians digest this and if they adjust reopening plans. I hope not as it will only add fuel to the fire.

allmixedup, the fact remains that variants are referred to for ease, based on where they are first detected. We have had the British variant, South African variant and now Indian variant. The next one will also be referred to their country of origin/detection.
I agree about people going to other countries from red list countries. If someone was savvy enough to spend their 2 weeks in a non-red list country after visiting a red country than it doesn't affect the UK as they were in effect 'quarantined' out of the UK for the same amount of time.

It’s not racism. It’s a variant of covid that comes from India.

For what it's worth allmixedup12 yes I agree in everything, from behaviour in school or performance in the workplace, the bar is set high for us just to be "one of the good ones". However, that is a separate issue to naming the variant detected in India as the Indian variant. The people who are using the name to say racist things about brown folk were racist gits anyway, they just hide behind a keyboard. There is some deeply embedded racism in our country which needs to be addressed but calling the Indian variant the Indian variant ain't it sis.

I’m sorry o hear of the loss of your father...does your mother have no other family left in India?

I'm sorry for your loss OP. I understand where you're coming from but I actually do think it's important to pinpoint this information as people are so desperate to travel (wrongly in my opinion although I would love to) and it is important to understand where variants are appearing, to educate people.

I do think the media are hyping this variant thing up, there are lots of variants why give them the name of a country.

The UK suffered from this when it sequenced a variant that may not have even originated in the UK.