Do you think the pictures from India are racist?

[SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun]

The pictures published are so shocking and of course reflect reality but the press would never show bodies of British people in coffins, in the crematoriums, in ambulances or in their graves. There are pictures today of corpses with no wrapping being transported. They wouldn’t show a British person after death with no covering. Maybe all the pictures of funeral pyres reflect Indian culture and the fact that this is shown is in fact somehow the opposite of racism like an acceptance of a different culture without applying our taboos?

Although actually there was a bbc report from a hospital mortuary early this year with wrapped bodies so maybe it isn’t racism but it doesn’t sit right. It feels like maybe they think we can see this because the people are ‘other’.

I don't think it's racist. People need to see the reality in the situation like this. There were heartbreaking scenes from other countries like India, while people are protesting in London on the same day. The contrast is so surreal.

Racism indicates a hatred of a certain race or races. I fail to see how showing something as graphically as the country itself shows things could be construed as racist. Perhaps if people looked up the definition they wouldn't spout such bollocks.

How is it racist ?
In some countries open coffins are common , they aren't in the uk
They are obviously allowed to film different things where as here its restricted
Although we see a lot more know , like after some recent attacks we see more than would of been shown prob 30 years ago

I believe it to be xenophobic, superior, judgemental and imperialist

If that horrible combination also indicates racism, then yes, so it is

@AnyFucker in what way ? They have footage they wouldn't be allowed to likely gain here and they show things aftermouths of attacks here as well

The pictures from India are tragic and shocking, but let’s hope they serve to remind people of what we’re dealing with and to shut the conspiracy theorists and anti vaxers up once and for all.

Surely there is a better way for people to reminded of the effects of covid that doesn't involve dehumanising the dead in India? " Look at them! See how they are suffering? That could be us!"

Why on earth would you choose the term “racist”?

It’s disrespectful but not racist ffs, not everything a white person does is racist for Christ sake.

This

@Frequentflier

It isn't that we do not see death the same way. It is that the country has overwhelming infrastructura problems that a single person can't solve. If you are Indian, you have to develop a very thick skin because there is simply no other way to go on living. People may think we are callous. But we don't have the luxury of being haunted, tbh.

Exactly. As we also would have been in medieval times when death and dying relatively young of diseases was very common.

Wasn’t there a media blackout around Covid deaths in the U.K.? Wasn’t there a van on medics speaking out?

This is to protect the government from criticism if we could see how bad Covid was here? Numbers are much harder to process the scale of the failure.

@Reearry. Look at them! See how they are suffering? That could be us!"

That was my point !! And I don’t think it’s dehumanising the dead in India or anywhere else if it serves to save more lives. There has been huge criticism of the way critical of the way the pandemic has been handled in the UK, not to mention the conspiracy theorists and anti vaxers - then there are those who try to minimise the seriousness of Covid, one thread on MN suggested it was no worse than flu and we should lift the restrictions and ‘get on with it’. The chaotic and tragic images from Indian are a warning to us all that this could be us if the Covid deniers had their way. Not disrespectful, not racist, just fact.

I think it is. Why is it ok to show people dying when it’s in other countries (poor countries) when we don’t show British people dying? All people are equal and deserve to be treated with respect and privacy. We can be told what’s going on in other countries without seeing death and bodies.

@zoemum2006

Wasn’t there a media blackout around Covid deaths in the U.K.? Wasn’t there a van on medics speaking out?

This is to protect the government from criticism if we could see how bad Covid was here? Numbers are much harder to process the scale of the failure.

That doesn’t sound very plausible. Where did you get that from?

We dont talk about death enough in this country - we dont know what to say to the bereaved and it makes us uncomfortable. Thus there is very little support or counselling available for those who grieve in a culture where we are expected to grieve for a time and then ‘get over it’. Hopefully one good thing to come from the pandemic is that this attitude is starting to change. The images coming out of India make us uncomfortable because we see death in detail and as it really is, instead of airbrushed and spoken about in hushed tones.

@Frequentflier

I think as an Indian- and as someone who will have to return to India at some point bcos I am not a British citizen and have to take care of family in India- I am a bit angry at some of the scaremongering press about the variant. So far, there appears to be no data that that it is immune to the vaccine. Also, the variant India has is thought to be the one from Kent!There is a slight whiff of " Look at all these variants from dirty brown countries" when the fact is that new and more dangerous variants can arise anywhere. And no country is immune.

But that's the whole point, isn't it? It's Kent variant, so it's very relevant to UK. We need to know that it could have been us, if it weren't for lockdowns and an early role out of vaccines. I'm not British either, and I just heard on the news on my national TV, that Kent variant is causing some severe illness to even people in the 20s, that young and healthy isn't totally safe from covid anymore. And vaccine roll out is not great, I am really worried abut that my parents in late 60s hasn't even been vaccinated yet.

The pyres are normal, that is how Hindus are cremated after death. I believe it's a scandal how pictures of those pyres have been used to terrify British people with no understanding of Hindu culture into thinking they are part of the crisis

I couldn't agree more

I was with someone on Monday who'd brought up an image of Varanasi on her phone and was carrying on about "Look - all the crematoria are so full that they're having to do it down by the river!!!"

The level of ignorance is astonishing sometimes; I tried explaining Varanasi's significance and why they're cremated near the river, but just got a blank look and some poppycock about denail

But the pyres are ALSO part of the crisis. Delhi is converting public parks into crematoria. So it’s not just about death, it’s about NUMBERS.
In India roughly 25,000 people, mostly Hindus die every day. (India is 89% Hindu). How many more people are dying every day that we can’t a crematorium slot?? (My sister’s FIL died yesterday and we can’t get a crematorium slot for him in Delhi). I find the minimising of the crisis on this thread a little weird.
Another 11 hospitals in Gurugram this morning are about to run out of oxygen.
This is not fake news.

This is not fake news

Nobody's suggesting it is, ChaBishkoot (at least, not unless and until any of it is proved to be such) but it's the sheer lack of understanding which is so annoying

As PPs have said, the scenes of pyres are disturbing to westerners because the Antyeshti are different to our own funeral rites - not automatically better or worse, just different - but while there's a link between pyres and the pandemic, I'm convinced a lot of the horror is the result of seeing practices which were perhaps unknown to some

@ChaBishkoot what happens to the bodies that can’t be cremated, where do they go?

Several Indians up thread have suggested it is. That videos are staged.
You wait in a morgue till you a cremation slot. That’s what happens. Or you procure a slab of ice and your body lies on it till you can be cremated.

@MercyBooth

Im going to get jumped on for this but im half Italian and i have relatives in Italy in the South. None of them have had it. Neither has the Italian cousin and his family who live in upstate New York. Im NOT saying Covid doesnt exist. Just that they havent caught it.

Well, I'm British and I haven't caught covid, neither have any of my close friends or family Your comment is ridiculous. There are swathes of people who have caught covid. I'm incredibly lucky no one I know has had it badly. Apart from my friends mum. She died.

@4PawsGood
It was very widely commented upon that the UK media were not reporting from NHS hospitals for a very long time at the height of the pandemic. The official reason given was that it was to protect the dignity of patients and to not get in the way, but doctors groups were calling for the cameras to come in and show the deniers that the crisis was real.

Everything seems to be racist in this day and age, even showing images that have been widely published in the country they originated

@Northernsoullover Im sorry to hear that. I posted that because i have family in three different countries England, Italy and New York who havent caught it. Im aware there are swathes of people who have caught it.

Thanks for proving me right though. Im very sorry the fact that none of my family have had it is so unacceptable to you. Seen plenty on here say you should have the vaccine to protect others. And yet are all affronted when others say they have been lucky enough not to catch it so far. Wonder how you square that circle.

I'm not sure racism is the word you're looking for? It's intrusively awful, certainly, but racist? I don't think so.

@TruelyWonder YES. it is strange. There are things about this virus that cant be explained and we are all still learning about.