White Still Rules in India

Saturday's newspapers carried a report about Liz Hurley and Arun Nayyar's foreign bodyguards roughing up media personnel, who were present to report on the couple's nuptial celebrations in Jodhpur. This is not the first incident of its kind in India, nor will it be the last one. A similar fracas erupted a few months ago involving the bodyguards of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, during their visit to India. Boorish and arrogant behaviour by foreigners of this ilk seems to have become the norm in this country. What is even more demeaning is that it is tacitly accepted.

Indians are probably the most tolerant peoples in the world in this respect. I cannot think of any other country where foreign guests would be allowed to lord it over the locals with such impunity. No American or European would dare to behave in a similar fashion in Saudi Arabia, for example, even though they probably regard the "natives" with equal contempt. Nor would Britishers display such a cavalier attitude in any other of their former colonies.