‘Feel scared even to say …’: Redditor’s statement that ‘the northern Indians force others to live like them’ spare the north-south debate

The North-South division in India is a continuous conversation: interwoven in political rhetoric, joke brochures and daily discussions. Although often rooted in regional pride, it can sometimes reveal deeper social biases. Recently, a Reddit user shared a personal experience, stating: “The northern Indians simply force others to live like them.”

In a long publication, the user counted discrimination experiences as a south of India who lives in Maharashtra and later in Delhi. “In all my life, I barely met 10-15 people who did not intimidate me for being southern India,” they wrote. They remembered an eighth grade incident where a teacher connected to the students in southern India, only to make fun of them: “She said: ‘Please do not speak in my class or in groups because you make the same noise as when you fill rocks in a can.’

The user also described the cultural alienation that he felt, from being mocked of his language and films to being ridiculed by eating with his hands. “You made fun of everything. And the worst part? The same people who told us that “we returned” forced us to learn Hindi, forced us to adapt and still intimidated us for being southern India, “they shared.

The publication touched a chord with many, which led others to share similar experiences. “I lived in Delhi during my childhood and was intimidated for being southern India. My Hindi is very good, but I still faced problems, ”wrote a commentator. Another added: “This is exactly the reason I refuse to learn Hindi. Even if you speak it fluently, it is still a stranger. ”

A user said facing racism even in an online game session. “I was playing Valorant, and at the time my teammate spoke Malayalam, the chat was full of spam ‘Dosa, Odly, Sambar, Chutney.’ It’s just a game, but teenagers who behave in this way worry me about the future of India. ”

However, some pointed out that bias is not unilateral. A Bihari user shared his own struggles with discrimination in southern India: “I have also faced racism. Some in this thread even. Racists exist everywhere, we just need to take the highest path. ”

A Bengali user who lives in northern India echoed similar feelings, claiming that people made derogatory comments about their culture and women. “The northern Indians are probably some of the most racist people in the world, and it is funny when they cry for being called.”