In another incident of discrimination, an Indian-origin astrophysicist, along with his friends, were denied entry to a Garba venue in Atlanta by the organisers for not looking like a ‘Hindu’.
Dr Karan Jani took to Twitter and shared his story, ” Year 2018 & Shakti Mandir in Atlanta, USA denied me and my friends entry from playing garba because: You don’t look Hindu and last name in your IDs don’t sound Hindu” he wrote.
Year 2018 & Shakti Mandir in Atlanta, USA denied me and my friends entry from playing garba because:
“You don’t look Hindu and last name in your IDs don’t sound Hindu”
-THREAD- pic.twitter.com/lLVq4KhJtw
— Dr. Karan Jani (@AstroKPJ) October 13, 2018
“My Konkani friend who came to Garba for 1st time *due to enthusiasm of us Gujaratis* was pulled out of line & was told: “We don’t come to your events, you are not allowed to ours,” he said.
When she clarified that her last name is Murdeshwar and she Kannada-Marathi!, the official allegedly retorted “What is Kannada? You are Ismaili.”
My other friends last name had “Dangarwala”. We spoke in Gujarati to them.
They still said we were “Vohra, Sindhis”. They actually kept stating other religions!!
They ganged up and told us to leave.
While we saw other non-Indians being entered (which they of course should!)
— Dr. Karan Jani (@AstroKPJ) October 13, 2018
Sharing further details about the incident, he said, “Our IDs had Indian Emblem. Yes, emblem with “Satyamev Jayate” right? Apparently, it didn’t have our religion. Our caste.”
“They ganged up and told us to leave. While we saw other non-Indians being entered (which they of course should!), ” he added.
I was told by that organizer, a senior person, things in Gujarati which are so crude & demeaning that it can’t be shared on public forum. Just to ensure we don’t dare to enter the temple again.
Such fuss just for Garba in Navratri – With friends – to celebrate Indian culture😔
— Dr. Karan Jani (@AstroKPJ) October 13, 2018
According to reports, Jani later received a call from the temple’s management and the chairman apologised saying the temple doesn’t believe in discrimination. “He said it was miscommunication on the part of the volunteers. But the treatment meted out to us was embarrassing,” Jani said.