The Indian male mindset for foreigners

THE INDIAN MALE MINDSET FOR FOREIGNERS

A close friend of mine; an Australian lady once questioned me “why do Asian men particularly South East Asian thinks that ‘white’ ladies or women are easy and they can hit on us without feeling any guilt or remorse? To be honest the question was sudden and I couldn’t think of an adequate response at that time. I pondered on what she said and posed a counter question “why do you assume so?” and then she narrated an incident. 

According to her version she was getting on a ‘lift’ in a hotel to reach her own room while staying in India and a man perhaps 2 feet shorter than her entered the lift. He smiled at her and she returned the courtesy. Seconds later the man started groping for her clothes while saying “let’s go to my room”. She was shocked pushed him away and luckily for her the lift stopped at a floor so she just got out. A voice followed her ‘come back we will have fun’.

Indian Male mindset {Photo Credits: Anant Nath Sharma}

Now the intention is not to ridicule in any nationality but what she experienced was a typical male mindset common in South East Asia. Men in general living in these regions think that western or Caucasian women are ‘easy prey’ or they do not mind casual sex. It is also thought that most American women are fond of having sex anywhere and with anyone courtesy of the Pornographic videos found in abundance in India as well as other South East Asian countries. 

This wrong notion is engraved in the minds of most males living in these countries. Interestingly this mindset is about foreign women only where as for foreign males the reverse is true. Foreign males are considered ‘vulnerable’ and as called in local dialect ‘sahib ji’.

The Indian men feel that any ‘white male’ is automatically a ‘lord’ or perhaps distantly related to the King or Queen of England. Perhaps this has got to do more with centuries of British rule in India; that majority of Indian men are ready to ‘bow down’ in front of a street beggar provided he is from abroad and is a ‘white male’. 

This dichotomy of views and beliefs is an interesting social phenomenon to observe. It is time that Indian men and South East Asian men in particular focus on the positive aspects of western cultures. They must understand that women in western countries are more polite and friendly; their friendliness has no sexual connotations attached to it. 

They should learn to respect them as they respect their own kin. If they dress differently or act unlike them it necessarily does not mean that they are ‘open’ to sexual advancements or harassment. Similarly foreign men are not all cousins of King Louis or Queen Elizabeth; they deserve courtesy but neither contempt nor the ‘master’ attitude. Modern India is learning and soon we will see an end to these ‘taboos’; I hope and pray both!