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Let’s remember that the appropriation remains as a demonstration of what you deem is palatable from the Indian identity.
You wear the clothes, eat the food, watch the movies, but will break our temples, call us keling without batting an eye (and defend every use and context that you invoke it for, despite being told over and over the harm it causes),
refuse to relinquish your special rights when it deliberately suppresses minorities, and will tell us that we are overreacting.
You skin us and wear it like decor, and as we scream, you say “I’m appreciating you, that’s why I’m skinning you, stop crying.”
This is not a discussion. The power dynamic is clear here. We are forced to assimilate for survival, this is not a choice. You wanted to look like Aishwarya Rai as an artistic direction for your marketing campaign, that is a choice. A blatant one.
Violence is violence, regardless of its degree. We have named the violence for the millionth time. We are demanding you do better.
