Olivier Masonda Ketanda kin will join stir in city tomorrow

Angered by the alleged racial attacks and the murder of Olivier Masonda Ketanda (29), the Association of African Students in India (AASI) will hold a protest at Jantar Mantar on Tuesday.

AASI members said that a peaceful protest has been called in the wake of the racial attacks and murder of an African national in the national capital. “We would like to extend a call to all Africans living in Delhi-NCR and surrounding cities to come out and join us in a peaceful demonstration at Jantar Mantar. We’ve also written the Delhi police and have been granted permission to hold a peaceful rally. Representatives from each African country will attend the protest,” said a member of AASI.

The rally will be led by family members of Masonda Kitanda Olivier, who was allegedly beaten to death by locals in the same neighbourhood last week.

The organisers of the protest said that they have arranged buses to pick and drop participants from each and every corner of the Delhi-NCR. Students can visit Facebook page of AASI for further details of the protest. “We have created a page on Facebook and sending out messages on social media to draw in as many Africans as possible to join the protest,” said AASI members.

The AASI informed that there are 30,000-odd African students living in India and many of them have faced racial discrimination. It is a serious issue and needed to be taken with sensitivity by the Indian government.

African students studying in various universities of Greater Noida and Noida said that they feel safe in the city, but complained of being discriminated when people call them “drug peddler” and refuse to rent a house to them. “A group of 50 students from Greater Noida will also attend the protest at Jantar Mantar because it is something that cannot be tolerated. We come to India for study, but end up being abused by locals just because we are black,” said Krish, a student.