‘What’s up with the obsession with Indians?’: Indian entrepreneur slams criticism of folk dancers

Mayukh Panja, an Indian entrepreneur living in Germany, has described the online backlash against an Indian folk dancer performing against the backdrop of the Washington Monument in the US as “completely racist”.“Panja responded to a post expressing concern that the historic site was being converted into a “Telugu Tiktok dance stage” and called out what he called double standards and questioning of anti-Indian sentiment.“If this were a group of white people doing a traditional Irish dance, you wouldn’t find anything wrong,” he wrote.“I am often critical of the way the diaspora conducts itself on foreign shores. But the hatred directed at this woman is straight up racism,” Panja wrote.He said he was puzzled by the repeated targeting and asked how to explain the “obsession with Indians.”Addressing recurring hatred of H-1B immigrants from conservative lines in the United States, Panja said the H-1B visa program was signed into law by Republican President George W. Bush.On the economic front, Panja said the average technical salary for professionals in India is over $150,000, with many earning close to $500,000 or more, adding that these positions do not involve competition for ordinary jobs.“So, what exactly is it that bothers you so much?” Panja said, adding that the proper response to the performance “should be appreciation with gratitude.”In a follow-up response, he said such activities are allowed by law at iconic sites and shared a link to National Park Service guidance.The controversy sparked ongoing online discussions about cultural expression, norms in public spaces, and attitudes toward Indian immigrants in the United States.