A viral video of an awkward experience of a man in Delhi with two Korean women tourists at India gate has caused a great amount of outrage and a surge of apologies on the internet among the Indians. The video, which was uploaded by one of the content creators, displays the man walking up to the korean women, initially requesting a fist bump and then a hug, citing that it was his dream.
Although the women were clumsy in accepting the situation and laughing at it, the viewers of the video did not take long to decry the behaviors of the man as being disrespectful to the women and a shame to the nation. The incident has brought about a debate on the need to have a greater sense of civic responsibility and a respectful attitude toward foreign visitors.
Tourist Harassment and India’s Image
The episode shows a repeated case of foreign tourists and especially women being in uncomfortable situations and being harassed in India. There have also been several viral videos over the last several years that describe similar experiences of being followed, stalked or made to feel unsafe. Albeit these are isolated cases; when put together, they will harm the image of India as an attractive tourist destination in the world system.
A lot of people present in social media showed feelings of shame and disappointment saying that such behavior is not in line with the traditional Indian philosophy of Atithi Devo Bhava or the guest is like god.
Cultural Differences in Public Interaction
The other dimension to this tale is that there is a significant contrast in cultural values as far as personal space and interacting with others is between India and South Korea. People are more assertive in India, though, it is not unusual to find someone who is more than inquisitive and sometimes even friendliness erroneously so. But this may feel invasive and threatening to the representatives of cultures where personal boundaries are more likely to be valued like in South Korea.
This clash in cultures is evidenced by the clumsy nature of the experience in which the women appeared to be straining to laugh to disarm the situation. The excessive apology on the internet corresponds to the increased awareness and the willingness to close these gaps and make visitors feel safe and respected.
A recent media graduate, Bhumi Vashisht is currently making a significant contribution as a committed content writer. She brings new ideas to the media sector and is an expert at creating strategic content and captivating tales, having working in the field from past four months.
