Off topic but somewhat related:
I have no personal experience, but Indian Muslims (IM) I have spoken to, tell a different story about the Indian professionals they work alongside in India; in both the private and public sector organizations. .. The IM face insults, harassment, physical assaults, denial of leave on Eid , refusal for prayer time on Fridays and no accommodation of Ramadan evening timings for Iftar . The last is particularly difficult due to the fact that BOPs in India work to North American and European timezones. A BOP serving North American and European client's would be working from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m Indian Time to serve both UK and East Coast USA.
Well, this isn’t something unique to Muslims. Indian workplaces and managers, in general, are quite tough on employees, long hours, no real concept of work life balance, and a culture that often expects you to be available whenever needed. Almost 75% of my friends work in IT, and unless they’re with companies like Amazon or similar, the work culture is largely workaholic. Managers and companies typically don’t care much about personal situations, late night calls, weekend work, and being on call are quite common. Of course, this can be harder for Muslims given specific religious obligations, but the idea that Muslims are
specifically targeted in IT workplaces feels like an overstatement. I’ve known people who’ve struggled to even get leave for a family death. That’s also why frequent job hopping is so common, it’s not unusual for IT folks to switch jobs every year.
Unsurprisingly the IMs are conveniently "filtered out" for overseas assignments so there are practically zero Indian Muslim techies. The social media in India refer to IMs as "the Puncture wala" Madarsa chaap " ; since IMs have descended to the bottom of the economic ladder and some are involved in the car tire repair business.
That may be true to an extent, but there are nuances. In Indian society, there’s a clear difference between the elite Muslim communities, often very well-educated, sometimes deeply religious, but generally integrated into high society. They enjoy good lifestyles, travel abroad, are part of clubs like Rotary or Round Table, and have strong social standing. They invite Hindus friends and associates to their events, and vice versa. Many from these groups, especially Bohras, coastal Muslims, etc run large businesses and are highly respected.
But at the lower end of the socio economic ladder, the picture is different. Here, education doesn’t seem as central to the family or community’s aspirations. It’s not about lack of opportunity, schools are open, there are Muslim run institutions offering subsidies but the value placed on education isn’t the same. In contrast, a low income Hindu family will often go to great lengths to fund their child’s schooling, you’ll see kids of auto drivers or watchmen doing engineering, or even medicine if the child is bright. Among lower income Muslims, there’s more comfort in traditional trades, mechanic shops, welding, etc. It’s more about mindset than external barriers, and sadly, this gap persists especially more so for girls.
Regardless, I must confess that I enjoyed the most extravagant hospitality during my frequent trips to India and despite my secular stance was repeatedly asked if I needed to be transported to the nearby mosque on Friday, or if I wanted halal food.
Of course I politely refused due to my organization ethics policies. I did accept one eat out dinner at a place called "36 " and I had some nice biryani and Kingfisher beer
An American passport, helped to keep me safe.
@vasanthm
Even a Middle Eastern passport keeps you just as safe. For example, my city has plenty of students from Iran, they’re a fun and vibrant bunch. They often host paid dinner parties serving Iranian cuisine, and it’s always great to hang out with them. But again, their outlook and lifestyle align more with the high society Muslims I mentioned earlier.
And next time you’re in India, I’d suggest exploring beyond Kingfisher, try Bira, Simba, or some of the fantastic craft beers now widely available. If you’re in Bangalore, the microbreweries are top notch, honestly, I think they rival, if not surpass, many in Europe!
