Anyone familiar with Holi celebrations in India, especially in Delhi, will also be aware of the nuisance that are water balloons. These balloons, filled with coloured water, are mostly chucked at unsuspecting passersby on Holi with little regard for the other person's interest in being a part of such revelry. On Sunday, two Nigerian nationals were beaten up by a mob because they had protested and scolded a child who had hurled a water balloon at them.
According to a report on The Indian Express, Evwrirhe Isaac was on his way to the market at Dwarka Mor in West Delhi when a child threw a water balloon at him. Issac then scolded the boy and took him to the shop nearby and instructed him to stand there and not throw balloons at people.
Soon after Issac had returned home, a mob of about 12-15 people had gathered at the door of the flat he has been living in for the past three years. As soon as he opened the door, the young men, some of them mere teenagers, barged into their house and started beating Issac up with cricket bats. They also beat up Issac's flatmate. Issac's foot has been fractured in the attack.
Issac told The Indian Express, "I have been living in Dwarka for three years in a rented accommodation. I am used to people passing racist remarks, I have always ignored them. But what happened with us Sunday was something beyond racism. We were beaten up so badly… we could have been killed.”
According to reports on IBN Live, police registered the case 24 hours after the incident occurred and Issac had lodged a complaint. In fact, it took the intervention of senior officers to make the local police lodge a case. However, no one has been arrested yet.
Police told IE that the locals have said they are not aware of such an incident.
Issac and his flatmate have not returned to the house since then and plan to move out soon.
This incident comes just a little over a month after a Tanzanian woman was stripped and beaten up in Bangalore by an angry mob.
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