Stereotypes That Different Ethnic Groups in India Are Tired of Hearing

Just a mere mention of India or a local ethnic group is enough to scrape together numerous stereotypes.

Just like any other country, India is not perfect. Regional stereotype is one of the most common problems faced by Indians not only in their own homeland, but abroad as well.

Not too long ago, the Indian Government announced penalisation on anyone who refers Northeast Indians as ‘chinki’. Similarly, every other ethnic group has its share of stereotypical woes.

Arguably, Marwaris bear clichéd brunt the most, when people call them “Kanjoos”. It is blatant ignorance on their part, as Marwaris do spend chunks of money on branded products and even host lavish weddings. Unfortunately, this moniker is the one that has remained attached to them even today.

Biharis, too, suffer a similar fate, as others perceive them as illiterate and as people who engage in caste-related violent crimes. In addition, there is a great misconception when people say that most Biharis take up odd jobs or work as mechanics and taxi drivers.

Have you ever dubbed your Catholic friend as “Maca Pao”? If you have then you should know that some of the population takes offence in it, as the term is originally used for Goans (…and all Catholics in India are not Goans). What men!

The Punjabis have their reasons to be mad at others for the Sardar jokes that originated decades ago and are still in practise. Besides that, being acknowledged with “Balle Balle” every time is something that they have not yet comprehended with. The good thing is that the Punjabi community does not treat the stereotypes leniently and realises that they are exaggerated humour.

Maharashtrians are miffed with the fact that people believe they take up basic jobs and the entire population is “Ghati”. If people look around they will see that not all housemaids are Maharashtrians. It is absurd to say that they come from the poor section of the society or are not affluent.

Gujarati stereotypes are one of the most annoying ones. You must have definitely heard people go “aa ra ra ra”. Well, no thanks to Hansa from Khichdi, as the hit television serial became a bane on the Guajarati population. Also, over time, their accents have been mocked by non-Gujaratis with reference to words like snakes and hole (…read snacks and hall, respectively).

As long as we are on the television subject, you must be familiar with Lola Kutty, the alter ego of and played by Anuradha Menon on Channel V. Her gimmicks while imitating the Malayali accent became massively popular but unfortunately, became a pain in the neck for the Malayali populace.

Stereotypes in India can never end unless people get a reality check done on different ethnic groups. Though it is a good aspect that all the victims take the “jokes” within their stride, you never know when one of them might snap.