Indians understand Indophobia. The country could not have become independent if it had not understood Inodophobia. Indians understand Indophobia in Pakistan. Or Britain, where they apparently get called "Paki." Indians understand.
But Indians don't understand Indophobia in Nepal. It is because they refuse to face the fact that it is what it is, and it exists. They have a hard time believing that Indophobia might exist in a country like Nepal that is so small and so poor and 200% dependent on India for everything. They have a hard time because Nepal is largely a Hindu country like India is. There's shared culture, religion, people watch Hindi movies in Nepal. Indians think, we are the same people. How can you hate yourself?
Indians are in denial. It is Indophobia, and it exists. Actually it is at the center of the worldview of those who hold power in Kathmandu. It is no small matter, no small detail. You can not cure a disease that you do not first correctly diagnose.
Not just
SD Muni, but Modi himself is perplexed. How can he mean so well, and give so much, and go so unappreciated? He does not understand.
Racism does not have logic, racism is not supposed to have logic. Indophobia is racism. And it exists in Nepal, it is directed against Indians. It is the top worldview of those who hold power in Kathmandu. Indophobia is no footnote in Kathmandu.
And, yes, it is partially
self hate. Nepalis are a sorry lot across the world. The cure to that is a stronger South Asian identity. The cure is India getting veto power at the UN, the cure is Hindi becoming the UN's sixth language. But the official hatred of Hindi in Nepal is total. You might have heard of gay people who are homophobic. It is a phase of self hatred they go through. Some day hopefully they get past it and learn to accept themselves.
Indophobia in Nepal might be
self hate. But it exists, it's real. And Madhesis bear the full brunt of it. It is not theoretical to the
Madhesis of Nepal.
