Anita Ratnam, a popular Indian dancer and founder of Narthaki.com, has commented on the growing incidents of racism and hate directed at Indians in the U.S. She also mentioned such incidents happening in Australia.
“Hate against Indians is rising at an alarming rate. My friend, born in the USA, was riding the NYC subway and was subjected to hate filled rhetoric ‘go back to your country’ screams.
Another, also born in the USA, was SPAT ON in a LA grocery store. This is totally unacceptable behaviour from a country that is called THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE. It is also happening in Australia. Abuse, threats, intimidation. A horrific and terrible graph,” Ratnam said in a post on X.
Ratnam tagged the Indian American Advocacy Council, calling for support and intervention, and urging authorities and community organizations to take note.
READ: Rise of anti-Indian hate in America sparks calls for community action (February 23, 2026)
Ratnam is a contemporary dancer, choreographer, arts presenter, cultural activist, and art entrepreneur from India. She is known for her unique style that blends classical and contemporary dance forms, and her contributions to the dance scene in India. Her work has been recognized in India, as well as internationally. She has founded the Arangham Trust, a cultural foundation that seeks to explore, enrich and promote the performing and visual arts of India, and developed the dance portal Narthaki.com.
Many responded to the post, sharing their own experiences. “Many people are not uniting. Still minding their own business. I am a victim of hate crime. Didn’t get support when the brutal attack happened. Indians were minding their own job as usual,” said one response. Another suggested that Indians need to start “carrying bear spray for self defence.”
This comes during a time of intense polarization over immigration in the U.S. The Indian American community has been increasingly targeted amid rising debates around the H-1B visa.
READ: Anti-Indian Hate in America: How Far It Goes Back and What We Can Do Now (January 27, 2026)
A recent study published by the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Centre found that discrimination and online hate against Indian Americans have been rising in recent years, with over 5.2 million Indian Americans facing growing concerns around identity, belonging and safety.
Other studies have corroborated this. Data released by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) reveals that anti-Indian content on X tripled in weekly volume throughout 2025, accumulating over 300 million views. According to the NCRI dataset, over 24,600 anti-Indian posts, each receiving at least 10 likes, were published by nearly 14,000 unique authors. These posts achieved massive reach, accumulating more than 300 million total views, 8.5 million likes, and over 901,000 retweets.