Indian-American Doctor Hits Back at Racist Abuse Over Her Bindi

An Indian-American doctor has drawn widespread support on social media after confronting racist users who targeted her for wearing a bindi. Dr Karishma Reddy said the abuse began after she posted a light-hearted Instagram video about an interaction with a patient. Instead of receiving harmless reactions, the post attracted a wave of xenophobic comments, with several users telling her to “go back to India.” Reddy, who was born and raised in the United States, said she had never witnessed such intense anti-Indian rhetoric before. “Earlier this week, I made a reel about a patient encounter regarding my bindi. It was a light and fun memory, but the comment section went absolutely crazy. I have never seen so much anti-Indian rhetoric in my life,” she said. Reddy added that she may have been unaware of the extent of such hostility because she had spent much of her life in hospitals and clinics, where Indian professionals are common and generally treated with respect. She said her colleagues in the medical community had always been kind and welcoming, which made the online hatred even more shocking. “A lot of the comments told me to go back to India. But I was born and raised here in America,” she said. Reddy also addressed comments mocking Hindu beliefs and repeatedly referring to cows. She explained that many Hindus avoid eating beef out of respect for cows and their historical importance in sustaining families, especially by providing milk to infants. According to her, the practice is based on gratitude and respect rather than the strange stereotypes often circulated online. Reddy said it was disturbing that people had become so comfortable making hateful comments from behind a screen. She urged users to learn about other cultures before mocking them and reminded them that kindness costs nothing. “I hope this at least opened your mind to Hinduism and cows and cleared up some of the misconceptions. Be kind, please,” she said. The video received more than 1.6 lakh views and hundreds of comments, with many social media users expressing support for the doctor. One user thanked her for explaining the Hindu view of cows and described it as beautiful. Another wrote that people who spread hate were often unhappy themselves and unable to say anything kind. A former patient also defended Reddy, saying the doctor had helped them live without pain and deserved appreciation for her work. Another user pointed out the irony of people telling an American-born doctor to leave the country while claiming to follow religious teachings based on compassion, humility and kindness towards strangers.

 

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