My Observations on Racism and Responsibility in Europe

We often hear about racism in Europe. I, too, experienced a form of it when I first arrived in Germany—though it took me two days to truly understand that it was racism. The incident involved someone simply refusing to help me. Later, a few of us discussed the situation and concluded that his behavior was likely racially motivated.

Another time, an old man didn’t smile back at me, even though I smiled at him. Maybe that, too, was because of racism!

Jokes aside, racism does exist in Europe—it’s not entirely absent. But often, it takes considerable effort to determine whether something truly was racism. And since most of us who move abroad tend to be at least somewhat educated, even the smallest slight can feel like a significant injustice.

Of course, I’m speaking about the present. There are many incidents from the past, but I haven’t witnessed those myself. I believe such misconduct has decreased significantly over time.

If we look at it in terms of percentages, most people in Europe today are good-hearted—anyone would agree. At the very least, compared to the kind of racism one might encounter in our own country or neighboring ones, Europe feels far more tolerant.

Let me give an example: suppose a European asked you during Ramadan, “You fast for such a long time? Isn’t it hard?”

(This is just a hypothetical—no one has actually asked me this.)

You might smile and respond, “No, it’s not hard. It’s just a matter of habit.”

But then again, a part of you might wonder—“were they trying to question a religious practice of mine?”

Such thoughts can make even a well-meaning question feel like racism.

This subtle line—this sensitivity to tone—is something many Europeans around me are aware of and genuinely try to respect.

Back home in the subcontinent, it sometimes feels like Hindus and Muslims are competing to insult each other—and taking pride in it.

Among Europeans, the French have a not-so-flattering reputation for being racist. Even other Europeans sometimes express dissatisfaction about this.

For instance, when my German friend heard that my wife Suma had moved from Scotland to France, he immediately exclaimed,

“Why? Scottish people are much better!”

And honestly, he wasn’t entirely wrong—Scottish people are incredibly polite. But does that mean the French are rude?

Not necessarily. The truth is, the French have a different way of expressing themselves. If they see you trying to speak French but struggling, they might laugh. To them, it may simply seem amusing—but to you, it could feel insulting. And that’s where things go wrong.

Earlier today, I was returning from France to Germany. Unfortunately, a slight disruption in the tram schedule meant I had to switch trams four times.

I was traveling from a small town—perhaps one where Google Maps isn’t well-integrated with local tram timings, or maybe there’s another app with more accurate info that I wasn’t aware of.

Anyway, during my entire journey, four people helped me voluntarily. I hadn’t even asked all of them—they just noticed I needed help and offered.

There was, however, one person I did ask for help. I said,

“Does this tram go toward the airport?”

He said yes, so I got on.

A few minutes later, I saw him rush back to me, apologizing. He had checked and realized the tram wouldn’t be going to the airport that day. And while telling me, he accidentally rode along with me for one station—in the opposite direction!

Can you imagine that?

He joined me just to deliver the correct information and apologize for the mistake!

That kind of sense of responsibility among Europeans truly impresses me.

If you want to communicate well with a European, your first language should be a smile. If you speak with a smile, you’ll almost always be met with a warm and eager response. It’s a wonderful thing!

You won’t find the same sense of family bonds or friendships here that you're used to back home—but that doesn’t mean those bonds don’t exist. It’s just that their way of expressing them is different.

Anyway, while I was returning from France, Suma packed me some biryani. She told me to make sure I brought a spoon too. But of course, I didn’t want to deal with the “extra hassle.” So I took the biryani but forgot the spoon.

After arriving in Germany, I went to the Rewe supermarket at the airport to buy some disposable cutlery.

I found a travel cutlery set for about €1.50—it came in a nice box with a spoon, fork, and knife.

Still, I thought I’d check a bit more to see if they had any single-use options.

Just then, a Rewe staff member came over and pointed me to the disposable cutlery section. I asked, “How much do I pay?”—since there was no price listed.

He replied, “It’s free!”

And then came another lovely moment.

I got on the train in a rush, and my water bottle was almost empty. As I was eating the biryani, I thought—it would be nice to have some water.

Just then, the ticket inspector came around. After checking my ticket, I asked him,

“Can I refill this bottle somewhere on the train?”

He apologized and said, “No, unfortunately, there’s no such facility on this train.”

I replied, “No problem at all.”

About ten minutes later, I was surprised to see him come back looking for me!

He said, “At the next station, the train will stop for five minutes. If you want, you can quickly get off and grab some water. Just don’t be late!”

That’s the European mindset.

There are people of various religions, beliefs, and cultures here. Yet when it comes to honesty, responsibility, and helpfulness, they truly try their best—each from their own place.

Of course, I’m aware of some hypocrisy among certain Europeans. I even talk about it in different forums. But perhaps all of that fades in comparison to the goodness of the many.