Foreign female tourists in India often face unwanted attention and prolonged staring at popular destinations. Recently, a viral video showed a photographer confronting a group of men for making a foreign woman uncomfortable at the Taj Mahal.
At some of India’s most popular tourist destinations, visitors, especially foreign women, sometimes find themselves dealing with unwanted attention, prolonged staring and people attempting to follow them to chat or click pictures. These kinds of things make me wonder how hospitality is practiced in the country, where guests are seen as equal to God.
A lot of foreign tourists, mostly women, have said that they don't like it when groups of people stare at them or try to take pictures of them without their permission. A photographer confronted a group of Indian men at the Taj Mahal in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly staring at and following a foreign woman who was posing for pictures. This is similar to what happened in Agra.
A video of the incident was shared on Instagram by the photographer, who goes by Zee. In the video, a female visitor was posing for a picture at the Taj Mahal when three young males kept standing close to her and staring at her. The photographer contacted the individuals after observing their actions and requested that they leave.
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“Why are you standing here?" he asked. “If you have come to see the Taj Mahal, then go and see it. Why are you standing near her?" While the men initially remained where they were, one of them began arguing with the photographer and insisted that they were not doing anything wrong.
Before another man stepped in and ordered them to leave, their conversation went on for a while. Eventually, the gang left. Even though the altercation stopped there, the photographer was heard complaining about these kinds of situations and asking why the men were gazing at the foreign women when they could have just carried on with their visit.
Watch Viral Video
In the caption of the post, he wrote, “Civic sense is what we need in the world’s 6th-largest economy. Following foreign tourists around the Taj Mahal, staring at them, and making them uncomfortable isn’t the kind of hospitality we should be proud of. Respect their space. Let them enjoy their experience."
How Did Social Media React?
Since the video went viral, people have praised the photographer for standing up to such behaviour, while also criticising the men who were found staring at the woman.
“Amazing to see someone confronting them!" said a user. Another person shared, “Good answer; you scolded them !!! They make people nervous." “Finally someone called them out. We need u all over India," commented an individual.
