Israeli tourists in India, Iris Alon
Photo: Iris Alon
Israeli tourist offended by racist sign on Indian train
Warning sign on Indian train advises passengers not to take eatables from strangers because they could be drugged and a drawing illustrating two religious Jews reading the Torah
A security sign on a train from Goa to Mumbai in India featured a written warning to passengers not to take eatables from strangers because they could be drugged and a drawing illustrating two religious Jews reading the Torah.
"Never accept any eatables from a stranger or co-passenger whom you have never met before. They could be drugged," read security tip number 6, to the left of which appeared a diagram of two religious Jews.
Warning sign on Indian train
The sign was spotted and photographed by an Israeli tourist two months ago during a journey from Goa to Mumbai.
"This sign is without any doubt racist," said Iris Alon, "it clearly says that Jews can poison you by giving you food that contains poison."
"It is very irritating to see a sign like this in India. In general there are good relations between Indians and Israeli tourists, and I never thought that such racism existed in the country, and certainly not in a railway operator," she said.
"What's worse is that many tourists are exposed to this sign, which makes it more intense," said Alon, adding that railway operator is one of the biggest in India.
Alon wrote the Israeli Foreign Ministry and the Israeli Embassy in India asking that they file a complaint with Indian authorities and demand that the sign be removed.
