American Bridge Tragedy: Racist Depiction of Indian Crew in US Magazine – Members Shown Wearing Langots, Offensive Slurs in VIDEO

Following the collision between a ship and the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, United States, Indian crew members have become the subject of derogatory remarks. President Biden of the United States praised the crew for averting a major catastrophe. 

Amidst this, an American company, Foxford Comics, shared a derogatory cartoon targeting the Indian crew members.

The racist cartoon portrays Indian crew members wearing only loincloths, depicting them in a manner that evokes concern and distress. The cartoon is accompanied by an audio overlay containing derogatory remarks in the Indian language. 

Foxford Comics shared the cartoon on social media with the caption, “Recording before colliding with the bridge.” Such actions highlight the prevalence of racism and discrimination and call for heightened awareness and action against such behavior.

Viral Video Shows Ship Colliding with Francis Scott Key Bridge in Cartoon Background

A video circulating on social media platform X depicts a cartoon background where a ship is seen colliding with the Francis Scott Key Bridge, gaining significant traction with over 4 million views and more than 400,000 retweets. The cartoon has sparked considerable controversy.

Renowned Indian economist Sanjeev Sanyal shared the cartoon, commenting, “The captain steering the ship wasn’t Indian, but it was Baltimore’s jurisdiction. The crew had already alerted officials beforehand, saving many lives. The mayor of Maryland has hailed the Indian crew as heroes for this.”

Social Media Users React to Insensitive Remarks on Serious Incident

Some social media users have criticized the making of jokes about such a serious matter, calling it shameful. Another user pointed out the irony in ridiculing the Indian crew amidst serious circumstances when even the governor had acknowledged their efforts. 

On March 25, a Singapore-flagged ship departed from the port of Baltimore in Maryland around 12:30 PM. Approximately 1 hour and 25 minutes into the journey, the ship experienced a blackout.

Within the next 5 minutes, the Indian crew demonstrated prudence by alerting the traffic authorities about the potential risks before the ship collided with the bridge. Within 90 seconds, all vehicular traffic on the bridge was halted. The crew also dropped anchor to reduce the ship’s speed.

Fortunately, all 21 Indian crew members, including 2 pilots, remained safe in the accident. Among the 8 individuals who fell into the Patapsco River from the bridge, 2 were rescued, while 6 lost their lives.

Engineers Issued Warning 23 Years Prior to Incident

The Francis Scott Key Bridge, constructed in 1977 over the Patapsco River, derives its name from the American national anthem writer Francis Scott Key. According to The New York Times, engineers issued a warning just three years after the bridge’s completion in 1980, stating that its design couldn’t withstand collisions with container ships.

Later in 1980, a ship also collided with the Baltimore Bridge. Although the impact was minimal and the bridge sustained no damage, it raised concerns. According to the Maryland government’s website, approximately 5.2 billion tons of international cargo passed through the Baltimore port in previous years, amounting to a value of 6.67 trillion rupees.

The port provides direct employment to over 15,000 individuals, contributing to the livelihoods of approximately 1.39 lakh people in Maryland.