"Disheartened": Man Faces Anti-UP Slurs On Mumbai Train, Shares Ordeal On Reddit

A Reddit post is going viral for highlighting an unsettling encounter with regional bias- a form of discrimination that many in India face but few openly discuss. 

In a widely discussed thread titled "Disheartened After a Racist Encounter on a Mumbai Train," a 24-year-old man, born and raised in Mumbai, shared how a routine train commute turned into a deeply hurtful experience rooted in prejudice against his regional background.

The user recounted an argument that broke out with a fellow commuter, which quickly escalated when the man began making derogatory remarks about people from Uttar Pradesh. What made the situation worse was that several bystanders sided with the aggressor-one even became verbally abusive.

"To my surprise, he responded quite arrogantly... Then he started making offensive remarks about people from UP. Some others joined in, and one even became abusive," the Redditor wrote.

Despite being fluent in Marathi, the user said he was still treated as an outsider. Even after trying to de-escalate by going silent, the mocking and slurs continued. The experience left him feeling alienated in the city he's called home his entire life.

Disheartened After a Racist Encounter on a Mumbai Train
byu/galaxy_011 inindia

The post struck a chord with many online, sparking a wider conversation about regionalism in urban India. 

In the comments, several users shared similar experiences of being stereotyped, judged for their accents, or excluded because of their regional roots-even in places where they've lived for decades. Many praised the user for handling the situation calmly, while others called for greater awareness and sensitivity around the issue of regional discrimination.

A user wrote, "Sorry you had to go through that but that's not racism mate. People from Mumbai and Uttar Pradesh are the same race, what it is is actually discrimination."

Another user wrote, "Anyone who views the other person with contempt just because of language, skin colour, etc is a lowlife and it's always better to ignore such a****les and go on about doing your thing."

"Bro I can feel you on this. Have encountered these situations so many times and being an introvert, it somehow helped me avoid them," the third user wrote.