Financial analysis columnist Anita Ramaswamy has raised concerns about racism after alleging that a Spanish passport holder made an offensive remark about Indians while waiting to board a flight from Kathmandu to New Delhi.
Sharing her experience on X on Tuesday, Ramaswamy identified the man as Joaquin Bonilla Garcia and said she later filed a complaint with the airline.
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What Happened At The Airport?
The incident took place as passengers gathered near the jet bridge before boarding. Ramaswamy said she had briefly moved away from the crowd to catch up with her mother, who was standing in the queue, when she overheard the derogatory remark, “Indian people are like fucking animals.”
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She said she immediately challenged the man over what she described as blatant racism. However, he remained silent when she confronted him.
The situation reportedly continued after the flight, when the man realised that Ramaswamy had lodged a complaint with the airline. She alleged that he then attempted to explain the incident as a “misunderstanding”.
Ramaswamy maintained that she had heard the statement clearly and did not believe it was a case of miscommunication.
She subsequently shared the details on X, explaining that she wanted to bring attention to the incident and encourage accountability for discriminatory behaviour.
"Indian people are like fucking animals." While waiting to board a flight from Kathmandu to New Delhi, I moved to the side of a crowd in front of the jet bridge to catch up with my mother in line when I heard this man behind me say those words. His name is Joaquin Bonilla Garcia. He's a Spanish passport holder. When I called him out on his blatant racism, he remained silent. After the flight, upon realizing I had filed a complaint with the airline, he tried to tell me there was a "misunderstanding." But I heard him loud and clear. I'm sharing this for two reasons. 1) I believe in freedom of speech, and I believe just as strongly that words have meaning. I think hateful statements should bear consequences. I couldn't track him down, but I would appreciate your help in identifying his community and holding him to account. 2) Racism is alive and well, even (especially?) in unlikely settings. I wasn't expecting to hear this kind of language on a flight within South Asia, surrounded by South Asian people, from a tourist who was visiting the region voluntarily. As an Indian American, I feel the pressure to be extra conscious of my behavior when I'm a visitor in another country. Clearly, others feel the opposite, even more empowered to behave badly when they are away from home.
— Anita Ramaswamy (@AnitaRamaswamy) October 27, 2026
Why Ramaswamy Spoke Out?
Ramaswamy said her decision to speak publicly was driven by her belief that hateful remarks “should bear consequences”. "I believe in freedom of speech, and I believe just as strongly that words have meaning," she said.
While expressing support for freedom of speech, she stressed that words carry meaning and that people should be held accountable for what they say.
She also said she had been unable to track down the man herself and appealed to social media users for help in identifying his community and shared his photograph in the post.
She Raises Concerns Over Racism
Beyond the individual incident, Ramaswamy highlighted in her post how racism can surface in unexpected places. She said she had not anticipated hearing such language on a flight within South Asia, surrounded by South Asian passengers, from someone who had voluntarily travelled to the region.
As an Indian American, she explained that she feels the need to be especially conscious of her behaviour when visiting another country. She contrasted this with her perception that some travellers appear more willing to behave disrespectfully when they are away from their home countries.
Her account has renewed attention to the experiences of people who encounter discriminatory behaviour while travelling and the importance of taking such incidents seriously rather than brushing them aside.
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