- Vasundhara Oswal shared a video alleging racism by a Swiss neighbour over lawn mower use
- She highlighted 17% of Swiss residents report racial discrimination, citing underreporting issues
- Oswal criticised the gap between Switzerland's economic progress and social acceptance
Indian-origin businesswoman Vasundhara Oswal, the elder daughter of billionaire industrialist Pankaj Oswal, has shared a video alleging she experienced racism outside her home in Switzerland, where she has lived for the past eight years. The video, posted on her Instagram account, shows a confrontation with an elderly Swiss neighbour who objected to her family using a lawn mower on a Thursday afternoon and told them they were "not in India". Vasundhara responded by saying there was no law prohibiting the use of a lawn mower at that time.
Following repeated racist remarks by the Swiss man, the Oswal family asked him to leave the premises. She further stated that their gardener had informed them about another neighbour using a lawn mower, but the Swiss man did not confront him.
Along with the video, Oswal posted a lengthy note alleging the widespread yet often overlooked problem of racism and xenophobia in Switzerland. Citing statistics, she said 17% of people living in the country have reported experiencing racial discrimination. She argued that the issue is underreported compared with countries such as the UK because Switzerland has a more fragmented system for recording such incidents.
Oswal also questioned the notion that economic development necessarily reflects social progress, saying she was disappointed by the prejudice she and her family had encountered despite living in Switzerland for years.
"As Indians who have lived in Switzerland for the past 8 years and built one of the largest houses in the country we are sad to say that racism and xenophobia in Switzerland is at large and is unspoken of. Targeted specifically towards different skin tones that are doing better than the average local population," she wrote.
Watch the video here:
She urged Indians to be more aware while selecting Switzerland as a destination for tourism, education or long-term settlement and said people should consider whether they want to give financial support to places where Indians and their culture are looked down upon.
"So here we are exposing the xenophobia in Switzerland we have had to deal with so the next time you choose a country to visit, study or settle down in you can truly understand if it deserves “Indian” hard earned money in terms of tourism and other monetary support when actually the local population looks down upon India , Indian culture and Indians," she concluded.
Who is Vasundhara Oswal?
Vasundhara Oswal is the daughter of industrialists Pankaj and Radhika Oswal, founders of the Oswal Group Global, a multinational business conglomerate with interests spanning fertilisers, petrochemicals and other sectors. She graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance with honours from a university in Switzerland and has received several recognitions, including The Economic Times' Inspiring Woman of the Year award and the Global Youth Icon Award in 2023.
She has also been featured by Femina India. Vasundhara lives with her family in Villa Vari, a luxury residence overlooking Mont Blanc in Switzerland that has been widely reported as one of the country's most expensive private homes. The house was designed by renowned interior designer Jeffrey Wilkes.
