Dr. Karishma Reddy faces online harassment after posting a video wearing a *tika* on her forehead
"As a medical student, when you go on your rural rotation, no one really prepares you well for it. I went to the Medical College of Georgia. I showed up in this small town. I was seeing a man for diabetes, and his wife asked me why I was wearing a dot."
LOS ANGELES:- Plastic surgeon Dr. Karishma Reddy has faced racially discriminatory comments online after sharing a video of herself wearing a *Tika*—a symbol of auspiciousness—on her forehead. Distressed by these discriminatory remarks, Dr. Reddy, who is of Indian origin, has publicly shared her views on the matter.
A wave of racially discriminatory reactions began after plastic surgeon Dr. Karishma Reddy shared a video recounting an incident from her days as a medical student. She had described the event as a “lighthearted, fun memory.” However, the video clip sparked a backlash of hate, compelling her to respond to the abuse in a follow-up video.
In her video post, Reddy recalls an encounter that took place during her rural medical rotation at the Medical College of Georgia.
Dr. Karishma Reddy said, “As a medical student, when you go on your rural rotation, no one really prepares you well for it. I went to the Medical College of Georgia. I showed up in this small town. I was seeing a man for diabetes, and his wife asked me why I was wearing a dot.”
Before she could even reply, a comment appeared on the online post: “I’ll tell you why she wears that dot (tika) on her forehead. When she gets married, her husband will scratch it off to see if she’s won a motel or a gas station.”
Reddy was hurt by the comments on the video she posted, saying, “I would… on many of those days, I would just quietly drive home.”
As the video gained attention, many posted racist comments telling Reddy to “go back to India,” expressing hatred or prejudice against foreigners.
