In the UK, India’s signature culture is now becoming a limelight. Residents express their dismay over rangolis made from gutka and betel. It has disfigured the streets, garbage cans and walls. The issue has been strongly criticised on social media.

A viral video showcased the problem in the areas of Rayners Lane and North Harrow. Local residents have complained that these betel and gutka stains have become a usual sight for them.

Area residents say these stains are often spotted outside shops and restaurants where gutka, betel and chewing tobacco are sold. And it is not difficult to guess from which countries this “gift” has come.

Betel and gutka are very popular in South Asia, especially India and Pakistan. These are mouth-watering and chewable mixtures that usually contain salt, tobacco, lime, chemicals and fragrances.

The streets, bus stops, railway stations and even hospital walls are decorated with these “red works of art made of saliva”. Now this “art” has also started to be imported to London, but the reason is not Pakistanis but Indians.

British netizens have been ridiculing Indians, and one user wrote, ‘Indians do not stop their actions!’ While another user suggested, ‘Check your teeth before granting a visa!’.

In a comment from an Indian user appeared on X, “We could not make India England, now we make England India!”. Many commenters reminded that this scene is not new.

One resident wrote, ‘When I came to London for work in 2008, I felt like I was back in Delhi when I got off the train at Wembley station and saw gutka being sprayed on the stairs.’

It is worth noting that the sale of gutka or chewing tobacco is not completely banned in the UK, but its sale is subject to registration and compliance with laws. But the problem is not just with sales, but the way it is being consumed.