How to deal with political (literal) situations in the workplace? A few days ago, I went to have lunch with my colleagues (working in the same group). Somehow, the conversation turned towards politics and the "immigrant emergency" that Europe is currently facing. 

To put it mildly, I as a person have very strong convictions regarding such issues. I am from India and I have to deal with passive racial profiling on a regular basis (People looking me up and down and then holding their bags a bit more firmly; No, It was not my appearance, I was very well dressed/groomed). After having experienced it the first few times, I understand the biases that affect such behaviour and do not really mind it. 

Nonetheless, it is very difficult for me to ignore it when my peers portray this issue from a one-sided perspective. At that moment, I let the matter be because a short argument over lunch is not going to change a people's minds.

Yet, at this moment I feel very angry at myself for not having spoken up. 

For future reference, how should I go about addressing such sensitive issues without raising a furore? 
In other words, how can I present history/societal and political issues from the other side of the fence without creating a fuss? Is that even possible?
How should I go about addressing such sensitive issues without raising a furor? 


Either keep silence or avoid going to such places if you can't withstand such talks.


  how can I present history/societal and political issues from the other side of the fence without creating a fuss? 


You can't. Reality is different from place to place and human minds are built according to realities they live in. 

Its futile to talk about the benefit of democracy with a person from mainland China; futile to try to explain why invasion of Ukraine was a bad idea to a Russian; futile to try to convince a neo-Nazi to not to stab a Turkish guy.


  Is that even possible?


No. This is about ideology. Ideologies can't be argued with. They are deeply rooted into human souls.

Someone who passed their entire life living under the roof of democracy in Hong Kong can not be convinced to cede their right of freedom of speech only because their country is systematically taken over by a communist country. That is why we saw Umbrella Movement.