Racial profiling and harassment of NE people
ATSUM knocks PM's door for urgent intervention
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 18 2020: The All Tribal Students' Union Manipur (ATSUM) has sought immediate intervention of the Prime Minister's Office into the ever growing cases of racial profiling and harassment of North East people in different parts of mainland India.

In a memorandum addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ATSUM pointed out that during this testing time when the whole world is fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, people from the North East residing in mainland India have been fighting the battle on two fronts.

Racial profiling and harassment of NE people

Many of the populace from the North East in mainland India are semi-skilled and unskilled workers relying on their monthly sala- ries to support themselves in the city.

However, with the Government imposing an inevitable Nationwide lockdown and the operation of all works coming to a halt, their means for survival has been cut off.

Respecting the protocol laid down by the Central and State Governments, people from the North East stayed back in the cities as dutiful citizens but as the world fights the pandemic virus, they have been exposed to the virus of 'racism' more than they have been to the pandemic virus, ATSUM asserted.

Back in the days before this pandemic, the words 'Chinki', 'Momo' etc were the slurs meted to people of the North East for their mongoloid looks but following the National lockdown, the anti-Chinese sarcasm and harassment besides branding the North-East populace in metro cities as 'Corona' has gone beyond repairs, conveyed the memorandum.

'Corona' is the word that is being shouted to people from the North East when they go out to buy essentials.

Cases have come up in many cities specially in Delhi and with lesser gravity in the South.

It has always been a pride for India to coin the phrase 'Unity in Diversity' for its multi-cultural ethos but in the current situation, people from the North East feel secluded from the rest of Indian citizens, ATSUM said.

It continued, "We are apprehensive that had the lockdown not been in place, cases of physical assault and mental harassment would have been much higher in workplaces.

The way we are treated by fellow countrymen is unbearable" .

While noting that the Government has been trying its best to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic, measures should also be taken up in full force to root out the much more rampant virus of racism, ATSUM urged the PMO.

It opined that appointing big names from the film industry as ambassadors against racism and airing in PSA's against racism on television would go a long way in creating awareness and rooting out racism.

Even though many help lines have been set up to help stranded workers and students, it has failed to reach the majority of the targeted people in distress.

In view of this, State Governments/NGOs/civil society organisations who are selflessly working to feed the hungry at this crucial juncture of the lockdown are expected to identify the North Easterners on ethnic lines for easy connectivity, concludes the memorandum.