Protests against racial attacks gain momentum
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 11 2014: Six different women organisations today staged a protest demonstration near Ibotonsana Higher Secondary School, Uripok against racial discrimination and attacks against people from the North East in different parts of India particularly Delhi apart from submitting a memorandum to the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Governor and State Chief Minister.

Speaking to media persons at the protest site, All Manipur Social Reformation and Development Samaj president Keisam (O) Taruni condemned in the strongest term the rape of a Manipuri girl and brutal physical assault on two other girls from the State at Delhi recently.

Mainland Indians look down upon people from the North East region and many women from the region have been molested, raped or murdered.

Womenfolk taking out a protest

The protest demonstration was jointly organised by All Manipur Social Reformation and Development Samaj, Apunba Manipur Kanba Ima Lup, All Manipur Chingmi Tammi Apunba Nupi Lup, Ereipak Irat Chanura Loina Shinlon, Thoubal District United Women Development Organisation, and Apunba Nupi Lup Lamlandong.

After the protest demonstration, the protesters faxed a memorandum to the President and the Prime Minister.

Copies of the same memorandum were also submitted to the Chief Minister and the Governor.

The memorandum stated that people from the North East region are being looked down upon, discriminated and harassed in different parts of mainland India since the past many decades.

Apart from the daily dose of harassment meted out to North Eastern people by mainland Indians, the Government of India has been violating the right to life of the people in their home States too, particularly in Manipur by imposing the infamous Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act under which security forces can detain and even kill people on mere suspicion, the memorandum pointed out.

"This is in fact a serious form of racial discrimination perpetrated by the Government of India", it added.

Majority of the mainland Indians have a concept that people from the North East region are less civilized, underprivileged and politically weak.

Starting from national leaders to street muggers, they neither recognise nor respect other citizens of India except peoples of Aryan and Dravidian stocks.

The memorandum went on to state that people of the North East region would not like to live as second class citizens of India any longer.