3 Manipuri youths assaulted for not speaking Kannada
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, October 15 2014: In a suspected hate crime, three students from Manipur were allegedly beaten up by three persons for not speaking in Kannada at a restaurant here on Tuesday night.

According to the FIR, the three Manipuri students, T Michael Lamjathang Haokip (26), Ngamkholen Haokip (28) and Rocky Kipgen (25) were dining at a restaurant in Byrathi Cross near Kothanur in Bangalore on Tuesday night, when the incident took place at around 9:30 pm.

The accused, identified as Arun Kumar, Karunakaran and James - all drivers by profession, were reportedly sitting at a nearby table and asked the Manipuri students to talk softly.

"As the students replied in English, the locals asked them to talk in Kannada," said DCP Vikas Kumar.

All the three accused have been arrested.

3 Manipuri youths assaulted for not speaking Kannada

The attack took place past midnight in Kothanur, a part of the city which has a high density of outstation students, particularly from the northeast states and Africa.

There have been similar attacks in the area in the past.

Incidentally, Ngamkholen had faced a similar attack in another part of the city in September.

The police are yet to make any arrests in that case.

"They kept asking me to speak in Kannada.

They said, 'If you outsiders know how to eat food that is produced in Karnataka, you must also know to speak Kannada.

This is India not China.' I tried to reason with them but they were hysterical," a profusely bleeding Michael said at the Kothanur police station on Wednesday night.

In his complaint, Michael alleged that people who were attracted by the commotion immediately took the side of the attackers.

Describing the terrifying mob attack, he said, "A friend from my community, Letmang Haokip, 35, was passing by on his motorbike at the same time.

I jumped onto the bike and we started racing towards the police station.

But mob followed us on their bikes and one of them crashed into us.

We fell down and I started running for my life towards the police station.

Just then a police patrol car arrived and the mob scattered" .

Letmang, who could not leave his motorbike behind and escape, said, "I was surrounded by the gang when Michael ran away.

They snatched my valuables and my bike's documents.

They would have probably killed me but Michael returned with the police" .

Obed Haokip, 46, one of Michael's friends, who arrived with the police patrol, claimed people close to a local politician helped some of the attackers escape.

"This man pretended he was helping us but he actually allowed some of the attackers to escape" .

Boxing champion Mary Kom, who is in the city for a marathon event, expressed concern.

"I don't feel good listening to such news.

There should be unity and peace in our country, so that such incidents don't repeat," said the Olympic medalist.

It may be recalled that in 2012, students and workers from northeastern states left Bangalore in droves as rumours of attacks led to panic in the three lakh-strong community.

Additional commissioner of police Alok Kumar said, "Three persons have been arrested and investigations are on to ascertain if this was a hate crime" .

Michael said trouble started when they were at a roadside eatery.

"Suddenly, three men came and started giving us orders in Kannada.

All we could understand (through their gestures) is that they wanted us to move.

But they started asking us all sorts of things and when we could not answer, they started raising the Kannada issue" .