Manipuris from all Corners of India Unite to Slam Racism against Northeast Indians

New Delhi, April 8, 2020:

With most Indians staying indoors to avert getting a coronavirus infection, several people from Manipur living in all parts of the country have extended solidarity towards each other while condemning "racist" acts against people with Mongoloid features. Today, Manipuris in huge numbers took part in a social media awareness campaign meant to silence the prevailing evil of racism.

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The social media campaign, initiated by the Manipur Students' Association Delhi (MSAD), which sought entries via its official Facebook account, saw the participation of people from diverse age groups, genders and professions. Placards decrying "racism" and condemning the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), were sent out by the participants, who preached humanity and called for an end to the racist practices.

Thokchom Singhajit, the General Secretary of the , informed Inside Northeast that over a hundred people took part in the campaign. "People from all over India do not participate. Still, near about 100 people from different colonies in South East Asia participated. And it is going on.

This campaign, it may be mentioned, takes place against the backdrop of an increasing number of hate crimes against the NE Indian people, especially in the metros. Several Manipuris have also been subjected to taunts and even aggressive acts such as throwing of spit.

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A 25-year-old girl from Manipur was reportedly spat on in Mumbai recently, leading to the lodging of an FIR. This latest incident of alleged discrimination has been reported from the Kalina Main Signal in Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra. A man riding a scooty took off his mask to spit betel nut juice at the innocent Manipuri woman.

This, after a 25-year-old in New Delhi's Mukherjee Nagar was also subjected to a similar harrowing experience.

The 25-year-old was reportedly returning to her house at Vijay Nagar, when a man stopped her and apparently misbehaved with her. When she fired back, he spat at her and yelled “CORONA” at her. Naturally, the spitting incident took social media by storm. Even Delhi CM Kejriwal took stock of the incident and called for the arrest of the perpetrator.

Assam Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi took to his Facebook to condemn the spitting incident and wrote, “On the wings of Corona onslaught, there is a sudden outburst of racial attacks in last couple of days on the boys and girls of the Northeast presently residing in Delhi and in some other places. Hope the saner elements of our civil society rise to quell this menace.

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It is generally believed that prejudice against those hailing from the Northeast Indian states has seen a sharp spike in the aftermath of the outbreak of the coronavirus or COVID-19. Across the nation, several such incidents of racial profiling have been reported and the term “corona” has found acceptance as a pejorative against those with mongoloid features. This, it is widely believed to draw linkage to China, where the novel coronavirus is first said to have spread to humans.

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