IT News
Imphal March 10
Racial discrimination among the people of WESEA region has increased considerably during this COVID-19 pandemic said a press release by proscribed group Revolutionary Peoples Front. The statement said , intellectuals and others of mainland India has never consider people from WESEA or Northeast India to be part of India and still during this time of COVID-19, the racial attitude towards the people of WESEA region is imminent. Many crimes have been committed to the people of this region since the last 30 years and in 9th January 2008, MLAs and an MP from Manipur urged the then CM of Delhi Shilla Dixit about the issue but fails to intervene on the matter. After this, a booklet entitled “Security Tips for North East Students/Visitors in Delhi” was published and circulated by Delhi Police which advised women from Northeast India to dress appropriately and not to cook any foul smelling items.
The statement by RPF further add that this dictate by the Delhi Police over dressing and eating habit of the NE people is nothing but a way to suppressed the people of WESEA region.
Also, it is evident from the fact that India doesn’t recognise people from NE India as fellow citizens in the 2015 Delhi Assembly election where the BJP vision document clearly terms the people from WESEA region as immigrant.
Act of racial discrimination has increased manifold during the lockdown of COVID-19 pandemic in India. People from WESEA region who has physical appearance similar to that of China are targeted mainly as Coronavirus its first outbreak in China. People from this region are referred and called as Corona by mainland Indian and recently, a Delhi University student hailing from Manipur was spit with Paan onMarch 22, and many other cases in India where people from this region are targeted.
Many other atrocities like molestation, eviction of tenants, refusing to enter Grocery shop and hate crimes are being committed by people of India to the people of WESEA in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Delhi mainly.
The press release signed by Roben Khuman, Secy Publicity of RPF further said “ All these incidents of racial discrimination to the people of WESEA region is because of being under India’s colonial rule. It is an act of the colonial master to suppressed the people of this region and is evident from these recent incidents. This colonial mentality is also evident on the citizens of mainland India and is akin to the racial discrimination by the White to the Africans by terming them as Black or Negro. Despite all such discrimination by mainland India, it is quite surprising that students and other working in different parts of the country continue to term themselves as Indian and not foreigner, continuing their act of dependency to India. “
And lastly, RPF appeals that only when Manipur attains sovereignty, then such act of discrimination and atrocities can be stopped. As long as we remain under the colonial rule of India, such hate crimes and atrocities will continue.
