Bangolore, Oct 15: In a suspected hate crime, a Manipuri student leader was attacked with rocks late Tuesday by a gang of men who demanded he “speak in 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.The victim of the latest attack — T Michael Lamjathang Haokip, president of the Thadou (Manipuri tribe) Students’ Association, Bangalore — sustained injuries to his head and back. The 26-year-old is out of danger.Two other members of the students’ association, Ngamkholen Haokip, 28, and Rocky Kipgen, 25, who were with Michael when he was attacked escaped with minor injuries.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 told HT at the Kothanur police station on Wednesday night.
