Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma expressed his anger over recent incidents of racial attacks and bullying on people from Northeast India in the mainland, particularly over the recent assault of a woman from Manipur in Delhi after she objected to harassment.
The incident happened on Sunday evening near Delhi's Saket court where a woman from Manipur was taking a walk a park with her friend when a group of men allegedly commented on them, said police. When one of the women objected, they were allegedly assaulted by the men.
"When one of the women objected to the remarks, an argument broke out, and the accused allegedly assaulted her," news agency PTI quoted a police officer as saying.
The police added that they reached the spot after receiving information and contacted the victim. “Further action will be taken based on her statement,” said a police officer.
‘Sickening, should not be accepted’
Calling the incident ‘sickening’ Sangma said that racial bullying against people from Northeast India cannot be accepted as new normal and reached out to his Delhi counterpart Rekha Gupta to take strict action in the matter by tagging her in the post.
{{/usCountry}}Calling the incident ‘sickening’ Sangma said that racial bullying against people from Northeast India cannot be accepted as new normal and reached out to his Delhi counterpart Rekha Gupta to take strict action in the matter by tagging her in the post.
{{/usCountry}}“Angered by the repeated attacks on North East people in Mainland India. The physical attack on two of our people from Manipur and Assam near Saket Court, Delhi is sickening. Racial bullying should not be accepted as the new normal and we must act against it. Urge the authorities to take stringent action,” Sangma wrote on X.
Not the first time
The incident that happened on Sunday is not an isolated one. In February, three women from the northeast, including a Delhi University (DU) student, were subjected to racial abuse by a couple in Delhi's Malviya Nagar following a minor dispute over dust entering the latter's home.
A video of the incident had gone viral on social media, purportedly showing the couple making derogatory remarks against the three women.
The couple was arrested and relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were invoked against them, said police.
Reacting to that incident, Delhi chief minister Rekha Gupta had said that Delhi “belongs to everyone” and that such harassment “will not be tolerated”.
“...Delhi belongs to everyone. Here, the dignity, respect, and safety of every citizen is paramount. I will meet with them personally. The police are taking legal action with full responsibility, and we will ensure that the strictest possible action is taken against the culprits. Harassing, discriminating against, or humiliating any daughter will not be tolerated at any cost...,” Gupta had said in a post on X.