The assertions about the existence of racism in India is not been taken seriously. Most Indians think racism exists only in the West and see themselves as victims. They do not see themselves having racist attitudes and behaviour towards others whom they see as inferior. They will either remain silent and refuse to acknowledge racism or violently discard it. It’s time they assessed their own attitudes towards people from the country’s North-Eastern states. Many people from the north-east have experienced different forms of racial discrimination time and again, and have thrown light upon the practice of racism in India.

The murder of Ramchanphy Hongray in New Delhi, mysterious death of Loitam Richard in Bangalore, suicide by Dana Sangma, the recent suspicious death of Nido Taniam and other such incidents show the insecure conditions under which people from the north-east India have to live in the metro cities. Things that are common in all these deaths are that all the victims were from the north-eastern states, had that specific appearance, and were considered outsiders in the places they died.

The north-easterners are also being confused with refugee Tibetans due to their quite similar physical features. Thus, another problem arose for the north-easterners when the security personnel had to identity Tibetans on the streets of Delhi. Since Delhi now has a substantial migrant population from the north-east, the forces went about raiding different areas of Delhi, questioning and holding up people from the north-east region and making them suspects. Many were asked for their passports or other identity proofs to prove that they were Indians and not refugee Tibetans. “Authentic” Indians had to mediate in some cases in order to support and become guarantors of the genuineness of the nationality of these north-easterners. Racism is difficult to prove and it is not surprising if racism cannot be clearly established because that’s how racism works.

A strong proof of racism in India is produced by the death of Nido Taniam, a 20-year-old student from Arunachal Pradesh, after he was assaulted in New Delhi. It is these vigilant forms of racism that makes the headlines, but they originate from the more concealed forms of racism. They originate from the attitudes of people who believe that the North Eastern community in metropolitans is different from the rest of the people. They are often discriminated on the basis of their Mongoloid traits. Racial comments are a popular form of discrimination just as how Nido Taniam’s blonde hair and red jeans were made fun of. Northeastern girls have to face a double fold discrimination; gender discrimination as well as racial discrimination. The most puzzling fact is that we in India don’t at all believe that we do racism. We think that only the Westerners are guilty of it. But the way the north-easterners get treated is not given the due concern.

Every once in a while, there will be an incident of tremendous, disgraceful violence that would be transparently racial and we will rally around and voice our anger but it is these pernicious, everyday forms of racial discrimination that damage our mind and create anger and aggravation. Fighting these everyday embarrassment exhausts our fury and determination to struggle.

To acknowledge that racism exists in this country and that many non deliberate actions might originate from racism can be a good start for fighting the problem. To be ignorant of these issues or to deny its existence means to be a culprit of the biased system. Also, the reason for fighting against racism is not because it is practised against our own citizens but because it is wrong despite of whether the victims of racism are citizens of the country or not. One way to be stern against racism is to recognise and make visible the presence of racism rather than merely adopting legal means to control this discrimination.

Aru Deep
IMB2012034