As fear over the novel coronavirus pandemic grips the nation, people are letting the hysteria come out in shameful and disgusting ways. At the centre of the panic over the outbreak, which originated in China, are Northeastern folks, who are being subjected to racism and discrimination across the country.
Lawyer and social activist Alana Golmei shared photos of a Manipuri woman who attacked in Delhi’s North Campus area. The woman, who is in her early 20s, alleged that she was on her way to buy groceries when a man came on a two-wheeler and spat on her. He called her “corona” before fleeing the spot. The incident took place on Sunday around 10 pm in Vijay Nagar.
A complaint has been filed against the man by the Delhi Police under Section 509 (outraging modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal too condemned the incident. “Am shocked to read this. Delhi Police must find the culprit and take strict action. We need to be united as a nation, especially in our fight against Covid-19,” he wrote on Twitter.
However, the woman is not alone in facing such an ordeal. Golmei also posted about the harassment she and her niece were subjected to in Delhi University. Not just her, many Northeastern citizens have shared stories of discrimination amid the coronavirus outbreak.
As one social media user put it, “It’s a double crisis for us, first battle with the virus and then with the societal virus of racism!”
Bollywood singer and former Indian Idol contestant Meiyang Chang said that while he was out on his morning walk in Mumbai, two men on a bike sped past him shouting “corona”. Others have echoed facing the same kind of racism.
Political activist Angellica Aribam also shared lewd messages and racist slurs she was receiving on social media.
Another video doing the rounds of social media shows a group of women from the northeast crying as the housing society they lived in tried to forcefully evict them and blamed them for “bringing coronavirus in India”. In the video, a police official, reportedly from Gujarat Police, can be seen reassuring the women that they are safe and do not have to go anywhere
The mentality can even affect authorities. Last week, nine Naga youths were forced to spend 24 hours in quarantine in Gujarat despite having no symptoms of coronavirus, any history of international travel or contact with a Covid-19 patient.
The group was allegedly put into forced quarantine after someone made an anonymous call to the Ahmedabad police about “Chinese people” working in an office.
During these times, some northeastern citizens are making public calls for sensitivity and understanding from the masses. One Kolkata-based singer who has Chinese ancestry resorted to wearing a t-shirt that says “I am not coronavirus, I was born in Kolkata and I never visited China.”
Northeastern students, living in a small village in Punjab called Chunni Kalan took to Facebook to post a video explaining how after the Covid-19 outbreak, people have been calling them with names such as coronavirus. They even said that few of their friends were denied to stay on rent because people thought they were from China.
In the light of the growing incidents, the Ministry of Home Affairs has issued a statement on Monday saying, “There have been cases where people of Northeast including athletes have been harassed by linking them to Covid-19. This is racially discriminatory. It’s requested that all law enforcing agencies in states and UT may sensitise to take appropriate action in these cases.”