ITANAGAR, 10 Mar: Members of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, cutting across party lines, on Tuesday strongly condemned incidents of racial discrimination against people from the Northeast in other parts of the country, with lawmakers urging the Centre to enact a stringent anti-racism law.
The issue was raised by Nationalist People’s Party (NPP) MLA Thangwang Wangham through a short duration discussion in the House, where he expressed serious concern over recurring incidents of racial abuse faced by people from the region in other parts of the country.
Referring to a recent case, Wangham cited the 20 February incident in the Malviya Nagar area of Delhi, where three girls from Arunachal Pradesh were subjected to racial slurs and verbal abuse by a couple following a minor dispute related to air conditioner repair and installation work in their rented apartment.
He said that the argument escalated and the women were reportedly targeted with derogatory remarks about people from the Northeast. A video of the confrontation later went viral on social media, sparking public outrage and prompting police action.
Wangham also referred to the 2014 incident involving Arunachalee youth Nido Tania, who was beaten to death in the Lajpat Nagar area of Delhi. Tania was assaulted by shopkeepers after an argument during which his appearance and ethnic identity were mocked. The 20-year-old later died of severe injuries, triggering nationwide outrage and protests over racial discrimination against people from the Northeast.
“This is quite humiliating, intolerable and unacceptable,” Wangham said, adding that people in other parts of the country have limited knowledge about the Northeast and its contributions to the nation.
He said many unsung heroes from the region have sacrificed their lives for the country and that people of Arunachal continue to serve as sentinels guarding the nation’s frontiers.
“People from the Northeast should not be humiliated and must be given due respect. Unfortunately, our people are often branded with derogatory terms,” he said.
The MLA urged the government to take strong measures and called on the Centre to enact a comprehensive anti-racism law to protect people from the Northeast. He also urged MPs from the region to raise the issue strongly at the national level.
Several other lawmakers participating in the discussion also condemned the incident and demanded strict action against those responsible.
They suggested incorporating the history and culture of the Northeast in NCERT and other state board syllabi to create greater awareness among people in other parts of the country.
Responding on behalf of the government, Education and Tourism Minister Pasang Dorjee Sona said the Malviya Nagar case was not an isolated incident, and that many such cases had occurred in the past but often went unreported.
“The crux of the problem lies in the mindset of people from other parts of the country, which must change,” the minister said, adding that such incidents occur largely due to ignorance about the Northeast.
He also supported the demand for a strong anti-racism law and suggested that the Assembly send a resolution to the Centre seeking legislation to curb racial discrimination.
Later, Speaker Tesam Pongte assured the House that a strong message condemning such incidents would be conveyed to the prime minister’s office and the home ministry. (PTI)
