Editor,
In 2014, Nido Tania was beaten to death in Delhi after racial abuse. In 2026, Arjun Rimo was assaulted in Karol Bagh under eerily familiar circumstances: an argument, racial slurs, and violence. Twelve years apart, the pattern remains unchanged.
For Arunachalees, Hindi has never guaranteed safety. In fact, it often does the opposite. Unlike many from the Northeast who remain silent or disengage due to language barriers, Arunachalees speak back. They argue in Hindi, demand fairness, and refuse humiliation. That assertion unsettles a deep-seated sense of superiority.
Nagas, Mizos, Khasis, and others often escape such confrontations, not because they are less discriminated against, but because they avoid engagement. Arunachalees, by contrast, engage and pay the price. Their fluency removes the excuse of “misunderstanding” and exposes prejudice directly.
From Nido Tania to Arjun Rimo, the message has been cruelly consistent. In today’s India, being foreign is safer than being Arunachalee, and silence is safer than speaking Hindi.
Mai Dol Camdir