Gorkha Students, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Condemn the continues harassment and racial violence against Students from Sikkim in Maharashtra...
Racism and the violence associated with it crept its way even to the safe haven that was Maharashtra. In a series of racial violence against people from North Eastern states, five students hailing from Sikkim, studying at the Degree College of Physical Education (DCPE) Maharashtra (Amravati) were brutally attacked by 20 Delhiite students of the same college on 13th December in Amravati, Maharashtra. The injured have been identified as Pemba, Lako, PrayazChhetri, Subhalal, ShishirChhetri (all from Sikkim) and Mayur Kumar (from Delhi). Out of the five injured, the condition of Pema is critical. He was admitted to a hospital in a coma and has been so for the past two days. A fight broke out when Mayur gave slang against mother (aamakogalee) and Pemba resisted against that statement. In return, Mayurcalled a group of 20 Delhi students and attacked Pemba with stones and sticks. Pemba ran for his life towards Gandhi Chowk and took shelter in a nearby cracker shop, but his did not stop and pelted shop with stones. In fit of rage they also attacked some passersby and damaged private vehicles parked near area. Nothing has been done to assist the students from Sikkim, while the arrested culprit is being given full facility. The culprits who beat Pemba TsheringBhutia are under police protection and are provided foods.
What followed after this incident was showed the true racist character of Indian state apparatus. Five injured students from Sikkim who were admitted in hospital also met with cold response from administration and from police. Students who are admitted in hospitals are neither provided food from administration nor provided any protection. Students have expressed their insecurity and lack of faith in authority and police (both of which are supporting and taking the side of the culprits) via social networking sites and media (Voice Of Sikkim). They have also been harassed in past and have been resisting apathy since very long time. In one message they have expressed their painful experience - “Delhi students stare at us as if we are from alien world. They even shout at us with very filthy words, which I cannot utter here. We aren’t from different world..., We haven’t done anything wrong to them... So why do they treat to us in such despicable manner? We are insecure and we too need the authorities to listen to our grievances as well, rather than listening to the perpetrators only.”
In a similar incident in Gurgaon, on the 16th of December,a girl from North east was beaten and dragged by her hair. There can be nothing more demeaning and humiliating than to be thrashed and assaulted and taunted merely on the basis of one's facial features. When we seek justice from police, we are treated with contempt, and we are made to feel that we are knocking on the wrong doors.
The popular reaction from so called ‘mainstream society’ is to continuously deny the fact that racism exists. This can take multiple manifestations. The incident of hate crime is being generalised to such an extent that it is ticked off as just another incident of disagreement/violence. Some even go so far as calling the outburst to racial crimes as the “Romanticisation” of people from North East. However, the manifestations of racism faced by different communities are varied. Racism for people with mongoloid features in India has become almost a mundane activity like getting up in the morning. And it’s not limited to people from North East only. Even non-Northeastern people like Gorkhas, Ladakhis, and Tibetans have to face the same degree of contempt. The non-mongoloid looking proverbial “mainstream Indians” is not asked to dress in a “proper” manner and told their “worth” on of their faces. The police will not bring out a leaflet asking them ‘what to eat’ and ‘what not to eat’ and ‘what to wear’. They will not beaten for hours and their heads won’t be shaved to give the message that they are not welcome here. They do not have to protest for 9 hours just to lodge an FIR when a 14 year old girl is being raped. Their ID cards need not be checked every time they visit parks, museums, monuments to 'prove' are from India. They do not have to face racist slurs at public spaces for no fault of theirs. They don't have to face condescending looks and patronizing response. Oh, yes! Racism does exist in India, it just that some don’t have to bear the heat of the same.
After the death of Nido Tania and the consequent protests of people from North East, the government was forced to form a committee headed by retired IAS Officer M. P. Bezbaruah. The committee has submitted its report recently and suggested various measures to stop racial crimes. The committee refused to include academicians and activists as demanded by the people, and most of the members are seen as least motivated to even understand the daily racist harassment faced by people from North East.
The Committee also suggested that more cultural exchange will lead to decline in racial crime. In such deeply hierarchical and oppressive society, any people outside of “their society” cannot be imagined to be treated as equal. There can’t be any form of meaningful cultural exchange between people who share unequal power relations. All the effort of so called cultural exchange in such unequal power relation will at best end up as being a matter of appeasement.The argument that these deliberate and planned attacks are due to lack of cultural exchange is outrightly frivolous and laughable at best.
Racism in India is deeply institutionalized, which finds its reflections in the lackadaisical attitude of police, biased media reporting, delayed trials and uncooperative behavior of medical staffs. The audacity of these hate crimes can be judged from the incident where a women lawyer from North East and her friends were severely manhandled in front of a Judge in TizHazari court. When two men from Nagaland working in BPO in Gurgaon were brutally beaten and their head were shaved by gang of locals in 15 October, 2014, the Gurgaon Police Commisioner denies that the assault was racially motivated and has instead termed the incident “a drunken brawl”. During the visit of Chinese premier, Mr. Xi Jingping in India the prime minister NarendraModi’s government gave special instruction that people with mongolied features should stay away from the hotel where Mr. Xi Jingping was staying. What motivated this racially discriminatory instruction? What was he is afraid of or ashamed of?
Even after numerous incidents of racial violence government has failed to accept it as the incident of racism. After death of Nido Tania, there have been many more than incidents occurring in India. Two lakh people from the North East have migrated to Delhi between 2005 and 2013 and that about 86 percent of them have faced discrimination. In New Delhi alone, this year the incident of racial violence has gone up to 236.
We condemn this continues harassment and dehumanisation on basis of race in strongest possible words and appeal to all progressive democratic forces to raise their voice against such incidents. We demand that government should immediately come out of denial mode and enact anti-racial law to punish the perpetrators of such hate crime without any delay. For our own representative from our states, time has come when they should break their long salience and raise their voice clear and loud. We believe only the unity among the all oppressed and uncompromising fight can eradicate this social affliction.
Condemn the continues harassment and racial violence against Students from Sikkim in Maharashtra...
Racism and the violence associated with it crept its way even to the safe haven that was Maharashtra. In a series of racial violence against people from North Eastern states, five students hailing from Sikkim, studying at the Degree College of Physical Education (DCPE) Maharashtra (Amravati) were brutally attacked by 20 Delhiite students of the same college on 13th December in Amravati, Maharashtra. The injured have been identified as Pemba, Lako, PrayazChhetri, Subhalal, ShishirChhetri (all from Sikkim) and Mayur Kumar (from Delhi). Out of the five injured, the condition of Pema is critical. He was admitted to a hospital in a coma and has been so for the past two days. A fight broke out when Mayur gave slang against mother (aamakogalee) and Pemba resisted against that statement. In return, Mayurcalled a group of 20 Delhi students and attacked Pemba with stones and sticks. Pemba ran for his life towards Gandhi Chowk and took shelter in a nearby cracker shop, but his did not stop and pelted shop with stones. In fit of rage they also attacked some passersby and damaged private vehicles parked near area. Nothing has been done to assist the students from Sikkim, while the arrested culprit is being given full facility. The culprits who beat Pemba TsheringBhutia are under police protection and are provided foods.
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| harassment and racial violence against Students from Sikkim in Maharashtra |
What followed after this incident was showed the true racist character of Indian state apparatus. Five injured students from Sikkim who were admitted in hospital also met with cold response from administration and from police. Students who are admitted in hospitals are neither provided food from administration nor provided any protection. Students have expressed their insecurity and lack of faith in authority and police (both of which are supporting and taking the side of the culprits) via social networking sites and media (Voice Of Sikkim). They have also been harassed in past and have been resisting apathy since very long time. In one message they have expressed their painful experience - “Delhi students stare at us as if we are from alien world. They even shout at us with very filthy words, which I cannot utter here. We aren’t from different world..., We haven’t done anything wrong to them... So why do they treat to us in such despicable manner? We are insecure and we too need the authorities to listen to our grievances as well, rather than listening to the perpetrators only.”
In a similar incident in Gurgaon, on the 16th of December,a girl from North east was beaten and dragged by her hair. There can be nothing more demeaning and humiliating than to be thrashed and assaulted and taunted merely on the basis of one's facial features. When we seek justice from police, we are treated with contempt, and we are made to feel that we are knocking on the wrong doors.
The popular reaction from so called ‘mainstream society’ is to continuously deny the fact that racism exists. This can take multiple manifestations. The incident of hate crime is being generalised to such an extent that it is ticked off as just another incident of disagreement/violence. Some even go so far as calling the outburst to racial crimes as the “Romanticisation” of people from North East. However, the manifestations of racism faced by different communities are varied. Racism for people with mongoloid features in India has become almost a mundane activity like getting up in the morning. And it’s not limited to people from North East only. Even non-Northeastern people like Gorkhas, Ladakhis, and Tibetans have to face the same degree of contempt. The non-mongoloid looking proverbial “mainstream Indians” is not asked to dress in a “proper” manner and told their “worth” on of their faces. The police will not bring out a leaflet asking them ‘what to eat’ and ‘what not to eat’ and ‘what to wear’. They will not beaten for hours and their heads won’t be shaved to give the message that they are not welcome here. They do not have to protest for 9 hours just to lodge an FIR when a 14 year old girl is being raped. Their ID cards need not be checked every time they visit parks, museums, monuments to 'prove' are from India. They do not have to face racist slurs at public spaces for no fault of theirs. They don't have to face condescending looks and patronizing response. Oh, yes! Racism does exist in India, it just that some don’t have to bear the heat of the same.
After the death of Nido Tania and the consequent protests of people from North East, the government was forced to form a committee headed by retired IAS Officer M. P. Bezbaruah. The committee has submitted its report recently and suggested various measures to stop racial crimes. The committee refused to include academicians and activists as demanded by the people, and most of the members are seen as least motivated to even understand the daily racist harassment faced by people from North East.
The Committee also suggested that more cultural exchange will lead to decline in racial crime. In such deeply hierarchical and oppressive society, any people outside of “their society” cannot be imagined to be treated as equal. There can’t be any form of meaningful cultural exchange between people who share unequal power relations. All the effort of so called cultural exchange in such unequal power relation will at best end up as being a matter of appeasement.The argument that these deliberate and planned attacks are due to lack of cultural exchange is outrightly frivolous and laughable at best.
Racism in India is deeply institutionalized, which finds its reflections in the lackadaisical attitude of police, biased media reporting, delayed trials and uncooperative behavior of medical staffs. The audacity of these hate crimes can be judged from the incident where a women lawyer from North East and her friends were severely manhandled in front of a Judge in TizHazari court. When two men from Nagaland working in BPO in Gurgaon were brutally beaten and their head were shaved by gang of locals in 15 October, 2014, the Gurgaon Police Commisioner denies that the assault was racially motivated and has instead termed the incident “a drunken brawl”. During the visit of Chinese premier, Mr. Xi Jingping in India the prime minister NarendraModi’s government gave special instruction that people with mongolied features should stay away from the hotel where Mr. Xi Jingping was staying. What motivated this racially discriminatory instruction? What was he is afraid of or ashamed of?
Even after numerous incidents of racial violence government has failed to accept it as the incident of racism. After death of Nido Tania, there have been many more than incidents occurring in India. Two lakh people from the North East have migrated to Delhi between 2005 and 2013 and that about 86 percent of them have faced discrimination. In New Delhi alone, this year the incident of racial violence has gone up to 236.
We condemn this continues harassment and dehumanisation on basis of race in strongest possible words and appeal to all progressive democratic forces to raise their voice against such incidents. We demand that government should immediately come out of denial mode and enact anti-racial law to punish the perpetrators of such hate crime without any delay. For our own representative from our states, time has come when they should break their long salience and raise their voice clear and loud. We believe only the unity among the all oppressed and uncompromising fight can eradicate this social affliction.
+Avinash+Gurung+at+the+Gorkha+Rangamanch+Bhavan+in+Darjeeling+on+Saturday;+Bimal+and+Asha+Gurung+in+the+audience.+Pictures+by+Suman+Tamang.jpg)
hi
ReplyDeleteWe do face racism in Maharashtra
Marathi don't respect others. they tend to get jealous and angry and start hitting others... isn't it insecurity