New Delhi: The Union Home Ministry on Monday asked all law enforcing agencies to take action against anybody who found involved in harassing people of Northeast by linking them to Covid 19. Two Delhi University students hailing from Northeast became victim of racial discrimination on March 22.
While talking to ETV Bharat, officials in the MHA said, "There have been cases where people of Northeast have been harassed by linking them to Coronavirus. This is a racial discrimination. All law enforcing agencies in states and UTs have been asked to take appropriate actions in such cases".
"On Sunday at around 9:30 p.m. a motor bike borne youth spat on two girls at Vijay Nagar area under North Wast Delhi. A case has been registered at the Vijay Nagar police station under Section 509 IPC and an investigation is underway", said a Delhi police official.
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Following the outbreak of Covid 19 most of the youths hailing from Northeast have left for their home town. People from Northeast who are staying in Delhi have alleged that they were being racially targeted after the outbreak of coronavirus. According to reports on March 3, two students from Northeast were attacked by six men near Delhi University campus.
"Racial discrimination against the northeastern people living in metros is not new. There are cases where people face serious discrimination cases," said Biju, a woman from Manipur who stays in Delhi.
"Earlier they used to call Northeastern people as momos, chowmein, Nepali and so on. Now, because of the pandemic and because of the Mongolian features, northeastern people are now being ridiculed as Corona Virus...This is a total act of blatant ignorance and racial discrimination," said Biju.
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This unabated 'racial discrimination' against Northeastern people living in Delhi have really raised eye brows of a cross section of people. Union Home Ministry has adopted zero tolerance approach against all kinds of racial discrimination. Delhi police too has setup a special cell to wealth with the cases related to Northeastern people.
