With the surging cases of coronavirus, there are some strange cases that come up amid all this. The whole world is battling to halt the spread of a deadly virus and amidst this worsening health crisis, cases of racism and discrimination targeting citizens from northeastern states of India have emerged.
Delhi University students who are from the northeastern states are being taunted and referred to as coronavirus because they “look Chinese”. According to the Indian Express, several of these students complained to the police and commented on social media.
Students claim that they are accustomed to racial discrimination, such as “chinki”, “momo”, “Chinese” and “Nepali” because they look somewhat specific, come from the northeast, and speak Hindi in different accents.
But since India reported the first case of a coronavirus, these students have noticed the addition of new terms to the defamation. Students have complained on social media that they are known as “coronaviruses”
In response to a tweet on Monday about a young Manipuri woman who had been spat on in near Delhi University, Swati Maliwal, the chairperson of the Delhi Commission for Women tweeted:
“This is really shameful. @DelhiPolice should immediately act against the culprit. People from the North East are our brothers and sisters and this cannot be tolerated under any circumstances! Let’s support each other in our fight against Covid 19!”
This is really shameful. @DelhiPolice should immediately act against the culprit. People from the North East are our brothers and sisters and this cannot be tolerated under any circumstances!
Let’s support each other in our fight against Covid 19! https://t.co/f25Jn4SoEA
— Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) March 23, 2020
The harassment has prompted some students to attempt a campaign against racism on social media. One post shows a young woman holding a placard that asks: “Do I look like a virus?”
(Source: Facebook- Duyu Rija Karcho)
As per the Indian Express reports, one of the Assamese students said, “Everyday, on multiple occasions, we get called ‘Coronavirus’. People have told me that the virus spread to India from China via the North East,” she says.
In fact, until now, no case of coronavirus has been seen from the northeastern states while the first case was reported from Kerala.
The Delhi police have registered a case against a man suspected of racially abusing a Northeast woman, calling her ‘corona’ and spitting at her.
Angellica Aribam, a former student leader at the University of Delhi, has filed a police case in response to racist comments directed at her on Twitter, using the term “bat eating tribe”.
Filed a zero FIR with @DelhiPolice for these tweets by @_MayankSikarwar @doctormulliner @AglBrKhKeLoonga. #Racism pic.twitter.com/XwgYEsCAoH
— Angellica Aribam (@AngellicAribam) March 22, 2020
A video shared on a Facebook page on March 13 was viral. Its caption said: “Stop calling us corona, ch***i, Chinese … North East students of Punjab. #Govt_Of_India #say #No #to #Racism #Students #Northeast #India”.
The student from a small village in Punjab posted a video on Facebook showing how people started calling them by name and how it hurts and affects their learning.
Times of India reported that the Northeast Students’ Forum of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has written a letter to the college alleging racial discrimination has occurred on and off campus since the coronavirus outbreak. They have asked the administration of the college to intervene and ensure the safety of these students.
