By Madhu Chandra
Only 14% says that they did not face racial discrimination but they felt people calling them chinkies, Nepalis, free culture and strangers, which they did not consider racial discrimination. Half of those who said that they did not face racial discrimination are less than two years living in Delhi. The longer, the one stays in national capital reveals the racial discrimination faced by the north easterners. The study also reveals the possibilities that longer the one stays higher the chance to face racial discrimination.
78.75% of those who face racial discrimination say that they are treated like chinkies, strangers in own land, free culture and Nepalis. 22.5% face physical attacks, 3.75% sexual assault, 35% vulgar remarks and 38.75% no comments.
North East Support Centre & Helpline handled and reported 34 cases since its birth on 21 October 2007. 41% of total cases was of sexual abuse, 18% beating by locals, 12% rape cases, 9% killed probably in connection to sexual assault, 6% landlord harassment, 3% vulgar remarks, 3% eve teasing, 3% police harassment, 3% employer harassment, 3% Media vulgar statement against north easterners.
The racial discrimination to north east communities in national capital was rising up in 2005 and the following years till 2007, where North East Support Centre & Helpline was launched out to help and sensitise the issue. As per the media records collected from 2005 till date by North East Support Centre & Helpline, 10 (29%) of racial discrimination occurred in 2005, 2 (6%) in 2006 (did not have proper recording), 12 (35%) in 2007, 6 (18%) in 2008 and 4 (12%) in 2009.
The sensitisation after launching North East Support Centre & Helpline in 2007, the cases were reduced in 2008, but the alarming cases so far received in current years is an issue of concern.
The racial discrimination on Indians outside the country is the concern, less we forget to do the home work on the issue faced by own citizen of the country, which is less cared just because they look different from rest of the majority population.
North East Support Centre & Helpline (www.nehelpline.net) is combined initiative of various human rights activists, social workers, students, journalists and lawyers seeking to prevent harassment and abuses meted out to women, North East People and tribal communities of different states.