Coronavirus and Racism: Northeast at the Receiving End

Guwahati, March 21, 2020:

Amid the outbreak of the viral pandemic coronavirus that has killed tens of thousands across the world, Northeast Indians, especially ones with Mongoloid features, have been discovered to be the worst sufferers. Yes, you read right. Although the Northeast Indians have yet to report a single case of the virus, they are great sufferers due to racism. It has recently come to light that NE Indian kids studying in mainland India are being mocked as "coronavirus", a pejorative mocking their Mongoloid facial features, which they share with the Chinese.

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Even the ruling BJP party's leaders of note, such as the popular Arunachalee neta Kiren Rijiju, have taken note of this grave situation. Rijiju, who must have heard many reports of such incidents taking place across the length and breadth of the nation, recently lashed out at these incidents of casual racism. Taking to Twitter, the leader wrote, "Some incidents of racial remarks against North-East people have emerged in some parts of India in the wake of

 

rel="tag" data-query-source="hashtag_click" data-scribe="element:hashtag">#Coronavirus due to cultural ignorance, prejudice minset & lack of understanding. Matter discussed with NE Division, MHA. Strict advisory is being issued to the States."

Tapir Gao, the second of the BJP Lok Sabha MPs from from frontier state Arunachal, has also echoed a similar sentiment. Addressing the Speaker in the floor of the House, Gao Thundered on Tuesday, "Across the country, there is a disease a coronavirus. However, in the midst of the outbreak, the Northeast people have received a double whammy (in the form of discrimination). In universities, colleges, and schools, upon seeing the Northeast students, people are saying: look here comes coronavirus. The Northeast Indian students are even being vacated from hostels and rented houses."

Ernest Mawrie, the leader of the BJP in 'land of clouds' Meghalaya, has also expressed sorrow at this mistreatment of the NE students. Mawrie, penning a heartfelt note to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, wrote, "Let this letter also serve as a written objection that some people in the national capital are taking unwarranted advantages of the situation when the nation with the rest of the world is terrified and going through a crucial situation at the outbreak and in combating against the dreaded virus COVID-19."

Meanwhile, social media abounds with children from the Northeast decrying racism that they are facing due in the aftermath of the corona outbreak.

Recently, many posts on social media reveal that Northeast Indians are actually facing a tough time in the rest of Indian states as suspicion grows amid skyrocketing number of cases in the subcontinent.

Binod Chakma, a student from the Northeast studying in the RIMT University in Punjab, wrote a poignant post on social media, which is being widely circulated. Commenting on the phenomenon of NE Indians being at at receiving end of the coronavirus stick, Chakma opines, "We too are being treated in the same way in RIMT Punjab. We are not allowed to come out from rent, hostels etc by being Indian treating like that is too bad. Be human Indian people how long you will treat us like this."

Meanwhile, a group of friends from the NE studying in Chunni Kalan have shot a video in which they claim that the locals tease them by calling them “coronavirus”.

Meanwhile, a similar sentiment has been echoed by the prominent activist, Alana Golmei. In a lengthy social media rant, she wrote, “To all those racist Indian (young and old) coronavirus was brought India by your own rich Indians who travelled to foreign countries and have nothing to do with any mongoloid features in India. Those tested positive so far are those Indians or their families whom they came in contact with. While you are mocking and targeting NE people of any mongoloid features by calling them coronavirus your own great Indians (those features you accepted as real Indians) are avoiding or running away from getting themselves tested.”

One of the students informs that many of the locals in the Punjab village tease them “We do not have any relation to coronavirus; it has come from China. Our looks are different, but we Northeast people do not have any relation to China.”

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