End of Racism ?? Not Now ......

Am I a part of this so called “unified” country India?Do my countrymen whom I  refer as “brothers and sisters” even recognize me ? This is what every single person who have different features in terms of their appearance must be thinking, whenever they suffer any discrimination. Today, people of North-east are facing discrimination which made them vulnerable to many crimes like assault, murders, rape etc. They are often insulted by slurs like Chinki, Nepalese, Chinese etc. In the recent study conducted by Jamia Millia Islamia's Centre for North East Studies and Policy Research with National Commission for Women (NCW) found that 60% of women from North East India, who have moved to major cities in India, are reported to face harassment and discrimination.

Delhi is a place where one can easily see the amalgamation of culture and is considered as one of the place which has the largest number of educated civilized citizens. Still, city wise- New Delhi is reported to be most intolerant city towards women from north east India at a staggering rate of 81 per cent of women respondents facing racial discrimination.The recent account of how two Manipuris girls and their friend were beaten on 25 January 2014 , by local people at Kotla Mubarakpur, New Delhi affirmed the regular plight of women from north east India . The police first refused to register their FIR and harassed them to narrate the incident in ‘Hindi'.

Even though there are certain acts like Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,which are meant to protect the dignity of people. According to this act, any person who calls any person from north-east “chinki” then he/she will have serve a period of 5 years in jail, but the question which arises here is ,is this act is really beneficial for the people and answer is clearly NO. According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 6,272 persons were booked under the Act in Uttar Pradesh in 2010. Although, the implementation of the Act has been rare when it comes to major cities. Just 16 persons were booked under the Act in Delhi in 2010.

After observing the incidents which took place in recent days whether it’s the mysterious death of Loitam Richard in Bangalore, the murder of Ramchanphy Hongray in New Delhi, the suicide by Dana Sangma and other such incidents, I think it’s a time for anti- racism law. It’s a time to took some serious step to put a end on the atrocities people of North- eastern people, who are actually considered as “others” in their own country.

In our country many of us  think that we,Indians, are far away from the word “racism”and it is only practiced in other country and see foreigners as “victims” of  it but actually they need a closer look of these incidents. According to a survey of times now website, India is among world’s most racist countries and have 43.5 % people  who have an  intolerant attitude toward their own countrymen.

Things like appearance, color are something which are given by nature, it is not the individual’s choice to have them accordingly.Racism wants a revolution, a revolution which can end this era of modern racism.We need rules and acts which can teach a lesson to all those people who slur others in terms of their color,religion,appearance and even on their dressing and hair styles.