Dimapur, February 16 (MExN): The Naga students of Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai today issued a statement against the recent racial profiling and racism directed towards a Naga woman who was visiting Mumbai from Nagaland on February 10.
“Over the past couple of months, the outbreak of Coronavirus is taking a toll on human lives, and its spread raises a concern across the world. What is coming along is characterisation to Coronavirus where people of China and South (East) Asia origins in Europe are subjected to racial profiling,” said the statement.
Expressing concern at the possibility of similar incidences happening again, it implored that “racism inflicted to anyone is an act of racism against the whole community.”
The racial profiling and racism directed towards the friend of a Naga student “is a continuation of mistreatment and hostility towards northeast people,” added the statement.
"The socio-cultural identity of people from northeastern states of India is largely unknown to people from these cities, and they based their ignorance” in relation to indigenous communities to assume and stereotype, which leads to racism against people from northeastern states,” it maintained.
Expressing solidarity with the Naga student and her friend, the Naga students of TISS acknowledged the “friends and flatmates who have stood by her in times of such distressing situation.”
Condemning the act of racism by the neighbour in Chembur, Mumbai, the Naga students have urged the authorities to intervene and act so that the ordeal faced by Naga student and her friend is given redressal, “and see to it that similar incidences are not repeated.”
