ITANAGAR/KOHIMA: A wave of condemnation has swept the northeast after three women from Arunachal Pradesh (AP) and a resident doctor from Nagaland faced racist attacks and alleged sexual harassment in two separate incidents in Delhi and Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh.
Union Minister for Communications and Development for North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M Scindia, and several chief ministers condemned the incidents and demanded quick action in the two cases.
Reacting to the Delhi incident where three AP women faced racist insults and threats by neighbors in Malviya Nagar, Scindia said he was “deeply disturbed” and had taken up the matter with both Chief Minister Pema Khandu and the Delhi Police.
“An FIR has been registered and I am sure the accused will be arrested quickly. Any injustice against our brothers and sisters in the North East will not be tolerated,” he said on X programme.
In his response to the incident, which reportedly occurred on February 20, Khandu described it as “shameful” and “completely unacceptable”. In a social media post, Khandu said that he spoke to the Delhi Police Commissioner immediately after learning about the incident and requested quick and strict action.
“The accused are currently on the run and I have been assured that they will be arrested at the earliest and will be dealt with in accordance with the law,” he said, adding that the safety, dignity and justice of the victims remained the government’s top priority.
Arunachal Deputy Chief Minister Chuna Min described the incident as “deeply reprehensible and completely unacceptable”, saying such behavior violated the spirit of unity and mutual respect.
Women and Child Development Minister Dasanglu Paul said discrimination against people from the northeast “will never be tolerated”, asserting that the people of Arunachal deserve dignity and safety anywhere in India.
The reaction from premiers across the North East was strong.
Meghalaya CM Conrad K. said: Sangma said racist and sexual harassment of women in the North-East should not be treated as occasional headlines, while former Manipur CMN Biren Singh described racism against any North-East citizen as an “attack on our collective dignity”.
Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang said the incident underscored the need to maintain dignity and mutual respect for all citizens.
The Indian National Congress also condemned the incident, calling it “not just an act of individual cruelty, but an abuse of power.”
In a statement, the party claimed that the incident reflects a broader pattern of racism and discrimination that people from the northeast face across the country.
According to police and complainants, the incident took place on February 20 at the women’s rented apartment when dust generated from air conditioner installation work fell on the basement, sparking a dispute with neighbors Harsh Singh and Ruby Jain. The women alleged that the couple made racist insults, sexually degrading statements and threats targeting their North-Eastern identity.
A video circulating online shows the accused woman allegedly using the word “momo” and accusing the tenants of running a massage parlor, as police tried to calm both sides down.
The Delhi Police said that an FIR has been registered at Malviya Nagar police station against the couple under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 79 (insulting the modesty of women), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation), 196 (promoting enmity on grounds of race/place of birth, etc.) and 3 (5) (common intention). No arrests have been made so far.
Attorney Reena Ray, who represents the women, said the case reflects the ongoing racial bias Northeast residents face in the capital. The complainants demanded a formal apology, saying the abuse was an “insult to the entire north-east community”.
A doctor from Nagaland is being harassed in Gorakhpur
In Nagaland, Minister Salhutono Cross on Tuesday condemned the incident of racist harassment and physical assault on a third-year resident doctor from AIIMS Gorakhpur as deeply disturbing.
“I strongly condemn the reported incident involving racist harassment, stalking and alleged physical assault on a resident doctor from Nagaland near AIIMS Gorakhpur. Such incidents are deeply disturbing and have no place in a society that values equality, dignity and mutual respect,” Cross, who is also the North-eastern state’s first and only female minister, told HT.
She categorically said that any form of racist abuse or targeted harassment is unacceptable and undermines the constitutional values of unity and inclusion. While the Minister expressed his appreciation for registering a case in the matter, he urged the authorities to conduct a fair, prompt and thorough investigation so that justice is done in accordance with the law.
Cross also stated that doctors and healthcare professionals work under enormous pressure, and that ensuring their safety and well-being inside and outside their workplaces is a shared responsibility between institutions, authorities and society as a whole.
“It is equally important that institutions take proactive steps to foster a safe and inclusive environment for students and professionals from all regions of the country, especially those working far from their home states,” she added.
Expressing similar sentiments, Indian Foreign Service officer Himatu Zimomi, who is currently the Chief Secretary of Nagaland, described the act as “shameful” and “shocking to the core.”
“The racist and sexist assault of a Naga doctor at AIIMS Gorakhpur is shameful and horrific to the core. This comes in the wake of the recent racist and sexist insults meted out to North East women in Delhi and unruly street tourists in Arunachal Pradesh. This must stop, whatever the cost,” the official posted on X.
