Itanagar Members of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, across party lines, on Tuesday strongly condemned incidents of racial discrimination against people from the Northeast in other parts of the country, as lawmakers urged the Center to bring in a tough anti-racism law.
The issue was raised by National People’s Party MLA Thangwang Wangham during a short-lived debate in the House of Representatives, where he expressed grave concern over repeated incidents of racist abuse faced by people from the region in other parts of the country.
Referring to a recent case, Wangham cited the incident that took place on February 20 in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar area, where three girls from Arunachal Pradesh were allegedly subjected to racist insults and verbal abuse by a couple after a minor dispute related to air conditioner repair and installation work in their rented apartment.
He said the argument escalated and women were reportedly targeted with derogatory remarks about people from the North East. Later, a video of the confrontation spread on social media, sparking public outrage and prompting police action.
Wangham also referred to a 2014 incident involving a young man, Arunachali Nidu Tania, who was beaten to death in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar area.
Tania was reportedly assaulted by shop owners after an altercation during which his appearance and ethnic identity were mocked. The 20-year-old later died from serious injuries, sparking nationwide outrage and protests over racial discrimination against people from the Northeast.
“This is extremely offensive, unacceptable and unacceptable,” Wangham said, adding that people in other parts of the country have limited knowledge of the Northeast and its contributions to the nation.
He said that many unsung heroes from the region have sacrificed their lives for the country and the people of Arunachal Pradesh continue to work as guards guarding the country’s borders.
“The people of the North-East should not be humiliated and should be given due respect. Unfortunately, our people are often described in derogatory terms,” he said.
The MLA urged the government to take strong action and called on the Center to enact a comprehensive anti-racism law to protect people in the North East. He also urged representatives from the region to strongly raise this issue at the national level.
Several other lawmakers participating in the discussion also condemned the incident and demanded strict action against those responsible.
They suggested incorporating the history and culture of the North East into NCERT and other state board syllabuses to create greater awareness among people in other parts of the country.
In response, Education and Tourism Minister Pasang Dorji Sona, on behalf of the government, said the Malviya Nagar case is not an isolated incident and that many such cases have happened in the past but were not reported often.
“The crux of the problem lies in the mentality of people from other parts of the country, which has to change,” the minister said, adding that such incidents happen largely due to ignorance about the northeast of the country.
He also supported the demand for a strong anti-racism law, and suggested that the Council send a resolution to the Center requesting legislation to reduce racial discrimination.
Later, Parliament Speaker Tessam Pongti assured the House that a strong message condemning such incidents would be conveyed to the Prime Minister’s Office and the Ministry of Interior.
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