The incident involved a dispute between three women from Arunachal Pradesh and their neighbours, in which the latter used insulting terms.
The alleged racist abuse and intimidation faced by three women from Arunachal in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar has led to massive outrage, with several leaders from the Northeast expressing concerns over the issue.
The incident, which took place on Monday, involved a dispute between the three women from Arunachal Pradesh and their neighbors Harsh Singh and his wife Ruby Jain. The dispute began after debris from the excavation work in the women’s apartment fell to the ground below them.
Amid a heated exchange between the accused couple and the two women, Singh and his wife allegedly made racist insults and sexual remarks towards the latter, calling them “momo” and asking if they worked in a “massage parlor.” An FIR has been lodged against them under relevant sections.
Read also | Digging for conflict: How AC installation led to racist abuse against three Arunachal women in Delhi
Politicians in the north-east are calling for “equal respect” and demanding tough action
Reacting to the incident, Pema Khandu, chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh state – where the three women are originally from – said: “Such behavior is completely unacceptable and has no place in our society.”
Khandu strongly condemned the incident and said he had spoken to the Delhi Police Commissioner and requested “swift and strict action.” “The Communist Party is in touch with me personally. The accused are currently on the run and I have been assured that they will be arrested at the earliest and dealt with according to the law,” the Arunachal Chief Minister said, adding that the “safety, dignity and justice” of the three women was the “utmost priority”.
Assam Congress president Gaurav Gogoi described the incident as “deeply disturbing”, stressing that it was a “stark reminder that prejudice against people from the North-east still exists”.
He said the incident could not be dismissed as a routine dispute, and urged the authorities to ensure accountability and provide “full protection and support” to the complainants. “Equal citizenship should translate into equal respect and equal protection in every part of the country,” Gogoi added.
Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma said incidents like this “should not just be headline-grabbing, sensationalized, forgotten or revived every time a new incident comes to light”. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Sangma said there was “no excuse” for the words used by the accused. “As a state, as a province, as a nation, we are working to move forward; “These kinds of words take us two steps back,” the Meghalaya president said.
Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh also condemned the incident, saying such behavior “has no place in a diverse and democratic country” like India. “Racism against any Northeastern citizen is an assault on our collective dignity,” he said, urging strict action against the accused.
Arya Mishra is a content producer at Hindustan Times, based in New Delhi and part of the digital news team. It covers breaking news, with an emphasis on crime, international affairs and politics. She previously worked with The Indian Express as part of the online news team. Outside of the newsroom, she is an avid reader with a particular love for thriller and suspense novels, and enjoys relaxing with music during free time. She enjoys writing in-depth articles and explainers, as well as running live blogs and participating in real-time news coverage. She has three years of experience in fast-paced newsroom environments.Read more
