Great shame

Sir — The death of Nido Tania, a teenager from Arunachal Pradesh, after being beaten up at a market-place in New Delhi was shocking (“Fields of hate”, Feb 4). The incident should be strongly condemned and the killers severely punished. If this can happen to the son of a state legislator, as Tania was, one cannot imagine what the fate of ordinary people would be. There is no doubt that racial discrimination, especially against people from the Northeast, is increasing throughout the country, particularly in Delhi and in the South. That such an attitude persists in the 21st century is a big cause for concern. The fault lies with the education system and India’s social fabric. If we cannot tolerate cultural differences among the different ethnicities found in our own country, we should not be complaining about racial discrimination against Indian students in the United States of America, Australia and the United Kingdom. Our attitudes must change.

Yours faithfully,
Sravana Ramachandran, Chennai

Sir — Students from the Northeast continue to face racial slurs in Delhi. Nido Tania’s death exposed the hooliganism of the shopkeeper and his compatriots and the deep-rooted prejudices faced by the northeastern population in the capital. It is plain that the Delhi police have proved themselves irresponsible in failing to solve the brawl between two groups of people over a sensitive issue. A first information report was not lodged until two days after the first assault. This could have been reason why the teenager was beaten up a second time.

The law and order situation in Delhi is deteriorating fast, even after Arvind Kejriwal’s new government has taken over. The son of a member of the Arunachal Pradesh state assembly became a victim of a hate crime in the capital, but that does not seem to have made any difference to the political class. Had it not been for the media and protests by students, the crime might even have gone unnoticed. However, such government and police apathy is not confined to Delhi. People from the Northeast have faced racial discrimination all over the country. They have the right to demand a better life and environment — where they are not stereotyped or persecuted — everywhere in India. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure this. Kejriwal and his party did not show much enthusiasm for the cause. It was only after Tania’s death had made headlines that he joined the dharna.

The Telegraph has reported on instances of other discrimination in the capital to throw light on the intolerant attitude of people in the capital. This is creating a bad image for the country and its people. It is quite hypocritical that we are quick to raise a hue and cry when Indian nationals or students get humiliated or become victims of hate crimes abroad, but fail to notice similar injustices when they occur in our own country. Citizens of the Northeast and foreign nationals must be given the respect that they deserve, and they should be able to live in India in the way that they want, not according to how other people expect them to live. The government must formulate some useful and effective laws to protect the northeastern population’s right to livelihood in the fast-growing metropolitan cities of India. Crimes like the one committed in Nido Tania’s case must be treated far more seriously.

Yours faithfully,
Janga Bahadur Sunuwar, Jalpaiguri

Sir — If Indians can hate fellow Indians on grounds of caste, creed, religion or region, what else can be expected from foreign nationals when they ill-treat Indians in their countries? Unfortunately, we feel offended only when Indians are killed or badly treated on foreign soil. Nido Tania appears to have been taunted for his hairstyle and then beaten up when he broke a shop window, eventually leading to his death.

Such barbaric behaviour should not be allowed to flourish. The culprits should be booked and stringent punishment meted out to them. Unprovoked killings will only strengthen the case for the retention of capital punishment. Foreign nationals, too, should not be harassed on Indian soil. India is a mature, democracy. The behaviour of its citizens should not suggest otherwise.

Yours faithfully,
K.V. Seetharamaiah, Hassan, Karnataka