A recent case of racism against a north-eastern woman in New Delhi has surfaced after a July 9 Facebook post by Monika Khangembam. In her post, Monika alleged that the immigration officer at Delhi officer ‘humiliated’ her by repeatedly asking questions about her nationality.
“The officer looked at my passport and said you don’t look like an Indian,” wrote Monika on Facebook. The officer also asked her other inappropriate questions like number of states in the country and the number of states bordering Manipur.
A day later, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj apologised saying she would soon ask Home Minister Rajnath Singh to ensure immigration officials undergo a sensitisation programme.
“We have received a report that a Manipuri girl who was going to South Korea was misbehaved and racially targeted. We have got a report that Delhi Airport Immigration officer misbehaved with her so we have asked for details. There will be probe in this matter. Action will be taken as and when details are given to us,” Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told the media in New Delhi.
Monika Khangembam - I am sorry to know this. Immigration is not with me./1
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 10, 2016
Resonating similar sentiments, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre doesn’t approve of such conduct.
I will speak to my senior colleague Shri @rajnathsingh ji to sensitise Immigration officials at the airport./2
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 10, 2016
“In the last two years ever since the present government took over under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, not only there has been developmental works in North-East but there has been an outreach at the social and cultural level to bring North-east as close as possible to the mainstream of India. Therefore, it is for all of us to realize that the people of North-East are as much Indians as any one of us,” he said.
Resonating similar sentiments, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre doesn’t approve of such conduct.
“In the last two years ever since the present government took over under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, not only there has been developmental works in North-East but there has been an outreach at the social and cultural level to bring North-east as close as possible to the mainstream of India. Therefore, it is for all of us to realize that the people of North-East are as much Indians as any one of us,” he said.
