Coronavirus: Arunachal MP Tapir Gao Raises Issue of Racial Discrimination in Parliament

New Delhi, March 17, 2020:

During Zero Hour today, Arunachal Pradesh MP Tapir Gao raised the issue of discrimination against the people from the Northeast Indian States in the wake of the outbreak of the deadly pandemic coronavirus (or COVID-19) across the world.

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Addressing Om Birla, the Speaker of the Assembly, Gao said, "Across the country, there is a disease a coronavirus. However, in the midst of the outbreak, the Northeast people have received a double whammy (in the form of discrimination). In universities, colleges, and schools, upon seeing the Northeast students, people are saying: look here comes coronavirus. The Northeast Indian students are even being vacated from hostels and rented houses..."

Gao further alleged that a conspiracy is afoot to marginalize the students from the Northeast Indian region. He said, "Through the means of the House, I urge the Government to issue advisory to every state so that the conspiracy to separate the NE states through racial discrimination can be stopped in its tracks."

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The Arunachal MP later took to Twitter to share a video file of his speech on social media. Alongwith the video, he shared the caption: "Today during the Zero hour at the Parliament I requested the govt. to issue an advisory to all the states govts. to protect the NorthEast students facing discrimination to the extent of vacating them from the rented apartments after the Coronavirus pandemic."

Gao's speech has been made in the midst of numerous allegations that the Northeast Indian students are being discriminated against due to their mongoloid features, a trait they share with the Chinese.

This alleged racism has also been decried by social activist Alana Golmei who has become an icon of sorts for despairing Northeast diaspora.

In a lengthy social media rant, she wrote, “To all those racist Indian (young and old) coronavirus was brought India by your own rich Indians who travelled to foreign countries and have nothing to do with any mongoloid features in India. Those tested positive so far are those Indians or their families whom they came in contact with. While you are mocking and targeting NE people of any mongoloid features by calling them coronavirus your own great Indians (those features you accepted as real Indians) are avoiding or running away from getting themselves tested.”

Watch below: NE students decry 'racism':

Earlier, Golmei had also complained that Northeastern people living in metropolitan cities have been subjected to incessant bullying as after the breakout of the virus. There are numerous instances when they have been referred to as “coronavirus”, which is quickly emerging as a pejorative, having replaced the previously popular “chinky”.

Also, a Naga woman in Mumbai was reportedly made to leave a building for wearing a mask. According to a Times of India report, the woman had gone to Mumbai on February 10 to visit a friend staying in Chembur when this incident took place. The man assumed that the girl was a Chinese woman infected with the deadly coronavirus. It led to a heated argument and the Naga girl was even asked to leave the building after allegations of “racial discrimination” led to further escalation of the conflict. The girl from Nagaland eventually had to leave the building to stay with another friend.

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