Racial Discrimination 
Racial Discrimination 
The global coronavirus pandemic has taken a toll on the Northeast Indians, who lately have been subjected to racial discrimination all across the country. The latest incident is that of a group of people in Kolkata forcing a few students from Nagaland to leave the place.
The reason behind the harassment and mockery of the Nagaland students was their mongoloid features. This is yet another incident of harassment meted out to Northeastern people on the basis of their features.
A video has surfaced, wherein a group of people are seen harassing the students. A voice of the person behind the camera can also be heard. It was evident from the video that such an incident happened at a time when the entire nation is dealing with the pandemic coronavirus.
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The video was initially shared on Instagram by the username @Sushmishrez. According to the post, a group of people were chasing away the students from Nagaland who visited Kolkata for industrial training, just because they look different from other Indians. It was further alleged that they were called with names like 'coronavirus'.
https://www.facebook.com/ne.inside/videos/210545766931255/?t=0
The complete caption from the Instagram post reads, "So this is what we call Equality?? Chasing away the students of Nagaland from Kolkata just because they look different from other Indians... And they call us coronavirus.. Like Shame on you to the People of Kolkata who did this. We the Northeast people are not Safe in India.. Come on why discriminating us just by our looks?Strict action should be taken to those who just ill-treated the students from their rent by saying "they are spreading the Corona Virus". So India is this what we call a Secular Country or a Democratic Country?? Please help and support to the students of Nagaland who went to Kolkata for their Industrial Training.. So we can't even visit other places of India for our work? Just because we look different? And the people out there discriminated them and chase them away.. All the Northeast People please report this... Your one helping hand will help them a lot.. Raise your voice against Racism #racism"
The students from Nagaland are reportedly from the Global Open University, Dimapur Nagaland. It needs mention here that lately there has been a spike in racial discrimination of similar nature across India.
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On Monday, an incident was reported from New Delhi’s Vijay Nagar area, wherein a student from Manipur was spat on by an unidentified man on Janata Curfew Day. This racial attack reportedly took place amidst the pandemic COVID-19 at around 9.30 PM just after the “Janta curfew” ended.
According to reports, two Delhi University students went out of their PG to get some groceries when a man in his 40s on a white colored two wheeler drove by and spat paan from mouth on to the girls aiming for their faces.
It took place near the University campus at Vijay Nagar, North-West Delhi. The street was deserted because of the curfew and the man in question took this as an opportunity to carry forth his devious action.
A complaint has been raised to the Delhi Police right after the incident. Racial discrimination against the Northeastern residents in the country has gained momentum in the country, especially after the outbreak of COVID-19.
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Amid rising number of such cases, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has written to all States and Union Territories to take action against such cases of harassment.
"It has come to notice of the Ministry that people from North East have been facing harassment after the occurence of COVID-19 in the country. There have been cases where people of North East including the athletes and sports persons have been harassed by linking them to COVID-19. This is racially discriminatory, inconvenient and painful to them", read the communique.
The Ministry has further called upon all the law enforcing agencies in every state/UT to take appropriate action in cases of harassment when these are reported.
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