Manipur: In yet another case of discrimination against the people from north eastern states, a female activist from Manipur was allegedly asked to prove that she was an Indian by an immigration officer at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport recently. Monika Khangembam, an activist has shared her ordeal over the facebook through a long post.
Soon after her post went viral, the central government responded to her of taking action against the officer. Monika Khangembam in the post said that she had never felt as humiliated as she did at the immigration counter before a flight to Seoul on Saturday.
“The bloody racist immigration desk at it again! Looks at my Passport and says, ‘Indian toh nahi lagti ho (You don’t look Indian)’. I get that all the time so don’t react much to it but then he goes on, ‘Pakka Indian ho? (Are you really an Indian?’)” Even after she said that she was getting late, the officer continued. “What really got me was when he said, ‘See… You yourself need to know your Indian-ness. How many states are there in India?’ The lady at the next counter is giggling. I tell him I am really running late. He goes, nahi nahi bolo bolo. I helplessly answer him as he is not proceeding with the process. And then he continues, kaha se ho. I said Manipur and he is like, ‘so tell me how many states Manipur shares borders with. Name them’.”, the post read.
When she asked him to let her go, the officer reportedly said, “The aircraft won’t leave you and go. Take your time.”
Khangembam is a known name in the fight in Manipur against a widely-criticized law that gives the army and the police special powers to search or arrest without warrants.
In another post yesterday, she said: “Me and a lot of people from North East have constantly faced subtle racist jibes whether in the form of a sarcastic remark, smile, or attitude. Sometimes you cannot define it but you just feel it so you never express.”
Following criticism from all the corners, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju promised on Monday that “Action will be taken,” Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj also reacted in tweets last night. She tweeted, “Monika Khangembam – I am sorry to know this. Immigration is not with me. I will speak to my senior colleague Shri @rajnathsingh ji to sensitise Immigration officials at the airport.”
