Recently, a video of a few North-East Indian students went viral where they claimed people have been harassing and calling them ‘Coronavirus’. They also reported shocking incidents of racism, class discrimination, and ostracism. The coronavirus pandemic has not just taken a medical and financial toll on the world but has also given rise to crass racism.
Pictures of the woman have gone viral on the internet.
“We are scanning the CCTV in the area to identify the man on white colour Scooty,” said Vijyanta Arya, DCP (North West Delhi).
“I go for a jog every day near my house in Mumbai. The other day, two guys sped past me on a bike, screaming ‘corona’ and laughing. I wanted to scream back and hurl the choicest of gaalis, but I didn’t see any point in it. How do you punish people for their stupidity or ignorance? Over the years, I have become used to these comments and yes, they are hurtful. I try to move on and be optimistic, but it does affect you.”
He went on to add that even without the coronavirus, many of our citizens are “casually racist” against people from the North-East.
“I have been called Chinese and Nepali in the past. I feel that as a country, we are casually racist, be it on the basis of colour, caste, or ethnicity.”
It is shameful that our fellow citizens are being subjected to such incidents of racial discrimination and harassment. Perpetrators of such behavior should be punished and schooled appropriately!