Tackling racism cannot be a one-sided action

Editor,

In recent weeks and months, the nation has once again been forced to confront the ugly truth of racism against people from the Northeast. The brutal lynching of MBA student Angel Chakma in Dehradun — after he and his brother were taunted with slurs like “Chinki,” “Chinese,” and “Momo” because of their appearance — erupted nationwide as a stark reminder that prejudice against Northeastern Indians is not an abstract problem but a deadly reality. The attack drew condemnation, protests, and calls for anti-racism legislation, with many rightly pointing out how pervasive discriminatory behaviour has been against citizens from states like Nagaland, Tripura, Assam and Manipur when they live, work or study outside the region.

But if we are serious about tackling racism, we must be honest about all forms of exclusion and discrimination — not only those directed at a region but also those that emanate from it.

There is no denying that people from the Northeast have suffered deeply when labelled “other” in mainstream India. Incidents of racial abuse in cities like Delhi are well documented, including cases where tenants from the Northeast have filed police complaints alleging intimidation and racial slurs. The fact that mainstream celebrities like Akshay Kumar are publicly condemning this harassment reflects how widespread the problem has become, and how it resonates with millions of Indians who know someone who has endured such bias.

Yet, while the nation — and rightfully so — condemns this discrimination, it is equally true that pockets of prejudice within the Northeast itself go unexamined and uncriticised.

In states like Meghalaya, for e.g., mainland Indians — often referred to by locals as “dkhar,” “kharbang,” “khylahs,” “meander,” and similar terms — frequently experience dismissive, xenophobic attitudes. These labels are no less racist in intent than those Northeasterners are subjected to elsewhere; they serve to exclude, stereotype and degrade people based on where they are from.

Reports of anti-unemployment rallies in Shillong, where non-tribals’ vehicles were targeted, and verbal racial attacks occurred, suggest that this is not an isolated occurrence but part of a deeper social attitude. Similar patterns of resentment and remarks are regularly thrown at mainlanders in Manipur, Nagaland and other northeastern states, too.

In many tribal societies across the Northeast, cultural insularity has hardened into a reflexive “us vs. them” mentality. What begins as pride in tribal identity can all too easily slide into contempt for “outsiders” — even when those outsiders are fellow Indians working in local businesses, teaching in schools, or studying in colleges. There are numerous accounts on social platforms where mainland Indians living in the Northeast report being made to feel unwelcome, stereotyped or mocked simply because they are not tribal or indigenous to the region.

Make no mistake — these attitudes are racist too. They mirror the same logic that brands Northeastern Indians as perpetual foreigners outside their home states: judging someone’s worth based on origin, appearance or cultural difference.

Whether it’s calling someone “Chinese” in Delhi or labelling mainlanders with local tribal slurs in Shillong or Imphal, the harm is the same — it divides, diminishes, and dehumanises people. The North-South tension, the tribal-non-tribal divide, and the insider-outsider binary all feed into a dangerous cycle of prejudice that no true democracy can tolerate.

What’s particularly reprehensible is how this double standard persists. When racism is directed against Northeasterners, institutions, activists and allies are quick to condemn. But when mainland Indians face discrimination in the Northeast, it is often shrugged off as cultural difference or local pride — conveniently ignoring that the mechanism of exclusion is identical. Racism does not become acceptable merely because it’s cloaked in regional identity or historical grievance.

If India is ever to be serious about confronting racism and social exclusion, it must apply the same moral standards to all its citizens, regardless of geography. We cannot fight prejudice in one place while tolerating it in another. Northeasterners deserve respect, inclusion and equality across the nation — and mainland Indians living in the Northeast deserve the same.

Racism is a cancer that feeds on ignorance and fear. True unity will only come when every Indian — whether from Shillong, Delhi, Guwahati or Imphal — recognises that blocking someone out based on where they come from is not pride, it is prejudice, and it must be called out with equal force everywhere.

Yours etc.

A concerned citizen