Bangalore Attack On Manipuri For Not Speaking Kannada Raises One Important Question

Admin 17-Oct-2014 10:18:31 Inothernews

Bangalore Attack On Manipuri For Not Speaking Kannada Raises One Important Question


This isn't the first time and we're afraid it isn't the last. In fact today, just a day after the attack on a Manipuri man in Bangalore, two young men from Nagaland have been beaten up near Delhi by a local gang, reports Hindustan Times. And guess what they were allegedly told while being assaulted? "If you were from Manipur, we would have killed you."



When has it happened before

While the two men from Nagaland are still being treated for injuries at the Civil Hospital one wonders why cases of racist hate crime are on the rise.

In July a couple from northeast was attacked by four men in Gurgaon. Two months prior to that, a Delhi University Law student from Nagaland was molested by a lawyer at a metro station. When she took the matter to court along with some friends, they got beaten up and threatened by a gang of lawyers.

Fresh from the scars of Nido Taniam's death, where the 19-year-old son of Arunachal Pradesh Congress MLA was attacked with iron rods by shopkeepers in Delhi's Lajpat Nagar in January, two Manipuri women were assaulted by men who hurled racist abuses at them.

The protests that followed Taniam's death did bring about some much needed awareness. But the dialogue needs to continue.

(reports collected from Firstpost)

When

3. Every single time someone is abusive towards someone for being the 'other', you STOP them.

"He is so disgustingly black. If I did something to him at night, no one would find out."

- "What the hell do you mean? You want to hit someone because they aren't your color?"


What can we do

We know you're bothered by the situation as much as we are. And you're probably wondering what that single important question is.
The question is, "Where does racism stop?"
And the answer is, "It stops with you."

Here are three things you need to do to stop racism:
1. Every time someone makes a racist joke, you speak up.

"Abe do you think she can see anything? Such small eyes these people have."

- "She sure sees your stupidity."
2. Every time someone propagates a racial stereotype, you butt in.

"Bongs are 'liberal' man. She's totally available, look at her clothes if you don't believe me."

- "Liberal AND intelligent. And I don't think such far opposites attract."


It will take a long time to make real difference, yes. But as long as being racist is cool and normal we're not doing things right.
It's like saying sexism is cool and rape should be a sport. We check such people, don't we?
Change starts with each and every one of us and it is time we started.

3.

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