Monika said that she would take the issue forward by filing a complaint.
AB Wire
A woman from Manipur alleged that an immigration officer at Delhi airport ‘humiliated’ her by repeatedly asking about her nationality and hurled racist remarks.
Monika Khangembam, who is presently in Seol, took to Facebook on Sunday and posted about her experience at Delhi Airport.
Monika went to the immigration desk at IGI around 9pm on Saturday and an official looked at her passport and said, she does not look Indian. He then allegedly smiled at her and asked her how many states India comprised of, in an apparent bid to “know her Indianness” and all this while, she alleged, that a female official at the adjacent counter was giggling.
When Khangembam told the official that she hailed from Manipur, he allegedly asked her to name the states Manipur shared its border with.
“I said I was really getting late and he goes like, “aircraft aapko chodke kahi nahi jaa rahi. Aaram se jawab do” (the aircraft isn’t leaving without you. You can answer at ease.)
The incident triggered widespread condemnation on social media and within hours External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted that she would take up the matter with home minister Rajnath Singh.
“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.” Sushma wrote.
Monika took to Facebook again on July 10 and informed that she would take the issue forward by filing a complaint after she is back from Seoul in 15 days.
There have been many other instances in past where north-easterners living in different parts of the country had to face racial discrimination. In December, a group of men in Gurgaon brutally assaulted a 29-year-old man from Manipur. Earlier that year, 19-year-old Nido Taniam from Arunachal Pradesh was beaten to death by shopkeepers in Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar locality.
The Delhi police have a special cell and a helpline number -1093- that looks at complaints of racism and attacks.
Social Media Updates:
Monika Khangembam – I am sorry to know this. Immigration is not with me./1
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 10, 2016
I will speak to my senior colleague Shri @rajnathsingh ji to sensitise Immigration officials at the airport./2
— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 10, 2016