Manipur girl alleges humiliation and racism at Delhi airport's immigration counter

A Facebook post of Manipur girl Monika Khangembam alleging humiliation and racial discrimination by an immigration officer at the Delhi’s Indira Gandhi airport went viral on Sunday. Khangembam alleged in her post that an immigration officer “humiliated” her at the airport by constantly asking her unnecessary questions about her nationality, reported The Indian Express. According to the Facebook post, the officer after looking at Monika’s passport had said, “Indian toh nahi lagti ho” and asked her to name the states of India. He kept harassing and questioning her nationality even though she was getting late. Instead of intervening, the officer in the next counter kept laughing and joined in the “joke.” When Monika said she was from Manipur, the immigration officer went ahead and asked “how many states Manipur shares borders with. Name them.” Khangembam ended her post by asking for ways to complain about such “bullies.”

Later, Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj assured her that she will talk to Home Minister Rajnath Singh to sensitise immigration officers.

I will speak to my senior colleague Shri @rajnathsingh ji to sensitise Immigration officials at the airport./2

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 10, 2016

Soon after this, Khangembam posted on Facebook again thanking everyone for coming out to support her. “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,” she further said.

Khangembam’s case was not the first time when someone from the North East was racially harassed. In 2012, Richard Loitam was found dead in his hostel room under mysterious circumstances. He was a 19-year-old Manipur student from Acharya NRV School of Architecture, Bengaluru. Another student from the North East, Nido Taniam was brutally beaten to death in 2014 by a group of shopkeepers in Lajpat Nagar area.