People from the North East feel safer in Hyderabad

Recently, at a film promotion event for ‘Tubelight,’ child actor Matin Rey Tangu from Arunachal Pradesh was asked “Is it your first time in India?” by a reporter. The eight-year-old Matin seemed puzzled, however, he gives a befitting reply to the journo. If reporters of the country are unaware about the people from North-East; then commoners, will surely think that these people are foreigners. The Hans India speaks to a few people from the North-East about the discrimination they face.

Rachel Chhakchhuak hails from Mizoram and has been living in Hyderabad for four years now. She shares, “I haven't faced any racial discrimination /criticism in Hyderabad. People stare at us because we look different but apart from that, no teasing or anything has happened here. But yes, if they stare as in a bad way, I do scold them. If I feel a negative vibe from them, I react accordingly.”

“So far I've travelled to six states /cities, and my worst experience was Noida. I wasn't feeling safe out there. They would give comments (never a good one) tease us and some would even follow us. Keeping Chinese leftover foods near our doors, some of the autos and cabs charge us extra money just because we look like foreigners etc.” she shares.

Finicy Moirangthem from Manipur shares, “I have been living in Hyderabad since two years, I faced a lot of racism in Delhi, people are very rude there. It’s like I have to be serious and kind of rude while talking to people in Delhi. According to me Delhi is the best place for studies but then the people and their mentality are not good. In Delhi they call us names like chinki, chini, Nepali which is very insulting to us.”

“I've actually lost all hopes on people helping. Same goes with the police. They are close to useless. Until and unless we don't get the help of the media, the police will never take any of our situations seriously. Sometimes people ask me if I am Indian at all. And whenever It's a shame that citizens of India who are well educated ask these types of questions.

Whereas, Hyderabad people are good, and I feel safe here.” She said Dhanay Gurung from Nepal, Syangja District has been living in Hyderabad for 16 years now. He said, “There are few locals in hyd who accuse Nepalese and Manipuris’ meaning there are a few narrow minded people here too. I had little experience which was not so good but still I have good friends around me.

I did face racism during my intermediate and during the bifurcation. When I was going to college on a share auto there was an old man who was sitting beside me. He asked me what I was doing here, and to go back to my country where I belonged. And another one was during my intermediate there were few students from Telugu medium, so whenever they see anyonr from the North East they start calling us chinky and many other names.

They even use to say ‘chote akhen Wala (person with small eyes). One more incident happened with my friend who is from Mizoram, one night he was waiting for a bus at Lal Bazzar and was troubled by few persons.” Steven Wilson from Mizoram, have been living here since two years. “Most of the people over here are both broad and narrow, but most of the times when we go outside or out of the house, people will stare at us as if we are from another country, sometimes I face racism here.

One time I was travelling to Begumpet, one boy called me ching chong, cheeses and Nepali which was very insulting. We cannot get habituated. They were trying to discriminate and criticize us and say that we don’t look like Indian.” Nehemiah Tryte from Manipur has been living in Hyderabad since three years, “I have been to many places but I like Hyderabad more than others. I had never faced racism over here. I do hear from my friends of some incidents frequently.”