The autopsy report of Aurnachal Pradesh student Nido Taniam, whose death here sparked an outrage, has revealed that he succumbed due to injuries on his head and face caused by a blunt object. The postmortem report, which is likely to be submitted before the Delhi High Court today, says that 19 year old Taniam died due to 'blunt trauma on head and face', police sources said.
A division bench of Chief Justice NV Ramana and
Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw was told by Additional Solicitor General (ASG)
Sidharth Luthra, appearing for Delhi Police, that Taniam received serious
injuries on his head, lungs and face.
The
death of 19-year-old Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Taniam (also spelt as
Tania) in Delhi on January 30 has once again exposed the deep racial hatred
that some people harbour against those who come from the Northeast of the
country. In an attempt to understand the level of racial discrimination that
exists in Delhi, 701 Northeasterners were interviewed recently by researchers
of Delhi School of Economics. Unsurprisingly, all 701 said that they have faced
varying degrees of abuse/discrimination in Delhi.
The replies of the respondents showed that there
was a lingering sense of fear and insecurity among those who have made Delhi
their home.
Such attacks also defeat the idea of
multiculturalism. In India, caste-based divisions are deep-rooted and race will
now be added to this segment.
His death had triggered protests in the capital with
people from the Northeast alleging racial discrimination against those from the
region.
Indian
politicians' lack of empathy was then underscored yet again by leader of
opposition in the Lok Sabha, BJP's Sushma Swaraj. While taking the AAP
government to the cleaners for not responding suitably to the situation, she
sought to emphasise how there's unity in India's diverse noses. Yes, noses. She
preached, "Not just people with sharp noses, people with flat noses too
are Indians." The fact that she found it necessary to mention the 'chapta
naak' of the citizens of north east India to appeal the rest of India to be
tolerant to them, that she has a dangerously flawed understanding of north east
India's tortuous and long politics of identity, their conflict ridden
relationship with the rest of India - often referred to as 'mainstream India'
in popular parlance. Now, it has been reported that the Bangalore University,
shaken by the recent incident of violence in Delhi, has set up a separate
hostel for students from northeast India. CNN IBN quotes the vice chancellor of
the university: "We will build the hostel, install CCTV cameras, make
security arrangements and put security also. That's how we can protect the
safety and interest of the north east," said B Thimme Gowda,
Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore University."
Delhi education minister Manish Sisodia, while reacting to
Nido's death, said that history text books should include the history of
northeast India. He also suggested text books include chapters on how people
from the northeast should be treated by the rest of India. The idea itself
defeats the purpose it intends to serve. Has the education minister questioned,
how a child, who learns 'how to treat people from northeast' ritualistically
alongside learning how to care for his teeth and plants in his neighbourhood at
school, will stop himself from discriminating against the said ethnic group? He
won't be told how to treat a Tamil, a Gujarati, or a Punjabi in a text book. He
will only read about the northeast and grow up believing in the same
exoticised, erroneous stereotypes that the text book wants to bust. The
northeast will formally be the 'other' - dissociated from the rest of the
country thanks to the immaturity of India's policy makers.
However, the rise in hate crimes, racial attacks and discrimination has made it difficult for North-easterners to survive in other parts of India. The emotional and psychological gap between the young people of the Northeast and other parts of India is increasing and this will adversely affect our nation building efforts. If unchecked, this racial divide can ultimately paralyse the State.
- by R. K. Sinha
