The incessant harassment and racial slurs faced by people from the Northeast in major Indian cities, particularly across Delhi and the NCR region, are reaching alarming proportions. Incidents reported in the mainstream media represent only the tip of an iceberg, as the vast majority of daily abuses go unreported. Over the years, many victims have preferred to "grin and bear" these humiliating experiences, primarily because they lack faith in the administration and the due process required to ensure swift justice.
For instance, in the recent high-profile Malviya Nagar racial abuse case, the three complainants — women from Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur — averred in court that they feared for their safety. They reported that unidentified individuals were appearing at their door in the middle of the night, an obvious attempt to intimidate them into withdrawing the case. This hostility reached such a peak that one of the three women eventually chose to return to her violence-torn hometown in Manipur rather than continue living under continuous threat in the capital. While the police initially registered a case of criminal intimidation under the BNS, they later invoked the more stringent SC/ST Act. Consequently, a Delhi court reserved its order on the bail plea filed by the accused couple.
In response to the Malviya Nagar incident, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, and other leaders extended public support and assured legal action. Similarly, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma condemned a separate incident of racial bullying in Saket, demanding stringent action. However, these often feel like token gestures or damage control exercises, given that the ruling establishment holds power both in Delhi and at the Centre.
The problem has become so acute that the government was forced to establish a specialised police unit staffed by officials from the Northeast. This Special Police Unit for North-East Region (SPUNER), created over a decade ago, has helped infuse some confidence. However, more is needed; every police station within jurisdictions housing a high concentration of Northeast residents must have a dedicated nodal officer to ensure FIRs are registered without bias. While the government operates helplines, their efficacy remains inconsistent.
Furthermore, the government accepted and implemented select recommendations from the Bezbaruah Committee, which was originally tasked with investigating the concerns of Northeast people in metropolitan areas. While the committee took a holistic view — proposing wide-ranging reforms in legislation, policy, and social sensitisation — many of the most significant macro-level recommendations remain on the back burner.
Although migration from the Northeast occurs nationwide, the most rampant discrimination and severe harassment remain concentrated in Delhi and Gurgaon. Even the educated classes frequently indulge in stereotyping and racial slurs, driven by a deep-rooted patriarchal mindset and regressive cultural beliefs. This suggests that formal education is not necessarily a panacea for prejudice. Today, the politics of divisiveness, language chauvinism, and religious bigotry are surfacing the worst human impulses, which had remained hidden for decades.
The impunity enjoyed by many residents, combined with a lack of legal deterrence, emboldens them to bully women and working-class people. That such harassment thrives on college campuses and social media points to a deeper societal malaise. Ultimately, a transformative cultural movement must augment law enforcement efforts to usher in genuine, lasting change.