"You Have To Be Killed To Prove There Is Racism": A Manipuri Girl's Encounter With A Racist Immigration Officer

NEW DELHI: Monika Khangembam took to Facebook a couple of days ago to detail what should have been a routine encounter with an immigration official at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.

She wrote: “The bloody racist immigration desk at it again! Looks at my Passport and says, "Indian toh nahi lagti ho". I get that all the time so don't react much to it but then he goes on, "Pakka Indian ho?" with a smirk. I still don't react. What really got me was when he said, "See... You yourself need to know your Indianess. How many states are there in India?" The lady at the next counter is giggling. I tell him I am really running late. He goes, "nahi nahi bolo bolo". I helplessly answer him as he is not proceeding with the process. And then he continues, "kaha se ho". I said Manipur and he is like, "so tell me how many states Manipur shares borders with. Name them". I totally lose it and I look away and roll my eyes and don't answer. And he is still insisting me to answer. This bloody moron has all the time to ask all this. I said I was really getting late and he goes like, "aircraft aapko chodke kahi nahi jaa rahi. Aaram se jawab do". What a bully and never felt so humiliated. It was like it was his mission to make me realise my 'Indianness' and he thought he was being funny. I was running late and felt I was giving in to the bully. Spoiled my night. Is there a way to complain against these bullies?”

The post quickly went viral, gaining over 1550 shares at the time of writing, and prompting news stories and coverage that highlighted India’s racist attitude toward people from the northeast.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj too got involved, tweeting that whilst the Immigration Department doesn’t come under her ministry, she would take up the matter with Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

The incident reveals a lot about Indian society, specifically -- the very prevalent racist undertones. As Monika wrote in a follow up Facebook post, “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. Sometimes you cannot define it but you just feel it so you never express. Maybe this time it was something tangible so I could express it. Sadly you have to be killed to prove there is racism. (Richard Loitam, Nido Taniam).”

Sadly, Monika is right. A 2014 report by the home ministry notes that crimes against people from the northeast has seen a huge surge -- by 250 percent -- in the last three years. This racism came to the fore in 2014 when Nido Taniam, a 20 year old student from Arunachal Pradesh, was killed in the capital city in what is widely considered a hate crime. Nido Tania had reportedly gone to Lajpat Nagar with three friends on Wednesday evening and was looking for an address, when someone at a sweet shop allegedly began mocking him.

A couple of years before that, Manipuri student Richard Loitam was murdered in Bangalore. Loitam was found dead in his hostel room, with parents and friends alleging an assault by his seniors to be the cause of death.

These two incidents, whilst making national news and bringing racism in India to light, may be extreme. However, it is the everyday racism -- the type faced by Monika -- that goes not just unnoticed, but is excused and hence, legitimised. The comments Monika received to her Facebook post detailing the incident -- along the lines of “this is not racism” -- elucidate the same. How many times have we excused what we think is “harmless” racial taunting or jeering? How many times have we perpetuated stereotypes about people in the northeast and brushed it off as humour? How many times have we excused our ignorant selves for knowing next to nothing about this important part of our country?

All of the above constitutes the definition of “racism,” and not just the tragic and categorically condemnable events that led to the death of Taniam, Loitam and others.

If you disagree with me, then ask yourself (if you’re from Delhi, Maharashtra, UP or elsewhere): Has the immigration officer ever asked you to name the states bordering your own?

I rest my case.

(Photograph: Monika Khangembam’s Facebook page)