A candlelight vigil in Munirka village to protest violence against the North-East community in Delhi on Friday.
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EW DELHI: “Women in Delhi should be free from violence and fear,” read a placard at a candlelight vigil held in Munirka here on Friday to protest against the killing of 19-year-old Ramchanphi Hongray, a Manipur-based Naga girl, in the Capital this past week.
About 75 people walked through Munirka village holding candles, banners and placards.
“Women in general and women from the North-East region in particular are subject to a great deal of harassment in the Capital. Just because people from the North-East look different, they are subject to racial and cultural discrimination and their rights are also violated,” said Jagori member Nandini Rao.
Echoing her view, Control Arms Foundation of India member Elizabeth Imti said: “Women from the North-East feel a sense of insecurity here. There is a feeling of being racially profiled and discriminated. This is because we are stereotyped and perceived as soft targets.”
Also protesting against the treatment meted out to students from the North-East, JNU Students’ Federation of India secretary P.K. Anand said: “People from all over the country come to the Capital to study and work. A safe environment must be ensured for them. Students from the North-East must not be discriminated against as they too have the right to study, work and live securely.”
Romeo, a 35-year-old businessman from Manipur who came to the Capital 20 years ago to find better prospects, said he came here seeking better education and to escape the insurgency in Manipur. “People from the North-East here feel misunderstood and looked down upon. We have a different culture which people should be aware of and also understand.”
Elaborating on cultural differences in the context of gender relationships, Mr. Romeo said: “We have very close knit communities back home where there are no barriers for interaction between men and women. Friendliness and communication is encouraged and we develop friendly equations with everyone. Here, however, if a woman smiles it is misconstrued as a sexual advance. Therefore North-East women are often perceived as loose when they may be only friendly.”
Speaking about cultural differences, North-East Network member Monisha Behal said: “In Uttar Pradesh girls are often married early. In Haryana if a couple marries without consent of the family there may be honour killings. However, in the North-East, men and women work together and interactions between them is the norm.”
Ms. Behal said there was a need for a change in attitude and also institutional change. “Since there is not much awareness about the culture of people from the North-East they are often misunderstood. Their role in the freedom struggle and the sacrifices they made have also not been highlighted much,” she added.
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