Nido Tania Case: Blot on India’s plurality [Dated February 2, 2014]

Nido Tania Case: Blot on India’s plurality 

For us, this must be our ‘Nirbhaya Case’ in seeking a landmark judgement over racial profiling and discrimination 

I didn’t know Nido Tania at all but family friends have shared that he was a quiet young man who had his primary education in Rama Krishna Mission School, Narottam Nagar and was a disciplined person who had strong faith in God. According to newspaper sources, he went to Lajpat Nagar to look up for an unwell friend. God, who thought a decent young man would be killed, while he came searching for an address of an unwell friend. The way his personality has been narrated by family friends, it is hard to believe that he even could break the glasses or pick fight, as alleged.

In his demise, we have reasons to tell the rest of the countrymen that we are being pushed to the wall; we are being marginalised. Furthermore, discrimination is rampant and ‘hate-crimes’ against ‘North-Easterners’ are stark realities.

This is a solemn moment; a moment for all of us to stand-by the family members, who just lost a young adult son. In seeking justice for him, we must ensure that justice is delivered to all the young students, working men and women of our state and region who are facing discrimination and racial profiling day-in and day-out.

Back home in Arunachal Pradesh, the commoners are very appreciative of the Arunachal Students Union of Delhi (ASUD) and its leaders who took-up the issue, made “discrimination/ racial profiling” as a subject of national debate. It was a poignant moment to hear Taba Doni telling the rest of the countrymen that we are Indians too, we are not Koreans. It was reassuring to hear young leaders like JT Tagam asserting for police to take action in an impeccable Hindi. These messages, spoken and expressed, over the past 100 hrs have definitely set alarm-bell ringing in dealing with such ‘hate-crimes’.

Dispelling the myth of police  in-actions including non-registration of FIR in the first 48 hours, as was spread by few Delhi based journalists, students in Delhi has confirmed that Delhi Police under the guidance of Jt. Commissioner of Police (Training) Robin Hibu, an IPS officer from Arunachal Pradesh has been very supportive.  Hibu, a very well known officer who have been entrusted to handle this case as special assignment, has assured to deliver justice.  In this moment of haplessness, we trust him to guide the young brothers and sisters of the entire NE region, not just of Arunachal Pradesh.

This case must not meet the very same fate as similar case of Richard Loitam- which was investigated to bury. This is one of our prime concerns at the moment.  It is on us to ensure that Tania’s case must be a landmark case in the fight against discrimination and profiling. ASUD and North Eastern Students Federation (NESFed) must be given all supports, from across the spectrum of society to fight this case. For us, this must be our very own ‘Nirbhaya Case’. The very definition of plurality as enshrined in Indian Constitution has been challenged. It is for the judiciary, which keeps taking suo-moto cognisance on trivial issues, to take cognisance of severity of this brutal killing that has divided the country into “mainland India versus alienated India”.

In Tania demise, borne out of a brutal attack, I concede that my brothers and sisters from the region have been facing discriminations all along. Always, I have denied the existence of racial profiling or discrimination in mainland India but not any longer, with his demise.