Naga students face racial discrimination in Karnataka

Our Correspondent
Kohima, March 29 (EMN): In yet another case of racial profiling, students from Nagaland studying at Mysuru in Karnataka were discriminated by the attendants at ‘The More Store’ on March 27.

After a video of the incident went viral on Sunday, one of the victims told Eastern Mirror that he and his friend were denied entry after waiting in queue for about 25 minutes. They had gone to the store to purchase food items.

The incident had happened at round 6.10 pm and when the duo spoke to the security guards, he narrated, they (security) told them: “You are not Indian, we don’t allow foreign customers.”

“To their reply we showed our Aadhaar card and had to explain to them the geography, saying that we were from Northeast India. But they didn’t allow us, so we went back home without getting any products,” said the student.

On March 26, the government of Nagaland had provided a helpline number for any Naga facing racial discrimination or harassment anywhere in the country.

The chief minister had also written to his counterparts in all other states, seeking protection of people from Nagaland stranded in their respective states.  

The victims of the March 27 incident said that they had called up the helpline number, following which an official had taken up the matter with his Karnataka counterpart.

“This was not our first visit to the store, we were daily customers and yet we were denied,” said the victim.

It was also informed that a first information report (FIR) was lodged at the nearest police station.

Meanwhile, the Mysuru city police has arrested the manager and staff of the outlet, according to the commissioner of police, Mysuru city, Dr. Chandragupta