A child environmental activist from India- This is what you would get when you research Licypriya Kangujam on the internet.
One of the youngest climate activists globally who hails from Manipur has decided to lead the battle from the front against climate change. From meeting Greta Thunberg to standing outside the Indian parliament and urging PM Modi to pass the climate change law, she is doing all it takes for a healthy and sustainable future.
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While she is well-known across the world for her commendable work, it’s people from the country who still haven’t recognized her as an Indian.
Just recently, an Indian politician from Lucknow, Manish Jagan Agrawal, tweeted how the ‘foreigner’ tourist is forced to show the mirror to the ruling government and bring their attention to the increasing filth around the Taj Mahal.
His Hindi tweet roughly translates to:
“Foreign tourists are also forced to show the mirror to BJP ruled Yogi government. Yamuna ji is full of filth under the BJP government, this filth is a bad stain on the beauty of the Taj Mahal, It is very shameful for foreign tourists to show the mirror to the government, this image of India and UP has been created by the BJP government.”
Agrawal was referring to one of the images shared by Kangujam wherein she highlighted how humans have destroyed the beauty of one of the seven wonders of the world by throwing garbage around it.
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Whatever his intentions were, the political analysts’ tone-deaf tweet calling Kangujam, who belongs to the north-eastern part of India, a “foreigner”, highlighted how people from that part of India are subjected to prejudice, bias, and racism by their own countrymen.
Kangujam also called the leader out for his problematic tweet:
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This was followed by people debating how because of this, people from the northeast are subjected to hate and bullying in their own country.
For many, except the Agarwals, Sharmas, Guptas, and Patils etc, we all are foreigners.
— Javed Ladakh (@javedLadakh) June 23, 2022
Being a political leader this is not about hurry this reflects the reality about the ignorance of the people from NE. if he don't know where Manipur is then he should give up the politics. Otherwise don't shout 'Educate Agitate Organise' line of Babasaheb
— T phrongmong (@TBurhagohain) June 22, 2022
such shameful racist people ,they dont even check what they utter in hate for nationalist . she is more Indian than u ever thought of her concerns says it all . https://t.co/MfyvXM2wSj
— Theosophist (@TheosophistIND) June 23, 2022
This! Time and again! https://t.co/CYiCwwhXj7
— Not one those Amits (@asuph) June 23, 2022
Amount of racist comments this little girl is getting tells us why we will never be taken seriously on a world stage.
India sometimes makes me vomit..the filth sometimes this country demonstrates makes me wish it drowns in its own filth one day. https://t.co/ZH33fZwMVC— She who loves to read (@MissJoshi98) June 23, 2022
I've translated my name in Hindi. I hope that is enough to not be misidentified in my own country? @manishjagan https://t.co/DxgDK2IeBN
— Irish Debbarma (आयरिश) (@bourbakirish) June 23, 2022
Always dividing and discriminating against indians https://t.co/aW4MXx7s9j
— sidharth (@engineer631480) June 23, 2022
North East India is foreign for Hindians shit heads https://t.co/1RP1N3pzDg
— Balwinder Singh (@balwindEr_24) June 23, 2022
He can't even tell seven sisters name. What can we expect from the person like him?
Keep it up girl 🙌 https://t.co/xDwWaew9Pp— samarth (@centristsanghi) June 23, 2022
You make us proud – pay no heed to idiotic politicians. A good citizen is one that raises awareness about the things that can be improved for the betterment of all people. You did just that. Thank you @LicypriyaK https://t.co/2L8kWW3KRI
— shikha s lamba (@shikhaslamba) June 23, 2022
This is epic!! Well done @LicypriyaK 👍👍 In fact you are more Indian than these arrogant, uneducated, greedy third grade politicians. https://t.co/uj5yJSAU2j
— सुनील कुमार जैन 🇮🇳 (@ReianSpeaks) June 23, 2022
Just another day in a north eastern's life trying to prove themselves as Indians https://t.co/slLKuPaXZH
— Hrishika Sharma (@HrishikaSharma9) June 23, 2022
This is the kind of differentiation belted out to North East folks by North Indians. https://t.co/lWMsX4Go2L
— Dev B (@awe_flaw_some) June 23, 2022
This is one of the many reasons, I want UP to have better opposition than SP. https://t.co/0ZZ1EuRZjO
— Tushar Vikram (@iamtusharvikram) June 23, 2022
Bullying, calling names, being subjected to hate crimes, what else would one expect from a country where its leaders are themselves doing such shameful acts and calling their own citizens ‘videshi’.