Besides the coronavirus pandemic and its various socio-economic repercussions, we are currently fighting another problem – racism. Several cases of racism against people of North-East India are being reported in current times. From being called “coronavirus” to facing harassment, victims of such cases have revealed hard-breaking details of discrimination.
In another such incident of racism, two Manipuri women were harassed by a 27-year-old ambulance driver who asked them to go back to China, reports Times Now.
The incident took place near Saibaba Police Station in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. The two women, 23 and 21 years of age, work as beauticians and were walking on Azhagesan Road when the ambulance driver approached them.
At first, he called them “sisters” but then went on to say “go corona” and asked them to go back to China, reports Bangalore Mirror. He also allegedly called them “corona spreaders” even though the women mentioned they were Manipuri.
One of the women claimed that he hurled abuses at them and even tried to push them.
“I managed to record the incident on my mobile camera and asked him to apologise. However, he denied,” she said.
The women went on to file a police complaint against the accused. The police have arrested him and booked him under Section 506 (criminal intimidation), Section 4 of Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act, and Section 74 of Tamil Nadu City Police Act.
It is heartbreaking to see our fellow citizens being subjected to such racial slurs. More awareness must be created and perpetrators of such acts must be strictly dealt with for such incidents to stop.