Dimapur, July 7 (MExN): In yet another addition to the already-long string of abuses for North East students in India, four Naga students were reported assaulted on the night of June 21 around 11:15PM at Salisbury Park in Pune. The Naga students were assaulted by about ten-to-fifteen stick-wielding persons brought by two motorbike-borne youths who had earlier abused the Naga students with racial slurs.
The Naga Students’ Union of Pune today informed that on the fateful night, two of the victims – not identified by the union – had come out of their compound for a stroll when a motorbike with two youths, started to verbally abuse the students. They abused the Naga students using racial slurs such as the commonly-used slur “Chinkies” and “Nepali.” The two Naga students were annoyed but told them courteously that they are Indian and not otherwise, the union said. However, the two bikers did not let up and there followed an ‘exchange of words’ between them. Eventually, there collected around other people including a watchman witnessing the exchange. The watchman is reported to have intervened and “rectified their (perpetrators) ignorance” that they (Naga students) are from the North East, of India. “They settled with friendly gesture, even shook hands, and the bikers left. The story did not end there – to their surprise, within 5 minutes, the two bikers came back with 10-15 other guys with sticks and attacked the two boys. Some of those sticks had sharp objects (on them),” the NSUP stated.
When the two students called for help, two Naga students living in the same building came out to help, only to be assaulted by the gang. One of them was beaten up severely and had to have 5 stitches to his forehead. The other three students were also injured and bruised, the union stated. “Indeed, it was an attempt to murder but these students escaped by God’s grace,” the union said. It was informed that an FIR was lodged on June 22 morning under IPC 323 and 504 at Swargate Police Station under the Additional Commissioner of Police. However, no action has been taken till date and the four Naga students are still under the trauma of fear and pain, the NSUP stated.
The Naga students in Pune have requested the authorities in concern to take action at the earliest and arrest the anti-socials “so that there will be no misunderstanding and bitter relationship created within our own country.”
“Every year many students come from North East India to study in Pune – commonly known as Oxford of the East. Unfortunately, it has become a common phenomenon that they are ill-treated in many ways. It is commonly alleged that every now and then the North East people are victims of racial abuse even in its own country. Of late, the racial attack on Indian students in Australia has become the main concern of us Indians. What about in India when it comes to racism and attack on other communities?” the union queried.
