Like a 'tasteless strand of dhania’

Like a 'tasteless strand of dhania’

Like a 'tasteless strand of dhania’

A screengrab from Nagaland Youtuber Merenla Imsong. (Screengrab/YouTube Photo)

 

Miss Imsong calls out racism with ‘Corona’ anthem

 

Morung Express News

Dimapur | March 25


With many citizens from North East staying in cities across India sharing stories of alleged discrimination amid the COVID-19 outbreak, popular Youtuber and comedian from Nagaland Merenla Imsong has responded with a ‘Corona’ theme song.


Popularly known as Miss Imsong, the song titled ‘A Song For The Racists - Corona Edition,’ has been generating lot of buzz after it was uploaded on March 25 on YouTube. 


 “The global pandemic that is coronavirus, a lot of people have been panicking. A lot of people have also found a time to be racist, so I wanted to sing a sing for all those people committing random acts of racism in these dark times,” Imsong stated, in her intro.


 “I’m really really sorry that you are a parody of the human race,” she posted. 


Thereafter, she went on to compare ‘racists’ are useless like a “tasteless strand of dhania”, “charisma of diarrhea,” among others. 


In a tweet later on March 25, she also drew the attention of Prime Minister on the issue. 


“I wish the Prime Minister would mitroooooon out a speech about the racism people from the Northeast are facing as a result of corona. I mean, them racists ain’t listening to us but I guess they would listen to him,” she tweeted.


Ever since COVID-19 pandemic broke out of China’s Wuhan and spread across the world, Asians, especially people with distinct Mongoloid features, have come under repeated racially driven attacks. 


 In India, by the virtue sharing more or less similar feature with Chinese, there are several instances of people from the region facing alleged racial discriminations.


For instance, a group of Naga employees in Ahmedabad were allegedly put in a quarantine facility last week until the administration intervened and secured their release. 


Name calling such as “Corona” is a common feature. Reportedly, even the former Indian idol star and singer Meiyang Chang was subjected to such treatment during a walk.


In New Delhi, a student from Manipur was ‘spat on’ and called ‘Corona’ girl near the Delhi University’s North Campus during the Janata Curfew on March 22 have been condemned by many, including the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. 


On the same night, a group of students in Kolkata were allegedly attacked and beaten by their neighbours who demanded they left the premises, The Print reported. 


According to a report in CNN NEWS18, Alana Golmei, who is the founder of the North East Support Centre & Helpline, recently wrote an open letter to the General Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Northeast Division about the growing instances of racism in the wake of coronavirus.


 “I was myself called a coronavirus by a staff member at the NCERT office in Delhi last month,” she was quoted as saying. 


Several other incidents are being shared on social media platforms as pandemic spreads. 


MHA writes to states

Meanwhile, the Union Home Ministry has asked all states to take action against those who harass people from the Northeast by linking them with the COVID-19. 


In a letter to chief secretaries of all states and Union territories, the ministry said it had come to its notice that people from the Northeast have been facing harassment after the occurrence of the deadly COVID-19 in the country, PTI News agency reported on March 23.


Saying that such incidents are racially discriminatory and painful to the victims, the Home Ministry requested that “all law enforcing agencies in your State/UT may be sensitised to take appropriate action in cases of harassment when these are reported," it said.


In a radio address on Monday, the Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio also  appealed to people across the country to be sensitive to all communities and refrain from racial profiling and discrimination in the wake of coronavirus outbreak.


Reacting to reports of alleged discrimination of Nagas working and studying in other parts of the country and tagging them as "Chinese and virus carriers," Rio said the country must move forward as one nation at this juncture, PTI reported, quoting the Chief Minister.  
 

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