Chief Ministers from several northeastern states have strongly condemned the recent racial attacks on people from the region in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, urging authorities to ensure such incidents are not reduced to fleeting headlines but addressed with firm and lasting action.
The reaction follows two separate cases involving women from the Northeast — a resident doctor from Nagaland allegedly harassed in Gorakhpur, and three women from Arunachal Pradesh reportedly subjected to racial abuse in the national capital.
In Uttar Pradesh, a postgraduate medical student from Nagaland studying at AIIMS Gorakhpur was allegedly followed and verbally abused by three men on motorcycles while returning to campus.
The men reportedly pursued her for more than a kilometre, shouted racial slurs and behaved in a sexually offensive manner before fleeing when she raised an alarm.
Police have registered a case, detained suspects and seized the vehicle involved.
The incident has triggered concern within medical circles and among civil society groups, with calls for stronger security measures for students and professionals from the Northeast living outside their home states.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma described the episode as deeply shameful and warned against a pattern in which such crimes briefly dominate headlines before fading without meaningful change.
He called for strict punishment for those responsible and emphasised that discrimination against people from the Northeast must end.
In a separate incident in South Delhi, three young women from Arunachal Pradesh alleged that they were subjected to racist insults by neighbours during a dispute at their rented accommodation.
The confrontation reportedly escalated into verbal abuse targeting their identity, prompting a formal complaint to the police.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu condemned the incident as unacceptable and said he had contacted senior Delhi Police officials seeking swift action.
He assured that the safety and dignity of the women would remain a priority and that those responsible should be held accountable.
Sikkim Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang also expressed concern, stating that every citizen deserves respect regardless of region or background.
Former Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh similarly called for firm legal measures to deter such behaviour.
The cases have reignited debate about the safety of people from the Northeast living in other parts of India. Leaders across party lines stressed that racism and harassment directed at northeastern citizens undermine national unity and cannot be tolerated.
Civil society groups and student organisations say the problem is longstanding and often underreported, with many victims reluctant to pursue complaints due to fear of retaliation or lack of confidence in the system.
Northeastern leaders emphasised that isolated arrests or statements of condemnation are not enough. They urged sustained institutional measures, including better policing, awareness initiatives and accountability mechanisms to prevent repeat offences.
The message from the region’s political leadership was clear: racial attacks on Northeast Indians should not be treated as isolated events but as a national concern requiring long-term solutions.
For many observers, the latest cases serve as a reminder that prejudice against people from the Northeast continues to surface — and that meaningful change will depend on whether authorities move beyond statements to concrete action.
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