Is racism against the North-Eastern people in Delhi a thing of the past?
- Elizabeth Sanate
- Nov 12
- 3 min read
Delhi is often referred to as the heart of India. People come here from everywhere. They come with big dreams. They hope to belong. But for many from the North-East, it hasn’t always felt like home. Behind all the talk about diversity, the ugly truth remains. Racism is real.
People stare. They laugh. They treat you differently just because of how you look. Some call you Chinky, Nepali, or Chinese. Can you imagine? These words hurt. They stay with you. They aren’t just words but wounds that remind them how misunderstood they still are in their own country.
“We’re Indian too,” voices that Delhi ignored for too long
For years, people from the North-East have been trying to say one simple thing: “We’re Indian too”. Most of the time, those words were ignored. People looked away or stared awkwardly. It’s not just about being noticed. It’s about being accepted, really accepted, without anyone questioning how you look, speak, or even what you eat.
You won’t believe some of the stories. A young woman from Manipur once shared online that an auto driver refused to take her, saying he didn’t “go that far east.” Crazy, right? But this isn’t rare. Landlords turn people away. Classmates joke about their food. Strangers ask if they’re from China. It still happens.
Then there was the 2014 case of Nido Taniam from Arunachal Pradesh. He was beaten after people mocked his looks, and he died. That shook Delhi. People couldn’t ignore it anymore. It made the city stop and think: how could such hate exist in the capital of the world’s largest democracy?
What Delhi has done since, and what still needs to change?
After the protests, Delhi did try to change. Awareness drives, helplines, and new legal measures were introduced to protect North-Eastern citizens. Universities began hosting cultural events celebrating the region’s rich traditions, from Naga dance to Mizo music, hoping to build understanding.
But laws alone can’t erase mindsets. Even today, discrimination still hides behind polite smiles. Some Delhi residents might not shout slurs anymore, but the bias shows up in subtle ways in stereotypes, in hesitation, in jokes that go “too far.”
Even national heroes haven’t been spared. Mary Kom, Mirabai Chanu, and Lovlina Borgohain, our Olympic champions who made India proud, have spoken about being mistaken for foreigners or treated differently. It’s painful proof that achievements don’t always shield one from prejudice.
The 'New' Delhi: progress, pride, and the power of awareness
Things are starting to change in Delhi. You notice it if you look around. Young people today seem more open and more confident about calling things out. Social media helps, and people are learning more. Some old habits are fading. People speak up when they see racism, and now it’s a topic in classrooms, in the news, and even in casual talks.
Cafes are serving food from the North-East, and people actually like it. Music events bring singers and bands from Imphal and Itanagar. In colleges, students wear their traditional shawls or jewellery on stage without worrying. Delhi still messes up sometimes. But it’s trying. And that counts.
So, is racism in Delhi truly a thing of the past?
Not really. The scars are still there. Maybe not as clear as before, but people feel them. Delhi isn’t the same city it was ten years ago, though. People talk more now; they listen more. Things are changing, just slowly.
Racism doesn’t disappear in a day. It goes away bit by bit in small things, like someone showing respect, someone choosing not to laugh when a cruel joke is made. That’s how people learn. That’s how a city heals.
Maybe racism has not ended, but it is being noticed.
And maybe the real question is not “Is it gone?”
It is “Are we ready to see it, call it out, and stop it together?”
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