A Manipuri woman has alleged that she was subjected to racial harassment at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport following which an inquiry has been ordered into the incident
New Delhi: A Manipuri woman has alleged that she was subjected to racial harassment at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport following which an inquiry has been ordered into the incident. Monika Khangembam alleged that on Saturday an immigration official at IGI Airport hurled racist remarks at her when she was on her way to Seoul for a conference.
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Monika Khangembam
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said on Monday an inquiry has been instituted into the allegation of racial harassment and action will be taken if anyone is found guilty. “There have been previous cases of harassment. We will take action,” he said. The Bureau of Immigration will conduct the inquiry.
On her Facebook wall, Khangembam wrote that when she went to the immigration desk at IGI at around 9 pm on Saturday, an official looked at her passport and said, “Indian toh nahi lagti ho” (you don’t look Indian). He then allegedly smirked at her and asked her how many states comprised the country, in an apparent bid to “know her Indianness”. She alleged that a lady official at the adjacent counter was giggling while the male officer paid no heed to her. When Khangembam told him she hailed from Manipur, the officer allegedly asked her to name the states Manipur shares its border with.
“I said I was really getting late and he goes like, ‘Aircraft aapko chodke kahi nahi jaa rahi. Aaram se jawab do’ (the aircraft isn’t leaving without you. You can answer at ease)”.
Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressed regret over the incident. “Monika Khangembam — I am sorry to know this. Immigration is not with me. I will speak to my senior colleague Shri@rajnathsingh ji to sensitise Immigration officials at the airport,” Swaraj tweeted.
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