New Delhi: A woman from Meghalaya shared a video describing two incidents of racism she faced in Delhi on the same day, pointing out the discrimination against people from Northeast India.
In the video, posted on Instagram by the user @__insolitude, the woman shares her emotional account of being mocked with racial slurs in public spaces and her feelings of alienation within her own country.
'Mocked on the Street and in the Metro'
In the now-viral clip, the woman recounted walking down a Delhi street when a group of men parked on a scooter mocked her appearance, calling out “Seong cheong” while laughing amongst themselves. “I turned back and looked at him straight in the eye. And what did they do? All of them burst out laughing. Like it was the funniest thing in the world,” she said.
Later that same day, while travelling on the metro, she was subjected to another racial taunt when a passenger allegedly leaned forward and said, “Ching chong China,” loud enough for others to hear. No one intervened. “He just smirked, like he’d cracked some clever joke,” she recounted in the video.
The woman described feeling “so small” and “heartbroken,” adding that being treated like an outsider by “fellow Indians” made her question her sense of belonging.
Have a look at her entire statement here:
Increasing racism against Northeastern Indians
The post, tagged with #StopRacism and #VoiceOfNortheast, highlights the continuing prejudice faced by people from India’s northeastern states in major cities. It reflects a wider pattern of discrimination linked to physical appearance, language, and cultural differences people face in the country.
A 2021 ICSSR-commissioned study found that 78% of Northeastern respondents attributed discrimination to their appearance, with verbal abuse being the most common form. Many said such experiences disrupted their daily lives and eroded their confidence in seeking justice.
Concluding her video, the woman said, “You didn’t just insult me. You insulted every person from the Northeast who’s ever felt ‘othered’ in their own country. India is supposed to be diverse… but today, you made me question if I really am (Indian).
