Kohima, June 07: A tweet by Nagaland Minister Temjen Imna Along has ignited widespread condemnation after two men from Nagaland were brutally attacked in Ahmedabad for selling non-vegetarian and northeastern food.
The incident, widely perceived as a hate crime, has raised concerns about the targeted discrimination faced by individuals from the northeastern region based on their cultural identity and food choices.
I am deeply pained to hear about the recent hate crime against two men from Nagaland who were attacked for selling non-vegetarian and northeastern food. It is disheartening to see our brothers from the northeastern region being targeted and discriminated against for their… pic.twitter.com/z0DK5zKvXy
— Temjen Imna Along (@AlongImna) June 7, 2023
According to a report, the attack took place on Sunday night in the Chanakyapuri area of the city. Rovimezo Kehie, a 33-year-old resident of Chandlodia hailing from Kohima, provided a detailed account of the incident in his First Information Report (FIR) filed with the Sola police. Kehie and his friend, Mapuyanger Jamir, are employed at a shop and eatery called One Stop Northeast in Chanakyapuri.
Also Read: Tripura Police Seizes Ganja Worth Rs 2.80 Crore, One Arrested
Recalling the events, Kehie stated, “At about 8 p.m. on Sunday, when I was at my friend’s house in Chanakyapuri, my employer Hiren Patel called me and informed me that some men were attacking Jamir. I rushed to the shop and witnessed the men assaulting Jamir. They then proceeded to threaten us, questioning why we were selling northeastern food in Chanakyapuri.”
During the altercation, several men struck Kehie and Jamir with baseball bats. When a customer intervened, one of the assailants also attacked the customer. Kehie reiterated this account in his FIR, stating that approximately ten men participated in the violent attack.
Throughout the incident, the assailants continuously expressed their disapproval of selling non-vegetarian and northeastern food items in a place like Gujarat, which is predominantly Hindu.
Kehie and Jamir’s shop offers a variety of exotic vegetables from the Northeast, including beans, mustard leaves, metsunga leaves, soar leaves, and bitter leaves. They also sell non-vegetarian food items such as chicken, pork, Korean noodles, wai wai, rasma, and a unique rice variety from the northeastern region.
The attackers went as far as issuing death threats, warning Kehie and Jamir against ever selling non-vegetarian and northeastern food in the city. The assault resulted in Kehie sustaining a head injury, while Jamir also suffered injuries from the baseball bat blows. Their employer promptly rushed them to Sola Civil Hospital, where Kehie received four stitches on his head.
Following the incident, Kehie approached the Sola police and filed a complaint against the unidentified assailants, charging them with causing hurt, voluntarily causing grievous hurt, using abusive language, and abetment.
The incident has sparked outrage and a renewed call for tolerance and respect for cultural diversity. Authorities have launched an investigation into the attack, aiming to identify and apprehend the perpetrators responsible for this heinous act.
