Ankita Konwar Talked About Racism Against Northeast Indians, And How Only Winning Medals Gets Them Acceptance
When wrestler Mirabai Chanu won silver for India at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the entire country erupted with pride. Nobody cared which state she came from, what caste she belonged to, or how she looked, because she just brought glory to India on such an international platform. Unfortunately, had this Manipur wrestler been just another nobody walking the streets of the country anywhere other than her home state in Northeast India, she’d most likely be called racist slurs, which though punishable by law, are still rampantly used in our country. And this hypocrisy is exactly what Ankita Konwar, wife to Milind Soman, is calling out on her social media.
Ankita, who hails from Assam, took to Twitter to talk about the racism that Northeast Indians face in India, and how perhaps winning medals for the country is the only time they get accepted as Indians and a part of the country. She also highlighted the fact that ever since the coronavirus pandemic happened, it has only gotten worse with the racist slurs.
“If you’re from Northeast India, you can become an Indian ONLY when you win a medal for the country. Otherwise we are known as ‘’Chinky’ ‘Chinese’ ‘Nepali’ or a new addition ‘corona’,” Ankita wrote.
Also Read: Milind Soman Said He Discusses Everything With Ankita Konwar Because They’re A Team. We Need A Milind Soman Too.
If you’re from Northeast India, you can become an Indian ONLY when you win a medal for the country.
Otherwise we are known as “chinky” “Chinese” “Nepali” or a new addition “corona”.
India is not just infested with casteism but racism too.
Speaking from my experience. #Hypocrites— Ankita Konwar (@5Earthy) July 27, 2021
Ankita Konwar isn’t wrong, and this hypocrisy has countless times been highlighted, in news articles about violence against northeast Indians or even on screen, in films like Chak De! India and the more recent Axone, that more deeply shows the blatant racism that exists within our country based on how people look.
Also Read: In Axone, Northeastern Women Are Cooking Up A Lesson For An India Where Casual Racism Is A Diet Staple
Remember the two hockey players in Chak De! India, Mary Ralte (Kimi Laldawla) and Molly Zimik (Masochon Zimik), who came from Mizoram and Manipur, and in their introductory scene itself, they were eve-teased by random boys on the streets who thought they were ‘Chinese’? Even their own teammates initially treated them differently.
While Ankita’s tweet, which should ideally have made people check their prejudices and acknowledge that there is a casual racism problem in India, was agreed upon by some as a sad reality, there were of course those who dismissed it. Some even tried to shame her for hurting national pride by saying this, and that they didn’t expect “Mrs. Soman” to say such a thing. But Ankita dealt with the trolls aptly.
I’m Ankita Konwar 😊
— Ankita Konwar (@5Earthy) July 27, 2021
It is a sad reality that India, which has endured years of colonial oppression based primarily on differences in skin colour and appearance, would allow racism to dictate how they behave with their own countrymen. We’re glad Ankita Konwar, who is often unafraid to voice her opinion, used her social media clout to call these double standards out.
