A stranger in my capital city Premium

Exploring the struggles of Northeast Indians in Delhi, highlighting their resilience against everyday racism and seeking acceptance.

Spring is Atiya’s (name changed on request) favourite season. Back in Manipur, it arrives with pleasant weather, vibrant festivals, and fields bursting into colour. Since childhood, this time of the year for her has meant hours of gazing upon bright flowers and breathing in their fragrance. She hasn’t experienced that for two years now, ever since she moved to Delhi.

On March 8, she walked to one of Delhi’s gardens in Saket, with a transgender friend, hoping to find that spring comfort. What she encountered was just the opposite. She says a group of boys, between 13 and 16 years, began passing lewd remarks. “They began by calling me ‘chinki’ (a racial slur used on people with East Asian features), then went on to calling me a sex worker in Hindi,” says Atiya.

The only reason Atiya says she understood these words was because they had been hurled at her several times in the past, in Delhi. When she objected, one of the boys threw a stone that struck her jaw, leaving her injured. Shocked and humiliated, she tried to run, but the boys chased her. She eventually fell to the ground, where one of them hit her with a belt, leaving bruises on her neck.

For many people from the Northeast living in Delhi, the incident was painfully familiar. While violence against communities from the region makes occasional headlines, the deeper story of racism lies in the everyday hostility — on the streets, in buses, in rented apartments, and crowded markets.

“The attack was so sudden that before I could gather my senses, I was hit again, that too by kids! What added to the trauma was that the park was full of people and no one came to rescue me even when I ran shouting for help,” says Atiya. She holds a degree in international law and came to Delhi when the ethnic violence engulfed Manipur, disrupting daily life and leaving few job opportunities. 

Since the incident, Atiya has kept her face covered. She walks down roads quickly, and avoids venturing out after sunset. Her parents have asked her to return home, but she has decided to stay in Delhi and fight back.