Manipuri attacked in Bangalore

'Speak in Kannada, this is not China'

Bangalore: In a suspected hate crime, a Manipuri student leader was attacked with rocks late Tuesday by a gang of men who demanded he “speak in Kannada”. The attack took place past midnight in Kothanur, a part of the city which has a high density of outstation students, particularly from the northeast states and Africa. There have been similar attacks in the area in the past. The victim of the latest attack — T Michael Lamjathang Haokip, president of the Thadou (Manipuri tribe) Students’ Association, Bangalore — sustained injuries to his head and back. The 26-year-old is out of danger. Three people were arrested on Wednesday evening.

Two other members of the students’ association, Ngamkholen Haokip, 28, and Rocky Kipgen, 25, who were with Michael when he was attacked escaped with minor injuries.

Incidentally, Ngamkholen had faced a similar attack in another part of the city in September. “They kept asking me to speak in Kannada. They said, ‘If you outsiders know how to eat food that is produced in Karnataka, you must also know to speak Kannada. This is India not China.’ I tried to reason with them but they were hysterical,” a profusely bleeding Michael said at the Kothanur police station on Wednesday.

In his complaint, Michael alleged that people who were attracted by the commotion immediately took the side of the attackers.

Describing the terrifying mob attack, he said, “A friend from my community, Letmang Haokip, 35, was passing by on his motorbike at the same time. I jumped onto the bike and we started racing towards the police station. But mob followed us on their bikes and one of them crashed into us. We fell down and I started running for my life towards the police station.”