Sushma Swaraj apologises to girl who faced racism at IGI airport

New Delhi, July 12: After it was reported that a woman from Manipur faced racial discrimination at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj apologised to her for the same.

Monika Khangembam, who was scheduled to visit Seoul, narrated her ordeal in a Facebook post and said that she was subjected to racial discrimination at the airport on Saturday.

After Khangembam's post went viral, Swaraj tweeted: "Monika Khangembam - I am sorry to know this. Immigration is not with me. I will speak to my senior colleague Shri Rajnath Singhji to sensitise Immigration officials at the airport."

Monika Khangembam - I am sorry to know this. Immigration is not with me./1

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 10, 2016

I will speak to my senior colleague Shri @rajnathsingh ji to sensitise Immigration officials at the airport./2

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) July 10, 2016

Khangembam had alleged that the immigration officer at the airport had humiliated her and had asked her to prove her nationality by telling the name of the states that border Manipur.

She also wrote in her post: "Me and a lot of people from North East have constantly faced subtle racist jibes whether in the form of a sarcastic remark, smile, or attitude. Sometimes you cannot define it but you just feel it so you never express. Maybe this time it was something tangible so I could express it. Sadly you have to be killed to prove there is racism (Richard Loitam, Nido Taniam) .

"We constantly talk about auto walas and rickshaw walas harassing the NE people but what do you do when it's someone who deals with people from all over the world from different backgrounds and ethnicity daily? If they cannot be sensitive then how do we expect others to be respectful?"

An inquiry has been ordered in the incident and action will be taken against those if found guilty, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said.

OneIndia News