AND Reddit a post describing an alleged incident of assault and racial discrimination in Bengaluru’s HSR Layout has gone viral, sparking outrage and debate over the treatment of people from the Northeast in Indian cities.
The user, who said he had recently moved to the city in August, claimed he was assaulted by two men in public after identifying himself as being from the North East. A post titled “Been mugged for being a Northeasterner / outsider in HSR” was shared on Reddit on Wednesday.
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According to the description, the incident took place at HSR Layout Sector 1, near the roundabout in front of a cafe called Shelby & Co. The Reddit user said he was walking home from campus when he noticed two men on a white scooter without helmets repeatedly staring at him.
“They went around the roundabout, stared at me and then stopped right next to me,” the user wrote. “The one driving the scooty asked, ‘Where are you from?’ I asked why he wanted to know. Then he asked, “Are you from the north?” I said no. When I told him I was from the northeast, he said, ‘Oh, that area of China’ and then punched me in broad daylight in public before driving away laughing.”
The post further claimed that while the victim reported the incident to the police, the response was “dismissive”.
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“I contacted the cops but I guess they didn’t take me too seriously… maybe they thought it was a small case – two guys pulled up and randomly threw punches,” said the Reddit user.
He added that they were not shaken by the attack because of physical harm, but because it was racially motivated.
“This hit was more fueled by the thoughts of ‘You’re not welcome here’, ‘You’re different’ and ‘You’re inferior’. It left a horrible taste in my mouth,” the user wrote.
The man, who said I was new to Bengaluru, expressed disappointment at what they described as a “bitter experience” in a city they had hoped would be welcoming.
The police have yet to respond
Bengaluru police have not yet issued a public statement on the incident.
The post sparked hundreds of reactions on Reddit, with users condemning the attack and calling on the authorities to take action. Several users also shared similar experiences with prejudice or insensitive comments regarding their ethnicity and appearance.
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A user wrote, “This is horrible! Please file a police case and also tweet tag the police commissioner and tag your state political leadership and bangla mirror Such an incident is illegal it should not be tolerated! If you report this case you will help someone else tomorrow.”
Another user wrote: “First of all sorry about this and please stay strong. Your own safety is only in your own hands. I bought a full size retractable stick just for this kind of MF.”
“Stay strong. This needs to be pointed out and dealt with strongly,” wrote a third user.
Recurring concerns
This is not the first time that cases of alleged discrimination against people from India’s northeastern states have been reported in metropolitan cities. Activists and student groups have repeatedly called for stronger enforcement of anti-racism laws and better awareness among law enforcement agencies.
For now, the alleged victim says she hopes for accountability and a formal response from the police.
“I moved here a few months back… I never expected Bengaluru to give me such a bitter experience based on where I come from,” the user wrote.
