Racism Killed Nido Tania, Don’t Let Others Die

Can Indians complain about racism if they don’t shun their own racist attitudes?

Stephanie is a Nigerian born in Delhi. 

(Photo: The Quint)

Video Editors: Puneet Bhatia, Kunal Mehra

Camerapeople: Abhishek Ranjan, Sumit Badola

Script: Tridip K Mandal, Tarun Jain

Narrator: Stephanie Nkiruka Nwakanobi

Nido Tania’s name is now synonymous in India with the racism the people from north-east India face across cities in mainland India. On 29 January 2014, Tania died of lung and brain injuries which he had sustained after he was attacked in New Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar market. It is alleged that Nido was racially abused by a shopkeeper and it turned into an ugly fight. Nido was beaten with iron rods. He later succumbed to his injuries.

Nido Tania was racially attacked in New Delhi. He later succumbed to his injuries. (Photo: PTI)

On Nido’s death anniversary, it’s perhaps time to accept that racism does exist in India. It may not be overt but people from Africa and north-east India face racism on a daily basis. So here’s something 22-year-old Stephanie Nkiruka Nwakanobi wants to say.

She’s a Nigerian born in New Delhi. She has studied in Delhi schools and goes to a college in Greater Noida. In this video, she is addressing racism in India, in Hindi.

Stephanie in New Delhi’s Hauz Khaz village. (Photo: The Quint)

“If you go to another country – such as the US, or some place in Africa or Europe – and you’re treated the same way, how will you feel? You’re not far from the radar of racism either. Think about it, you can also fall prey to racism.”

Stephanie Nkiruka Nwakanobi