Guwahati: Over 30 academics, journalists, scholars, writers, artists and concerned citizens have called for a Nagaland government inquiry into the alleged humiliation and intimidation of professors Dolly Kikon and Sanjay Barbora at Nagaland House in New Delhi on September 15.
In a statement issued on September 16, the signatories sought a transparent inquiry into the conduct of officials and staff at Nagaland House and an unqualified apology to the two academics.
Kikon had been invited by the Naga Scholars’ Association to screen her documentary A Sacred Place and interact with students and scholars. The programme was held at the Conference Hall of Nagaland House in RK Puram and was followed by a post-screening interaction with the filmmaker.
According to the statement, students and scholars continued interacting with Kikon near the reception area after the programme when a member of the Nagaland House staff ordered them to leave. When Barbora objected to the manner in which the group was being treated, the staff member allegedly confronted him and challenged him to a physical altercation.
The signatories said the manager of Nagaland House defended the staff member’s conduct instead of intervening to defuse the situation. Kikon, despite repeatedly explaining that she was an invited resource person of the Naga Scholars’ Association, was also allegedly asked to leave.
The gathering was described as a “nuisance” and a “disruption”, according to the statement.
The signatories condemned what they described as the humiliation and intimidation of Kikon and Barbora, saying the incident calls for the attention of the Nagaland government.
They said Nagaland House, as a public institution representing the Nagaland government in the national capital, has a responsibility to treat students, scholars, invited guests and members of the public with dignity and courtesy.
The statement also raised concerns over prejudice and hostility across ethnic and linguistic identities in the Northeast. It said public institutions representing the states of the region should uphold dignity and equal treatment irrespective of a person’s ethnicity, language or place of origin.
The signatories expressed solidarity with the Naga Scholars’ Association, the Naga Students’ Union Delhi, and Naga students and scholars who stood with Kikon and Barbora during and after the incident.
They called on the Nagaland government to take immediate cognisance of the incident, institute a transparent inquiry and take appropriate action based on its findings.
The group further called for proper training of public-facing officials and staff at Nagaland House, saying they should deal with guests, students and members of the public with professionalism, courtesy and respect.