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CHINKI
WORD OF DISCRIMINATION
Subir Deb
Years ago, there was a news item in a national daily that a Minister from Nagaland was asked for his passport when he was checking-in at a five star hotel in Mumbai (then Bombay). The receptionist, accustomed to greet guests from foreign countries like Switzerland, New Zealand etc, thought that Nagaland is just another foreign country and hence asked for the passport. Naturally, the Minister was shocked and quite offended. The confusion finally ended at the intervention of the hotel management.
In another incident, an Assamese gentleman had mentioned that he was from Shillong (capital of Meghalaya) while checking in with his family at a hotel in Chennai (then Madras) sometime in mid eighties. It was late in the evening when he was called back by the police from the hotel lobby for questioning. Later on, it came to light that the police was informed by the hotel receptionist who mistook Shillong for Ceylon. That was the period when anyone from Sri Lanka (erstwhile Ceylon) was a suspect LTTE rebel and report had been lodged to the police authorities as per their standing instructions to all hotels. The gentleman from Shillong had a lot of explaining to do to clear the air.
To read the further article please get your copy of Eastern Panorama October issue @http://www.magzter.com/IN/Hill-Publications/Eastern-Panorama/News/ or mail too contact @easternpanorama.in
