DOI: 10.36344/ccijhss.2019.v05i12.003

Pages: 358-361

Discrimination against the northeast Indians in the capital city of Delhi is a frequent phenomenon in India. Every year, various incidents of such cases substantiate this discriminatory situation. Although the kind of discrimination in Delhi against northeast India is considered under the umbrella of cultural and racial discrimination, stigmatization plays a critical role in the continuation of such discrimination. In fact, most of the discrimination against the northeast Indians is initiated by the negative stigmatization of the people from this region. Against this backdrop, comprehending the issue in the larger theoretical context of stigma popularised by sociologist Ervin Gofman is important to unfold the perpetuating discrimination the northeast Indians face in the capital city of India. This research paper argues that the discrimination against northeast Indians in Delhi has been perpetuated because of the frequent racial and cultural stigmatization of northeast Indians. Twenty semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with respondents from northeast India who reside in Delhi.