Bikers’ rally against racial discrimination

Shillong, Feb 8: Biking is not all about daredevilry, but can also be used as a form of protest, appeal or message for a larger human cause. The bikers in Shillong under the umbrella of Royal Enfield Riders Association of Meghalaya (RERAM) and the Brotherhood of Bulleteers Motorcycling Consortium (BOBMC) organized a‘Bikers Against Racial Discrimination’ rally in Shillong and other major cities of the country to put the focus on racial discrimination and the need to stop it.

The rally was prompted by the recent murder of a nineteen years old Nido Tanium, a student from Arunachal Pradesh, in Delhi who was beaten to death by shopkeepers when he protested after being taunted by them over his hair colour.

The young bikers came in droves numbering over hundred and started exactly at around 1 pm from the Polo parking lots on Saturday. The organizer said that 1 pm was chosen as a flag off of the rally in Shillong and other cities to signify that “We are one.”

Organized by the Royal Enfield Riders Association of Meghalaya (RERAM) Storm-bringers in collaboration with the Brotherhood of Bulleteers Motorcycling Consortium (BOBMC), RERAM general secretary AD Phanbuh said,“We want to send a strong message to the people of mainland India to stop racial discrimination.”

Phanbuh said that incident or racial discrimination against people from north eastern states in cities, especially Delhi, across the country is nothing new as it has been happening over decades now; he reminded the plight of north eastern region students studying and staying in New Delhi, Bangalore and other cities had been a target.

Phanbuh lamented that before  Nido Tanium was beaten to death in New Delhi, a student from Manipur Richard Loitam had also been beaten to death in his hostel in Bangalore. He said the RERAM Storm-bringers has taken the initiative to organize a motorcycle rally in Shillong with the support of the Brotherhood of Bulleteers Motorcycle Consortium [BOBMC], who will also be holding similar rides in various parts of the country today and tomorrow, to protest against such racial discrimination and the need to stop it.

Quoting the famous phrase – Do unto others, what you want others to do unto you, Phanbuh said, “We would reiterate that racism should not exist in a global society. Hence, as responsible riders we should take the initiative to promote a secular nation and discourage racism of any form.”- By Our Reporter