Unfortunate death
The death of 19-year-old Manipuri student Richard Loitham of the Acharya's NRV School of Architecture, Bangalore, Karnataka is unfortunate. We must not think it was a Manipuri who lost his life; it was, in fact, an Indian who died. The fact that Richard was killed over the switching of a television channel during an IPL match is almost impossible to believe. The incident should serve as an eye-opener to all colleges in India. Who is to blame for the barbaric mentality in youngsters? Their acts of violence reflect the slackening of moral values among the younger generation. We need to adopt a holistic approach to end discrimination against caste, creed, region and religion around India. India needs to integrate the whole of India and make every citizen feel welcome and safe around the country. Subjects teaching ethics and values should be incorporated in the school curriculum so that the young do not grow up in a poisoned atmosphere. Teachers must explain the consequences of harmful practices to their students. Parents too have a role to play. They should instill moral values in their children. The attitude and outlook of youth should change. And for this to happen, they should be educated on human values. Instead of waiting for students or parents to complain of incidents of racial discrimination, the college authorities should be proactive in preventing racial profiling on campus. Racial discrimination is like a dormant virus and it cannot be completely abolished. All rational people should raise their voice against the despicable practice. It is important to bring the killers of Richard to justice and the guilty should be severely punished. As an Indian my heart goes out to Richard's parents and family. May they have the strength and wisdom to cope with such a tremendous loss.
Mir Gazanfar Ali Zaki, Jeddah
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