The attack on two Nagaland men, who were allegedly targeted for “selling northeastern food” in Gujarat on Sunday evening, drew widespread attention and concern.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said the incident was ‘disturbing’. He said, one should respect each other’s cultural identity and food choices and urged all to live up to the ideal of unity in diversity. Minister Temjen Imna Along expressed his dismay over the ‘hate crime’, emphasizing the importance of respecting diverse cultures and choices in food.
The assault on two Nagas for selling non-vegetarian and northeastern food is disturbing. We should respect each other's cultural identity and food choices. Let us live up to our ideal of unity in diversity. pic.twitter.com/PsN3OO1jl7
— Neiphiu Rio (@Neiphiu_Rio) June 7, 2023
Leader of NPF legislature party Kuzholuzo Azo Nienu condemned the assault on the two Nagas at the Prime Minister’s home turf in the highest manner. He called for the culprits to be punished without any further delay as per the law without any favoritism.
The incident, initially reported as a hate crime, has now been characterized by the Ahmedabad Police as “a result of business rivalry rather than a targeted act of hate.”
According to the victims’ account mentioned in the Times of India report, they were confronted by a group of about ten men who criticized their sale of non-vegetarian and northeastern cuisine in a predominantly Hindu-dominated area like Gujarat. The Indian Express Gujarati also reported on the incident, stating that the attackers invoked the idea of Gujarat as a ‘Hindu state’ and objected to the sale of chicken.
The assault occurred on Sunday night in the Chanakyapuri locality of Ahmedabad. The victims, Rovimezo Kehie and Mapuyanger Jamir, were attacked with a baseball bat. Another individual who tried to intervene and help them was also injured, the report said.
An FIR has been registered, and one of the accused, identified as Pratik Dhobi, has been arrested.
While initial reports framed the incident as a hate crime, OpIndia, a news outlet known for its right-wing stance, presented an alternative perspective. The outlet reported that Inspector JB Agrawat from the Sola police station refuted the victim’s statements and asserted that the attack stemmed from a ‘business rivalry’ rather than hate. According to OpIndia’s investigation, the restaurant in question, named ‘One Stop – Northeast Shop and Restaurant,’ is owned by Hiren Patel but operated by Rovimezzo Kehi and Mapuyanger Jamir, both from Nagaland.
Gujarat: ‘The attack on 2 persons from Nagaland not a hate crime but business rivalry’, says Ahmedabad police, assures strict actionhttps://t.co/xcHeECkPwy
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) June 7, 2023
Inspector JB Agrawat stated in a telephonic conversation with OpIndia that their investigation supported the conclusion that the incident was primarily motivated by ‘business rivalry’ and not driven by hate.