Khasi Attire Row: Civil society asks NHRC to conduct inquiry

The Assam's civil society today urged the NHRC chairperson Justice H L Dattu to institute an inquiry against Delhi Golf Club (DGC) for violating the human rights of Khasi governess Tailin Lyngdoh, who was recently forced to leave the club for wearing her traditional attire.
The complaint, filed by Lyngdoh's employer - Nivedita Barthakur and child rights activist Miguel Das Queah, sought action against the club's general committee.
The complaint said, "The treatment meted out to Lyngdoh at the DGC is constitutionally unacceptable due to various reasons and amounts to the violation of her human rights premised upon discrimination, causing immense mental agony to her."

"Such policies reinforce class based discrimination in a country that has historically fought against such discrimination," it said.
"The treatment meted out to Lyngdoh at the DGC is constitutionally unacceptable due to various reasons and amounts to the violation of her human rights premised upon discrimination, causing immense mental agony to her," the complaint said.
"The racial and social profiling of Lyngdoh as a maid and her traditional attire being branded as a maid's uniform, and the stereotyping as Nepali promotes feelings of enmity, aversion and hatred towards her.

"Lyngdoh had to endure unnecessary mental agony as she was wearing the traditional Khasi Jainsem (which did not fit into a North Indian's idea of formal/traditional attire) and she has oriental features (generally stereotyped as people from Nepal, China etc)," it said.

Lyngdoh, who met civil society members here last evening, said it was "extremely humiliating" for her to be treated in this manner in her own country.
"I have lived in London and Abu Dhabi with my employers and have always worn my traditional dress which has been appreciated abroad," she said.