New Delhi: Tailin Lyngdoh, the tribal Khasi woman was asked by Delhi Golf Club to leave a lunch, where she went as a guest and was humiliated by officials for her tribal looks. She said on Saturday that she can’t accept the apology from them as she was hurt and heartbroken, on receiving such a treatment.
“I will never accept any apology as I was deeply hurt by the manner in which I was insulted and discriminated against. I would also never set foot in the Club ever again,” Lyngdoh told journalists.
“If you try and fix a broken glass, you won’t be able to hide the cracks in the glass. Therefore, it will be difficult for me to accept any apology from them now,” she stated.
On June 25, Lyngdoh, a governess, had gone to the Club, along with her employer Nivedita Barthakur, after they were invited for lunch by a Club member. Some 15-20 minutes into the lunch, two Club officials asked Lyngdoh to leave the table and sought to escort her out, saying her dress was a “maid’s uniform” and also allegedly hurled racial abuses. Post which Delhi Golf Club had apologised to her.
Lyngdoh on reaching Shillong, capital city of Meghalaya on Saturday afternoon had met the members of Meghalaya State Women’s Commission and women’s rights activists. She shared with them the unfortunate incident at the elitist Golf Club for wearing a Jainsem.
“I want the Meghalaya government and civil society groups and my fellow tribesmen to come forward in taking up the incident which happened at the Club so that no such discrimination is meted out to anyone in the future,” Lyngdoh’s employer appealed.
“This is not the first time that such an incident has happened. These things keep happening. Therefore, I am appealing to the people of the Northeast to stand up together. Here is a lady who was humiliated for her profession, for the way she looks and for the way she dressed. Let us not just make it into Tailin’s voice alone. It should be the voice of everyone. Enough is enough,” Barthakur said.
On her meeting with the women’s commission Chairperson, she said: “I am convinced that they are with us and will take proactive action. We are going back with hope.”
Moreover, Chief Minister Mukul Sangma had raised the issue with Home Minister of the State Kiren Rijiju, said such discrimination needs to be condemned by one and all.
“All legal options available as per the Scheduled Tribe Prevention of Atrocities Act 1989 and more will be taken advantage of so that such behaviour is not repeated,” Sangma said.