Mumbai's north-east community faces racism and cash crunch

April 20, 2020 10:22

Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the lockdown is being extended to May 3, spa owner Leo Tharmi Raikhan's phone has been ringing incessantly. The calls are from friends who hail from the North Eastern states of Mizoram and Manipur and, like him, came to Mumbai to make a living. "Most are employed at restaurants, satellite kitchens, spas and salons. Due to the lockdown, they are surviving without salaries. And now, the landlords are threatening to throw them out," says Raikhan, 34, who runs Only and Only Spa in Kalina.

His political clout as president of BJP's North Central Christian Minority cell and his semi-Mumbaikar status has made him the go-to person for the community. Over the last few days, he has been negotiating with landlords to defer payments. "Some have agreed, others haven't. Many said that the flats are their only source of money."

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