English Quiz for SBI PO Prelims 2016 - Set 3

The mysterious death of Loitam Richard in Bangalore, the murder of Ramchanphy Hongray in New Delhi, the suicide by Dana Sangma and other such incidents serve as reminders of the insecure conditions under which people, particularly the young, from the north-east of India have to live within the metros of this country. What these deaths have in common is that the three individuals were all from a certain part of the country, had a “particular” physical appearance, and were seen as outsiders in the places they died. These incidents have been read as a symptom of the pervasive racial discrimination that people from the region face in metropolitan India. Quite expectedly, such an assertion about the existence of racism in India will not be taken seriously; the response will be to either remain silent and refuse to acknowledge this form of racism or, fiercely, to reject it. Ironically, most Indians see racism as a phenomenon that exists in other countries, particularly in the West, and without fail, see themselves as victims. They do not see themselves harbouring (potentially) racist attitudes and behaviour towards others whom they see as inferior.

But time and again, various groups of people, particularly those from the north-east, have experienced forms of racial discrimination and highlighted the practice of racism in India. In fact, nstitutionalised racism has been as much on the rise as cases of everyday racism in society. In a case of racial profiling, the University of Hyderabad chose to launch its 2011 “initiative” to curb drinking and drug use on campus by working with students from the north-east. In 2007, the Delhi Police decided to solve the problems of security faced by the north-easterners in Delhi, particularly women, by coming up with a booklet entitled Security Tips for North-East Students asking north-eastern women not to wear “revealing dresses” and gave kitchen tips on preparing bamboo shoot, akhuni, and “other smelly dishes” without “creating ruckus in neighbourhood.”

Very recently, in the run-up to the BRICS summit in New Delhi, the Delhi Police’s motto of “citizens first” was on full display, when they arrested or put under preventive detention the non-citizens — the Tibetan refugees. But the real problem for the security personnel cropped up when they had to identify Tibetans on the streets of Delhi. This problem for the state forces was compounded by the fact that Delhi now has a substantial migrant population from the north-east whose physical features could be quite similar to those of Tibetans. So, the forces went about raiding random places in Delhi, questioning and detaining people from the region. North-eastern individuals travelling in vehicles, public transport, others at their workplaces, and so on, all became suspects. Many were asked to produce their passports or other documents to prove that, indeed, they were Indian citizens and not refugee Tibetans. In some cases, “authentic” Indians had to intervene in order to endorse and become guarantors of the authenticity of the nationality of these north-easterners. The situation became farcical and caught the attention of the judiciary reportedly after two lawyers from the region were interrogated and harassed. The Delhi High Court directed the Delhi Police not to harass people from the north-east and Ladakh. How much easier it would have been for the Delhi Police, if only citizenship and physiognomy matched perfectly. But should one expect otherwise from these state and public institutions, given the fact that racism is rampant at the level of societal everyday experiences? For north-easterners who look in a particular manner, everyday living in Indian cities can be a gruelling experience.

1) Because the writer is very much concerned about the deaths of young talents

2) Because he is very kind-hearted and thinks that such types of incidents are the results of atrocities inflicted on people belonging to weaker sections of the society

3) Because all these incidents reflect atrocities on persons belonging to a certain part of the country having a particular physical appearance

4) Such types of incidents are very common in metros and big cities and there is no essence of racial discrimination in such incidents.

5) None of these.

1) Because the Delhi Police had failed to maintain the law- and-order situation in New Delhi

2) Because two lawyers from the north-east were interrogated and harassed by the Delhi Police

3) Because the Delhi Police had beaten up youths coming from the north-east

4) Because the Delhi Police was proved inefficient to handle the chaotic situation in New Delhi.

5) None of these

1) It is a general perception of most of the Indian people that the phenomena of racism exists only in the West, not in India.

2) If someone asserts that racism does exist in India, it will not be taken seriously.

3) The people of India claim that they themselves sometimes become victims of racism when abroad.

4) The people not only from north-east but also from other parts of the country are equally prone to racial prejudice.

5) All the above are correct

(A) As the physical features of the north-eastern people are quite similar to those of Tibetans, they were raided, questioned and even detained.

(B) Many north-eastern people having physical features similar to those of the Tibetans, had to produce their passports or other documents to prove that they were Indian citizens and not refugee Tibetans.

(C) They did not have to face any problem. They were treated at par with the citizens from other parts of the country.

1) Only (A)

2) Only (A) and (B)

3) Only (B) and (C)

4) Only (C)

5) All (A), (B) and (C)

1) BRICS summit 2011

2) Atrocious acts of the Delhi Police

3) The Brutal Murder of Innocent People

4) Pervasive Racial Discrimination

5) Either 1) or 3)

(A) The incidents posited in the beginning of the passage clearly support the view that there is hidden racist attitude and behaviour in some people towards others.

(B) A few incidents of murder, suicide or mysterious deaths cannot prove racial discrimination against the people of a particular region.

(C) In the wake of any major event taking place in the country, it is but imperative for the police to discharge their duties honestly, irrespective of the caste, creed, sex or race of the people.

1) Only (A)

2) Only (B)

3) Only (A) and (B)

4) Only (B) and (C)

5) Only (A) and (C)

(A) The University of Hyderabad launched its 2011 “initiative” to curb drinking and drug use in campus by working with students from the north-east.

(B) The Delhi Police decided to solve the problems faced particularly by women by coming up with a booklet entitled Security Tips for North-East Students.

(C) The booklet mentioned in (B) above asked north-eastern women not to wear revealing dresses and gave kitchen tips on preparing delicious north Indian dishes without taking into consideration what their neighbours think.

1) Only (A)

2) Only (B)

3) Only (A) and (C)

4) Only (A) and (B)

5) All (A), (B) and (C)

1) The Indian having documentary proof of their citizenship

2) The bureaucrats

3) North Indian people

4) Police personnel

5) Not mentioned in the passage