Naga scholars allege mistreatment at Nagaland House

Morung Express News
Kohima | September 17

An academic gathering at Nagaland House, RK Puram, New Delhi, turned tense on September 15 after Dolly Kikon, her husband Sanjay Barbora and other Naga scholars alleged rude and intimidating behaviour by venue staff as participants were winding up.

Kikon, Professor and Director of CSAD at University of California, Santa Cruz, and Barbora, also a Professor there, attended as invited resource persons at the programme organised by Naga Scholars Association (NSA). The incident reportedly occurred after the event had concluded, while students were interacting with the scholars.

An NSA scholar, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the hall was booked from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm, but the programme ended well before schedule. Participants, the scholar said, had collected the waste, arranged the chairs and were preparing to leave when the manager, identified as Ms Metha, began asking them to switch off the lights and clear the venue.

The scholar said some students stayed back to ask Kikon and Barbora follow-up questions about the programme. The situation allegedly escalated when a receptionist asked them to leave and banged on the desk while telling them to keep quiet.

According to the scholar, the receptionist also made an objectionable remark towards Barbora and added the exchange was humiliating, especially since Kikon and Barbora were invited as guests and resource persons. The scholar further alleged that the manager repeatedly questioned the students about the event’s permission and said she did not know who the NSA was.

The incident reportedly drew the intervention of the PRO, after which the matter was resolved and apologies were exchanged. However, the scholar said, “It was very embarrassing and humiliating because they were our guests. They are one of the leading scholars, and the manager of the Nagaland House treated them as though they were just random people.”

The scholar also claimed that the staff made racist remark because Kikon’s husband is a non-Naga by threatening him with ‘maridibo’ (will beat you).

The NSA is reportedly writing a complaint to Resident Commissioner of Nagaland House. The scholar also questioned the utilisation of Nagaland House and the kind of people employed in its hospitality.

Barbora: ‘Very unprofessional’ 
Barbora said the incident was “very unfortunate” and the staff had behaved unprofessionally while asking guests and students to leave. He alleged that staff were “pushing everybody out in a very rude manner,” prompting him to object.

“We were taking photographs with some students. The students and my wife began to laugh about something, and the receptionist then got very angry,” Barbora said, adding that he asked the staff to calm down. The receptionist allegedly grew aggressive, after he was asked to speak appropriately, thumping the desk and repeatedly telling the group to leave.

For Barbora, however, the matter was not something he or his wife wanted to pursue further. “As mature people, these things happen. For us, we are willing to let it go,” he said, while adding that the incident had nevertheless “left a bad taste.”

When asked, he said both he and Kikon had recovered from the incident and were doing well. Barbora said the incident should ultimately be addressed by the administration of Nagaland House, particularly in terms of staff training and professional conduct.

Kikon recounts ‘humiliating experience’
In a written statement issued on September 16, Kikon described the incident as a “horrible humiliating experience” for herself and her husband.

She alleged that the receptionist slammed the desk and asked her to leave while she was speaking with students. Kikon said Barbora intervened and objected to the receptionist’s behaviour, following which the staff member allegedly became confrontational.

Kikon alleged that the receptionist challenged Barbora to a physical confrontation, while the manager, Ms Metha, subsequently asked them to leave and described the event as noisy and disruptive.

She said she repeatedly explained that she was an invited resource person of NSA and that students were still engaging with her. Kikon also alleged that the manager questioned the event’s authorisation and instructed the receptionist to produce the relevant paperwork.

Kikon said she eventually returned the bouquet presented to her by NSA, expressing her disappointment with the treatment she had received. She also alleged that the behaviour towards her husband reflected a discriminatory attitude because he is Assamese.

PRO’s response
Nagaland House PRO Kuolie Mere said he was not present when the incident initially began and arrived towards the end of the gathering. Mere described the incident as “very unfortunate” and said that he had apologised to Dolly and her husband. When asked he acknowledged on the need to examine how staff interact with visitors using Nagaland House.