The attack on the African nationals in Greater Noida’s Ansal Plaza on Monday took a diplomatic turn on Thursday after Nigeria summoned the Indian envoy demanding immediate action.
The summoning of the envoy, a rare occurrence in India’s bilateral ties with any African nation, happened even as India assured that the perpetrators would be punished.
Reports said the Indian High Commissioner B.N. Reddy in Abuja was summoned by Permanent Secretary Olusola Enikanolaiye to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria on Wednesday and was asked to explain the incident in which four Nigerian nationals were beaten up by a mob after a local boy was found dead because of alleged drug overdose.
Mr Enikanolaiye, the senior-most diplomat in Nigeria, demanded that the perpetrators of the attack be prosecuted so that future attackers are deterred from carrying out similar assaults.
“And we want to see diligent prosecution so that it would serve as a deterrent to those who think they can take laws into their hands and harass students who are going about their studies. That is why we felt we should register our concern to you on this occasion, and to please ask your government to take effective measures that this does not occur again,” Mr. Enikaolaiye was quoted as saying by the News Agency of Nigeria.
The Ministry of External Affairs promised tough action saying that the law of the land would take its course on this incident. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, speaking in Parliament, described the incidents as “unfortunate”.
“On behalf of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and myself, I want to assure that there will be an impartial probe,” Ms Swaraj said.
Motive being probed
MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay, however, stopped short of terming the attack as racist and said the motive behind the attack was being investigated. “It is clear that such criminal acts are completely unacceptable and have been condemned,” he said revealing that the students who had been hurt in the attack have been released by the hospital and security has been beefed up for the African community in Greater Noida.
The March 27 attack drew condemnation from civil society and MPs. Amnesty International has blamed the police for being inactive during the attack. “Many of those injured were targeted merely because of the colour of their skin. These are hate crimes,” said the group in a statement.
This is the second time in less than a year that attacks on African nationals in India have become a diplomatic problem for New Delhi. Last year African diplomats threatened a boycott of official celebrations of the Africa Day of May 25 after a Congolese national was killed in Delhi.
Rajya Sabha MP of Congress Anand Sharma said the latest attack would tarnish India’s image in Africa. “We brought students from Africa every year on scholarships. India’s name has now been sullied throughout the world,” he said, asking the government to set up a special cell to look after the welfare of African students.
