Coronavirus Pandemic: Indian origin man thrashed in Israel by attackers who called him “Chinese”

Amid the rapid spread of the viral respiratory disease, officially known as Novel Coronavirus, an Indian-origin Jew was badly thrashed by two people who called him a "Chinese" and yelled ''Corona! Corona" in Israel's Tiberias city on Saturday, a report in NDTV said.

Am-Shalem Singson, 28, from the Bnei Menashe community of Manipur and Mizoram, was admitted to the Poriya hospital with severe chest injuries.

On the basis of the victim’s description, police continues to search for the two suspects.

Qweed.In quoted Am-Shalem Singson as saying, “I told both of the attackers that I was not even Chinese, but rather a Jew from Bnei Menashe community, not that there is any justification for attacking a Chinese guy or anybody else. But they were totally crazed and kicked me hard while yelling, ‘corona! Corona!’”

"We were shocked to receive the report of the vicious and racist attack in Tiberias," Michael Freund, Chairman and Founder of Shavei Israel, the organisation that has been working on the immigration of Bnei Menashe community to Israel, was quoted by NDTV as saying.

"I demand that the Israeli police investigate the incident immediately and prosecute those who committed this heinous act," Freund added.

This is not the first time when the people from Northeast are exposed to racial insult amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the severity of the epidemic has emerged, a lot of northeast students have complained about the discrimination for being “Chinese” looking.

Recently a girl from northeast studying in Delhi’s Kirori Mal College witnessed racial slur by three male students, a report in Qweed.In stated.

While sharing her ordeal she said, “It was around 11:50 on 6th February 2020, when I went to the canteen for lunch along with a friend of mine. While waiting for my food there was a group of three male students standing beside me. Without any provocation two of them started throwing racial slurs at me and totally caught me off guard. They said “Look, the corona is here!” and “coronavirus!”, to which I replied by asking them to say what they said to my face. While other one said, ‘people like her are like this only.’ ”

The new virus, which originated in China has affected nearly 150 people and claimed 3 in India. In the wake of the virus many schools, colleges and malls in the country have been shut down. Several national and international public gathering including pilgrimages have been suspended.