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People from the North East, particularly those with mongoloid features, have always suffered discrimination from those in the so called mainland. And if you look at the reports coming in, it's evident that it's a countrywide phenomenon and not just confined to Delhi or the North.
Of course, it would be wrong to paint everyone with the same brush. Not everyone in the mainland exhibits the same discriminatory attitude towards people from the NE. Having said that, I think we need to know the reasons why so many of us with mongoloid features from the NE go through these harrowing experiences.
I think it all has to do with the mindset of these people. Their attitude stems mostly from ignorance and their inability, reluctance or even unwillingness to treat us as fellow countrymen. The govt. is also hugely responsible for not doing anything concrete to change this mindset. A lot of Indians, even semi-educated ones don't know much about the NE or the people living here. They don''t know anything about the history of the NE, the diverse communities settled here or their rich cultures and traditions. One of the main reasons why this is so is because nothing is taught to these people about the NE either in school or college.
If you pick up any history, geography or even language textbook prescribed by NCERT, which is the main body responsible for framing the curriculum in schools in India, you will hardly find any mention of the NE and the people settled here.
This has also given rise to some pretty ironic situations. For instance, the students reading in CBSE affiliated schools located here in the NE do not learn anything about their own region whereas they are taught the history of the Rajput kingdoms or the Maratha Peshwas or Tipu Sultan or Razia Sultan. They know all about the exploits of Shivaji and Bhagat Singh and Prithviraj Chauhan but they know nothing or next to nothing about the heroes from their own region. Most students have never heard of Lachit Borphukan who defeated the mighty Mughal Army and prevented the NE from becoming a part of the Mughal Empire. They know nothing about Bir Tikendrajit or Kiang Nangbah and dozens of others who defied the mighty British and were punished with death for this defiance.
The disconnect that exists between the NE and the rest of the country is also not helped by the fact that most of us who go outside the region tend to construct ghettos of our own when we reach there. We stick to ourselves and usually don't reach out to others just as they don't reach out to us. This particular problem is compounded by the fact that we look different, we eat different, we dress different, we speak different. What I am trying to say here is simply that I think we also should make an effort to assimilate with the locals there. I mean, don't those mainlainders who come to our region to work and settle - don't they learn our languages and eat our foods... I think those of them who do fit in just fine.
The token measures taken up by the govt. whenever any crisis comes up - when a Richard Loitam is killed or when a Dana Sangma commits suicide apparently because of racial discrimination will not be enough to solve the problem, I feel. It is just too deep rooted. There's a need for much more wide ranging and drastic steps. For starters, the NCERT and other curriculum framing bodies can start including NE centric topics in the syllabi. This will make those children in places like Meerut or Bhatinda or Nasik know about us and our history/ culture and what we look like just as we know about them. The mainstream media can also do its bit by giving more coverage to NE related issues. On our part, we also need to start taking a more inclusive attitude towards them.
Of course, it would be wrong to paint everyone with the same brush. Not everyone in the mainland exhibits the same discriminatory attitude towards people from the NE. Having said that, I think we need to know the reasons why so many of us with mongoloid features from the NE go through these harrowing experiences.
I think it all has to do with the mindset of these people. Their attitude stems mostly from ignorance and their inability, reluctance or even unwillingness to treat us as fellow countrymen. The govt. is also hugely responsible for not doing anything concrete to change this mindset. A lot of Indians, even semi-educated ones don't know much about the NE or the people living here. They don''t know anything about the history of the NE, the diverse communities settled here or their rich cultures and traditions. One of the main reasons why this is so is because nothing is taught to these people about the NE either in school or college.
If you pick up any history, geography or even language textbook prescribed by NCERT, which is the main body responsible for framing the curriculum in schools in India, you will hardly find any mention of the NE and the people settled here.
This has also given rise to some pretty ironic situations. For instance, the students reading in CBSE affiliated schools located here in the NE do not learn anything about their own region whereas they are taught the history of the Rajput kingdoms or the Maratha Peshwas or Tipu Sultan or Razia Sultan. They know all about the exploits of Shivaji and Bhagat Singh and Prithviraj Chauhan but they know nothing or next to nothing about the heroes from their own region. Most students have never heard of Lachit Borphukan who defeated the mighty Mughal Army and prevented the NE from becoming a part of the Mughal Empire. They know nothing about Bir Tikendrajit or Kiang Nangbah and dozens of others who defied the mighty British and were punished with death for this defiance.
The disconnect that exists between the NE and the rest of the country is also not helped by the fact that most of us who go outside the region tend to construct ghettos of our own when we reach there. We stick to ourselves and usually don't reach out to others just as they don't reach out to us. This particular problem is compounded by the fact that we look different, we eat different, we dress different, we speak different. What I am trying to say here is simply that I think we also should make an effort to assimilate with the locals there. I mean, don't those mainlainders who come to our region to work and settle - don't they learn our languages and eat our foods... I think those of them who do fit in just fine.
The token measures taken up by the govt. whenever any crisis comes up - when a Richard Loitam is killed or when a Dana Sangma commits suicide apparently because of racial discrimination will not be enough to solve the problem, I feel. It is just too deep rooted. There's a need for much more wide ranging and drastic steps. For starters, the NCERT and other curriculum framing bodies can start including NE centric topics in the syllabi. This will make those children in places like Meerut or Bhatinda or Nasik know about us and our history/ culture and what we look like just as we know about them. The mainstream media can also do its bit by giving more coverage to NE related issues. On our part, we also need to start taking a more inclusive attitude towards them.
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