They go out to get more education and work experience; they return home in coffins. It’s terrible to state it like that but the number of young North easterners being murdered in Indian cities is just too alarming, the latest case being the two members from the same family who lost their lives in mysterious circumstances. It really destroys our trust in humanity when incidents like this occur. Hopefully, the government machinery will move swiftly in this case and exact justice, although nothing can replace the two precious lives that were lost. May their loved ones at least find some form of closure.
These cases insistently bring up the question, ‘How safe are our children in the metropolises where there seems to be a high percentage of racist and casteist treatments of people who look like us?’ North easterners are at a disadvantage due to their poor language skills where Hindi is concerned. To add to that, they stand out because of the way they look, signalling that they are not from a caste society. Lesser pay, more working hours and in some cases, non-payment of overtime hours – this is what many youngsters from the region working in cities, put up with.
The situation also throws up the question: Could they not be provided the work experiences and skills in their home states? Is it really necessary to travel out to work away from home, and risk the dangers that are so obviously prevalent outside the Northeast?
For instance, now that many good hotels have been established in the region, hospitality courses could be conducted at these places in collaboration with established quality hotels in big cities. It is also a possibility to incorporate vocational courses in existing institutes that can impart the same skills which lure students and working people outside their home states. Young people could thus seek degrees and diplomas in the safety of their home states. The added bonus would be that parents could save on the expenditure of their children living in the city which is ten times more expensive than studying from home.
It might sound simplistic and naive but the experiences of many returnees last year showed that the land is still able to sustain its children. After the pandemic closed down shops, many people took to farming, and experimented with growing their own vegetables. The results were remarkable with an impressive yield of crops. For those who have no aversion to working hard, home can still provide for us. Unlike other places, we have rich and fertile soil, and the opportunities for breeding cattle and poultry. In the cities, in many cases, our young have learned to work hard as they work much longer hours than farmers, with working hours that go through the night and end at dawn. These unhealthy lifestyles will take their toll on one’s health, sooner or later. Why not exchange it for the much healthier life of a farmer breathing fresh air, eating organic food, and drinking good water every day?
Just taking Nagaland as an example, when we are able to sustain so many Bangladeshis and their trades, why should we not be able to sustain our own? It is so worth exploring. There is the example of Japfü College which offers Diploma Computer courses, as well as add on courses such as, Organic Gardening, Floriculture, Bee Keeping, Swine Production, Rabbit Rearing, Naga Traditional Cuisine to name a few. This is what a single college is able to do. (The college is also home to 500 fruit trees and 450 assorted flowers). Think of the many courses the other colleges could add to their syllabus so that graduates can be trained to find employment locally. We do have solutions to the question of employment within our grasp. Parents would be happy to pay for courses that can provide a means of living afterwards. Can the government provide some funding for colleges to start vocational courses? Can colleges come forward to provide professional education? All these are vital questions, because it is essential to talk prevention since there is no cure for racial crimes.
