NE Indians as Chinese?

In the wake of the latest racial attack against a young person from Arunachal Pradesh, the Prime Minister and Home Minister have both condemned the killing and promised punishment to the guilty. Even Rahul Gandhi and Narendra Modi, Prime Ministerial candidate of the Congress and BJP respectively, have also given assurance to the people from the Northeast  region on their greviences. It appears to be that more concerns are being expressed by our politicians given that this is an election year. But people just don't want assurance of punishment for the guilty. In fact our politicians if they are really concerned should ensure that such kind of racial attack or prejudice against people from the NE does not happen again. And for this, merely punishing the guilty is not the answer. What is needed are substantive measures encompassing a wide range of area from law to education. Mere concern or posturing even from the august house of Parliament is not going to stop such discrimination or the feeling of alienation experienced by those from the NE. 

It appears to be that discrimination, violence or killing of people from the NE is always dealt through a reactionary approach. There is a lot of hue and cry created in the immediate aftermath of such incidents, only to fizzle out, with at best some stop gap arrangements been made. Several measures suggested in the past remain on paper. In fact, in the aftermath of a similar incident in 2012 at Bangalore where a young student from Manipur, Loitam Richard was killed, many pertinent issues were then raised including some very good suggestions, which we should perhaps revisit. While providing security, fast tracking investigations or punishing the guilty is a matter of right for every citizen, there is a need to add other ideas, specific to the issue at hand. The Justice for Loitam Richard (JLR) campaign had some good ideas such as to review existing education curricula. The suggestion given to undertake a sustained media campaign in order to highlight the multi-cultural and racial composition of India is much needed as it will help to positively change people's perception towards NE people and thereby avoid stereotyping and prejudice and consequent crime as a result of it. 

It is an irony of sorts that while the Government of India or the Indian State goes out of its way to reaffirm that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country (in the wake of claims by China), some of its citizens from mainland India call people from the Northeast region as Chinese or Chinky. Perhaps a majority of Indians too carry this perception, including the educated and those who run the affairs of the State. The killing of a young student from Arunachal Pradesh in the National Capital, Delhi has once again brought to the fore the insensitivity of those who continue to view the northeast as something alien from the rest of mainland India. This is a national shame. One needs to raise the question as to whether Delhi is only concerned about its national security, especially the Chinese threat, with the NE region acting as a buffer. What about the security of citizens hailing from the NE region? If the northeast is indeed an integral part of  the country and critical for India's security and well being, it is perhaps time for the Indian State and its people to treat the NE region and its people with greater respect and honour due to them.