The price of being an Indian from NE Region

Allow us to dream the same dream of freedom that India won from the British Colonial rule on the eve of 14th August 1947. Inspire us to sing with love the same patriotic national song without the feeling of being unwanted and alienated from the rest of India. Let the same Tri-Color National Flag be our passion and adorn us without reservation for every deed of ours that brings laurel to the Nation. Let the message of Gandhi’s Peace fill and bloom the heart of every proud Indian.

Just as every individual tribal or non-tribal alike feel safe and secure in Arunachal Pradesh and NER we expect the same warmth and hospitality when we are in someone else’s land. Unlike north east, the national capital and many other metropolitan cities in mainland India is not a safe place for people from North East Region. We are discriminated and ill treated everywhere in public places, in the work place, by landlord, by shop keepers, educational institutes and even by the security personal and police. Our brothers and sisters are abused, humiliated, raped and murdered; Is this the price we have to pay for being an Indian from NER? In this part of the region, it is rare to hear tribal boys molest or rape non tribal girls. It doesn’t really bother us by the color of the skin, the looks or the language they speak etc. We don’t carry around that sense of eccentricity that gets pleasure by torturing others by mocking or making racial insults just because they happened to be from another racial group. That way everyone feels secure and roam freely in every nook and corner of the city and even to the farthest villages. However, wild and uncultured we may be, we have learned how to live and behave with people from other communities. Visitors from other parts of the country have always held in high esteem the hospitality and the sense of security in all states of the North East.

Unlike the illegal immigrants, who are a nuisance and are employed in all kinds of low-grade jobs, people from North East Region venture out to mainland India in pursue of higher studies, for better exposure and job opportunities. But as many cases in the recent past have shown, we are met with abhorrence, intolerance and treated as third class citizens. What did our brother Nido Tania do to pay with his dear life in Delhi? He only wanted some directions. He expected elhi to be a place where he can roam freely without fear and shame. Nido Tania is so dear to us, he is the beloved son of Arunachal, a brother, a friend and most of all he is someone’s sweet and precious child. The pain in our heart for the loss of our brother still remains. The fear and anxiety for the safety and wellbeing of students from NER who lives in different cities in main land India has become more real than ever before.

Let it be known to the rest of India that North East Region (NER) is not only the home of the so called wild and primitive tribal’s, but also a home of many hundreds and thousands of mainland Indians who are engaged in thriving business professions, office-going, performing different types of professional and non professional jobs. They are also engaged in all types of skilled work (for instance, a job like haircutting) which the tribal population does not care to learn. Above all uncountable numbers of young people from mainland India pursue their studies in schools and colleges in this region.

Mere assurance of safety and protection for NE people will not solve the problem unless the indifferent and prejudicial attitudes against the people are done away with. This can materialize only with the enactment of a strong anti-racial law.

Having said this, can we also ask ourselves how we northeasterners treat other persons from neighbouring states or the Indian mainland who have come to our beautiful region for business, or official, or as construction labourers and/or other manual works. For instance, let us take our own state, Arunachal. Where do we stand on this issue? Wherever we stand, the NE region has been highly regarded by many as a region where people are extremely hospitable, warm, kind, helpful and simple and straightforward. We think, we must live up to the reputation that is the real Arunachal. Let good will and understanding for a stronger fraternity prevail among the different peoples. We should not give place to a few unscrupulous elements to poison the mosaic beauty of India’s own ‘Land of the Rising Sun’.