Northeast People Are Also Indians

The stereotypes that are unfortunately prevalent in India about people from the North East, which include the states of Assam,Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura. Stereotypes are powerful in determining how we see and interact with others. Whenever we don’t have a good understanding of people or a particular tribe, we tend to make assumptions about them. By putting, stereotypes then there are nothing but those assumptions that have become common knowledge.Even though North-East India “is considered to be one of the most diverse, culturally rich andenvironmentally rich regions of the country”, most people in India know little about it. It’s the identity politics that have served to marginalise and exclude different groups in North-East India.

Indians from the rest of the country refer to people from the northeastern states collectively as ‘chinkies‘. They even include persons with Mongoloid features under their definition of this term. These are the people who visualise their existence as proud, ‘responsible’ countrymen by showing their racist views. The people from northeast India may be termed Chinese, Nepalese, Korean, Bhutanese outside their home states. However, rarely are they called Indian. It is indeed after a lot of struggle that these people are identified at least as ‘northeasterns’.

Indian Ministry of Home Affairs eventually did put forward a law which states that the use of the term ‘chinky‘ is a punishable offense that may be lead to imprisonment for a maximum period of five years.

Several time North eastern people have been targeted by calling them ‘Momo ‘. As if ‘Momos ‘are the only dish they eat in whole day. They are also enquired about their other eating habits and made fun of their Dog and insects eating habits. Most of North eastern Indians are liberals. Their lifestyle reflects western culture. North Eastern girls who come to Delhi for more Education or job opportunities are offended for their dress up. North eastern people are harassed and humiliated verbally as well as physically. The increasing rapes in Delhi provide substantial evidences to this statement. Another problem faced by North eastern people is that they are not taken seriously by law enforcing bodies. Even the political leaders presence in the northeast aren’t as prominent as in the other parts. It’s the exclusion that they feel that comes broadly by majority of sectors.

The murderof the 20-year-old, who was from Arunachal Pradesh, has led to a national debate on discrimination against Indians from the North East. NewDelhi: Nido Tania, a college student, died of severe lung and brain injuries from an attack inflicted upon him in a South Delhi market.

There have been protests, candle-light marches, participation of politicians everytime when an unjust happens around – yet there has been no concrete step taken towards safety and security. Nobody seems to care about the failing law and order in the city. Proper action must be taken against this. It is really sad the way Indians ill treat their own fellow Indians. The issue arises when we don’t even categorise them as “Indian”. It is the people from North East who are facing this problem. Government must act in a significant way and come up with stringent laws to stop the discrimination.

Including them amongst us, as a part of a society, as a part of a bigger family, it’s just our duty.