North East: Looking Less India or Looking More India?

The death of Nido Tania, a 19 year old boy from Arunachal Pradesh has exposed the shocking racial hate crime on the people of the North East in Delhi again. It is observed that there are similar racial intolerances against these people in Indian metropolitan cities such as Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi.

In Delhi itself some extremely cases of rape and racial discrimination had already come to light through the media. In 2005 a 19 year old Mizo girl was gang-raped in Dhaula Kuan; in 2007 a Manipuri girl was sexually assaulted by a resident of Safdarjung Enclave and in the same year one call centre Manager even refused to pay salary of two employees from northeast after they objected to his sexual advances; in 2008 a 20 year old youth from Manipur was allegedly pushed off from second floor in Safdarjung Enclave leading to his death by his landlord’s son; in 2009 a 19 year old Manipuri girl was murdered after raping her by an IIT student at Munirka and in the same year a 7 year old girl from Nagaland was gang-raped, murdered and dumped in a water tank in Mahipalpur; in 2010 a girl working in multinational company was gang-raped in Dhaula Kuan; in 2012 a Manipuri girl was raped in Dwarka Sector 20 and in the same year a youth from Manipur died of severe respiration problems after one hospital refused admission in the ICU; in 2013 a Manipuri girl was murdered in her rented room in Chirag Dilli and in the same year 3 students from Manipur were brutally beaten by their neighbours and the list go on and on. And just before this article is about to end writing and submit for publication, a news flashed in the television that a minor Manipuri girl of around 14 years old was raped in Munirka by the landlord’s son on 7th February 2014. Besides these many cases there are still many more who did not register with the Delhi Police or to any concerned authority as they felt that it would be a waste of time and would not get justice. What is horrifying to know is that out of the total 701 people interviewed randomly (from ongoing research) from those Northeastern people who were protesting at Jantar Mantar and Delhi University North campus on 4th - 6th February 2014, cent percent confirmed that they were either racial abused or discriminated in Delhi on a regular basis. The respondents revealed that the discrimination seems to be always about their dresses and the lifestyles. ‘Chinky’, ‘Chowmein’, ‘Momo’, ‘Chinese’, etc. are some of the terms that are always called at them – be it on the roads, streets and public places. Girls in western outfits are considered ‘loose’ and are often become the object of male gaze.  Men are often verbally abused and are often laughed at the hairdo. At market places they are often cheated by overcharging prices on vegetables and fruits, while many landlords harassed or misbehaved with them despite payment of unregulated rents in time. Children who ought to be busy playing on grounds or studying are no exception as they are often seen mocking at the northeast people by calling out with the same derogatory names. In most cases the respondents kept silent and did not react to it. When reacted back they get beaten up by the locals mercilessly. This statistics would perhaps negate the argument that racial discrimination in Delhi cannot be generalized and should be treated as specific case. What is reflected by the respondents is that a sense of fear and insecurity is increasingly felt while living in Delhi and the situation is going bad to worst. They even claimed that the Delhi Police and the Government could not be of much help when such hate crime happened although in 2011, the Home Affairs Ministry made the use of hate speech like “Chinky” punishable with five years in jail as there is not much action taken more than advising for a compromise on the two parties involved. Ironically, in 2007, the Delhi police published a much criticized booklet advising migrants from the northeast to avoid wearing revealing clothes and to not cook their native foods, such as bamboo shoots and fermented soy beans, for fear of upsetting Indian neighbors with unfamiliar smells. This is happening in a place like Delhi – the capital of India where the Prime Minister and the President of India also lives.

Any sensible person may then ask as to why Northeast people are often targeted and such attacks occur almost every day. The research found out that racial attacks and discriminations do exist with other communities and in other parts of the world but the degree and intensity of such attacks with the northeast is enormous. Perhaps what emerged is the racial/biological or the civilizational question which also reflected from the research. Majority of the respondents from the mainland Indians feel that racially the northeast people are confused with the other Indians and feel that they are ‘strangers’ or ‘foreigners’ and represent uncivilized and primitive communities. On the gender question the mainland Indians feel that they are physically stronger and masculinity is hard to reflect with the northeastern men as they have the mongoloid physical characteristics with smaller eyes and nose, straight hair, yellow skin, physically shorter with less hair on the skin. The case of Nido Tania’s death is believed to be a hate crime reflected on his hairdo and the region he comes from. His ‘looked’ is different and that was a problem to ‘others’. What is cynical about the whole issue is that there is no Indian law that can deal with racial abuse or its related crime when it is of ethnic origin. This defeated the fundamental value that India is a plural and a secular state. What one can reflects from this incident is the missing of cultural tolerance and lack of cultural understanding in the country. There is hegemonic and ethnocentric feeling among the dominant community that overpower the weaker groups and communities. The feudal patriarchal mindset does not allow people to accept other culture and people. Research has shown that race was also an important part of the ethnic identity of the northeast people living in Delhi as early as 1960. During the early 60’s there was a serious threat to the northeast people throughout India when Sino-India war broke out in 1962. There was a specific incident in the same year where a young Naga who was mistaken as Chinese was assaulted near the Connaught Place in New Delhi. Even today such mentality has surfaced again and again and it may not take time to declare India as a ‘racist state’ by others. It is therefore high time for India to reassert its cultural plurality and build cultural understanding by knowing other culture and history of the people.

There are other important issues that the Government of India should recognize and act fast. The claim of China over Arunachal has been a contested issue in the recent times and many feels that India has been ‘too soft’ on the issue. And there is border dispute and conflicts with India and Pakistan over Jammu and Kashmir as we all know. At the present, the border fencing in the state of Manipur has added Myanmar (Burma) in the list that requires critical assessment of the geo-politics (which I hope to publish in great details in the next issue) and the unrest of the bordering communities (though positive sides cannot be ruled out as the fencing would prevent illegal immigration, smuggling, drugs trafficking etc. to some extent). What is unfortunate is the loss of huge chunk of Manipur land (as big as Seychelles, something around 455 sq. km.) that ultimately will go to Myanmar. This is the second time happening after Kabaw Valley - a valley of Manipur rich in natural resources mainly teak and gold was given to Burma by the British in 1834 to solve their unending fight over fixed boundary. What is shocking is that the two Kuki villages (Holle nphai and Govajang), one Maring Naga village (Satang) in the Chandel district and Chorok Khunou in Ukhrul district of Manipur who were Indians until yesterday have become a part of Myanmar soon after the border fencing. More than 17 villages are affected by this fencing. The worst is that there is a house located in one of the affected villages where the kitchen is in the Indian side and the bedroom in Myanmar. This means a member of this family would require Visa to go to his kitchen and vice versa. And that too, he/she has to enter from the main entry gates (through proper security checks and papers) and not directly as the fencing separates the kitchen and the bedroom. When the people of these affected villages began to raise objection, the Indian authority denied the harm done. Many observed that there is insensitivity and ignorance from the Indian side (both intentional and non intentional). Therefore I argue that the policy of National Integration in India is not a smooth one as in the process many ethnic groups or communities are left out and seen discriminated or subjugated. Division of society based on caste is found everywhere in the country and the incident of Nido’s death is definitely on the racial lines. It is a fact that the theory of ‘One Nation’, ‘One Identity’ in India is impractical and impossible. Therefore the National curriculum of NCERT and CBSE should not validate this theory. It should project cultural pluralism in the country and the syllabus should include/add significant works/issues on the geography, culture and history of the northeast people. On the contrary what is seen generally is the nationalizing frontier of the region and in the name of security ‘Armed Forces Special Powers Act’ (AFSPA). The policy of declaring forests as ‘restricted forest’ or ‘prohibited forest’ by the Government of India have already uprooted many tribal and indigenous culture, history and identity, besides shrinking of spaces. Many mega dams that are proposed or are already stationed in the region do not benefit the locals as the power is being outsourced to other places and cities of the country. The region again is under represented as many of the states have only one to two members in the Indian Parliament, except the state of Assam. In every sense there is inequality, subjugation, discrimination and prejudice in the country. On one hand due to landlockness, poverty and insurgency people in the region are forced to migrate to other cities for education and job opportunities and on the other hand the rise in hate crimes, racial attacks and discrimination has left the people even more difficulty to survive in a place like Delhi. Today there is growing emotional and psychological gaps among the northeast youths and the mainland Indians and this will adversely affect the process of nation building in India. If unchecked there can be further division in society that can ultimately paralyze the Indian state. So it is high time for India to wake up and act swiftly.