Topic-

The Question of Lesser

Indian.
(Racial Discrimination against North East
Indians
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 1
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to structure the present scenario of cold-blooded hate crimes meted
upon the people from North-east in the capital city, Delhi and other metropolitan cities
(Identification of any one socio-legal/ human rights issue in post independence India).
Through the content analysis approach, this paper tries to explore the reasons behind the
alienation of the people of North east in their own country. Firstly, it tries to analye the
!"ommon #ndian mind set$ regarding their North%eastern counterpart and analyses the prevalent
prejudices against them. The misconceptions are dealt with in detail and the reasons behind the
shooting out of those misnomers are also s&etched under the !'ines along which people from
North-east are different from those of mainstream #ndia$. The flaw in the use of the generalied
term !North (ast$ which denies the right of the seven states to be treated with separate individual
identity and respect is pointed out. The hostile and estranged relationship between the "entre and
N( is further elaborated )Analysis of the issue in terms of Origin, Spread, Demands,
Outcome, Legal ro!isions for chec"ing). Finally, some suggested solutions have been
provided to mend matters and to wipe away the tag of !'esser #ndian$s from the people of North-
east. Newspapers and journals constitute the bac&bone of this research paper. The *lueboo& )+,
th
(dition- method of citation has been used here.
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 2
#ontents
Identification of $%orth &ast India and 'ate #rimes( as the socio-legal (and human
rights) issue for the purpose of study
#ntroduction ).acial Discrimination-
.ecent #ncidents.
Analysis of the abo!e selected socio-legal (and human rights issue) in terms of
/rigin and the spread of the issue -Common Indian Mind-Set
.acial origin of the people of North-east.
0sage of the term !North-(ast$.
.epresentation in 1cademia.
'ines along which people from North-east are different from those of mainstream
#ndia2
(conomic Dependence
3eographical 4eclusion
Non-consonant food habits
0nparallel "ultural Norms
4tatus women and men within N( and outside
.eligion differences
Dissimilar 5istory, incomplete integration and flawed assimilation with the
#ndian 0nion
Demands and /utcome- Probable Solutions
Anti-racial Legal ro!isions (%ational ) International debates)
6olice 4ervices
3overnment 6olicies
6rojection by media
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 3
"entre$s step-motherly treatment- #nitiatives for infrastructure, industrial,
educational and s&ill development.
#onclusion

Identification of $%orth &ast India and 'ate #rimes( as the socio-legal (and
human rights) issue for the purpose of study
Introduction-(*acial Discrimination)
'o+ does a $true Indian( loo" li"e, The sturdy, muscular, wide framed, fair man from 6unjab
or the tall, dar&, non-5indi spea&ing lad from 7erala8 The girl having distinct, big eyes from
*engal or the lady with mongoloid features from 9ioram8 -hat does a $true Indian( eat8
Gobi paratha, Idli-dosa, dhokla, ilish mach shorshe, 9asor tenga, steamed pork or something
else8 These subtle yet severely impactful :uestions wor& behind the mechanism of racism; both
from the viewpoint of the perpetrator and the victim.
<#ndia$s north-east is often generalied, misunderstood and understudied. #ts cultural diversity,
decades of armed insurrections, ethnic violence and identity politics have intrigued scholars for
the past few decades.=
+
<They are not considered to be at par with <average #ndian men=. They
are tagged as foreigners
>
in their own country because of this astound ignorance. 5igh amount of
stiff resistance
?
coupled with social alienation has terroried the people resulting in an acute
1
4 Thianlalmuan Ngaihte, The Reality of orth-east as an entity, (6@, Aol. B'A### ,No. CD, +?-+C, )Dec
+E,>D+?-, )Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGcommentaryGreality-north-east entity.html8
ipHloginHnoHcacheIJe?,>Jbb+ce+Jad,b?eff,,EDe?D>K,C.
2
"hitra 1hanthem, !o" Indian is a Manipuri#, 7habar, Luly >D+>, )Feb >F, >D+E-,
http2GGwww.&habar.comGmagaineGfeaturesGopinionHhowHindianHisHaHmanipuri
3
<The 0nited Nations defines racial discrimination as <any distinction, exclusion, restriction, or preference based on
race, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the
recognition, enjoyment, or exercise, on an e:ual footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political,
economic, social, cultural, or any other field of public life.= 3oing by this standard, racial discrimination isn$t as
prevalent as some contend. #t hasn$t stopped people from the Northeast from getting into top positions in different
sectors2 sports, #T, administration, theater, etc. They are well-represented in the call center and hospitality
industries=- "hitra 1hanthem, !o" Indian is a Manipuri#, 7habar, Luly >D+>, )Feb >F, >D+E-,
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 4
identity crisis. <#ncreased migration from the north-east frontier to #ndian cities has escalated this
problem.=
E
*ecent Incidents
<Do you need a passport to enter North (ast8=, <"an you spea& "hinese8=, <Do you eat dogs8=,
and <"an you see properly with those eyes8= )instances of slighting remar&s
C
-. Two students
were allegedly beaten on 9onday in what many described as Mhate crimesM against people from
the north-east. Nido Tania, another student from the north-east, was beaten on C February by
shop&eepers who had ridiculed his appearance and died the next day due to internal injuries.
These cases
J
highlight discrimination faced by indigenous minorities from #ndiaNs north-east.
Analysis of the abo!e selected socio-legal (and human rights issue)
Origin and the spread of the issue -Common Indian Mind-Set
This stereotypical mindset can be studied under the following headings2
Racial origin of the people of North-east
http2GGwww.&habar.comGmagaineGfeaturesGopinionHhowHindianHisHaHmanipuri
4
9cDuie-.a, Duncan, The orth-$ast% Map of &elhi, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.?D,J,-KK,)Luly >F, >D+>-,
)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGreview-issuesGnorth-east-map-delhi.html
5
5ow does one prove that when an autoric&shaw driver as&s a north-easterner on the streets of Delhi if he or she is
going to 9ajnu &a Tila, a Tibetan refugee colony, that the former is reproducing a common practice of racial
profiling8 This remar& could be doubly interpreted if made to a woman from the region O both racial and gendered.
5ow do # prove racism when a young co-passenger on the Delhi 9etro plays <"hinese= sounding music on his
mobile, telling his friend that he is providing, <bac&ground music,= sneering and laughing in my direction8 1nd
what one cannot retell in the language of evidence, becomes difficult to prove.=- Peng&hom Lilangamba, 'et(s stop
pretending there(s no racism in India, The 5indu, 9ay >,, >D+> )Feb >F, >D+E-,
http2GGwww.thehindu.comGopinionGop-edGlets-stop-pretending-theres-no-racism-in-indiaGarticle?EJJCCE.ece.
J
< The mysterious death of 'oitam .ichard in *angalore, the murder of .amchanphy 5ongray in New Delhi,
the suicide by Dana 4angma and other such incidents serve as reminders of the insecure conditions under
which people, particularly the young, from the north-east of #ndia have to live within the metros of this
country. These incidents have been read as a symptom of the pervasive racial discrimination that people from
the region face in metropolitan #ndia.=- Peng&hom Lilangamba, 'et(s stop pretending there(s no racism in
India, The 5indu, 9ay >,, >D+> )Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.thehindu.comGopinionGop-edGlets-stop-pretending-
theres-no-racism-in-indiaGarticle?EJJCCE.ece.
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 5
=There is fre:uent generaliation of the north-eastern region in terms of race. The region is
identified as the home of mongoloid people who are often invectively referred to as <chin&y=.
These groups of people are mostly categoried as scheduled tribes )4Ts- by the "onstitution. 1s
per the "ensus of >DD+ the 4Ts constitute >J.,Q of the total population of the north-east thus,
the non-tribal population is more than the tribals.=
K
Usage of the term North-East
<5istorian Manorama Sharma also observes that, <The north-eastern states of #ndia may be
loo&ed upon as a political unit for purposes of administrative convenience by the 3overnment of
#ndia today, but historically at no point of time has it ever been a political unit, either culturally,
economically or politically=.=
F

Representation in Academia
9useums, tourism campaigns, guideboo&s, schoolboo&s, and national parades
,
represent tribals
by using the three <un= myths
+D
2 <unchanged=, <unrestrained= and <uncivilied= and are cast as
anti-national.
++
Lines along +hich people from %orth-east are different from those of mainstream India.
Economic Dependence
7
Thong&holal 5ao&ip ,Is There a Pan-orth-$ast Identity and Solidarity#, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.-?J, FE-FC, 4ept
DF, >D+>, )Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGdiscussionGthere-pan-north-east-identity-and-solidarity.html
8
9anorama 4harma, Socio-$conomic !istory in Pre-colonial orth-$ast India) Trends, Problems and Possibilities,
4ociety and (conomy in North-(ast #ndia, Aol. + ,>DDE, as cited in
Thong&holal 5ao&ip, Is There a Pan-orth-$ast Identity and Solidarity#, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.-?J, FE-FC, 4ept
DF, >D+>, )Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGdiscussionGthere-pan-north-east-identity-and-solidarity.html
9
Arushali 6atil ,arrating Political !istory about Contested Space) Tourism *ebsites of
India%s ortheast, 1nnals of Tourism .esearch, Aol.-?F, No.?, ,F,-+DDF ,>D++ as cited in 9cDuie-.a, Duncan,
The orth-$ast% Map of &elhi, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.?D, J,-KK, )Luly >F, >D+>-, )Feb >F, >D+E-,
http2GGwww.epw.inGreview-issuesGnorth-east-map-delhi.html
10
"harlotte (chtner and 6ush&ala 6rasad , The Conte+t of Third *orld Tourism Marketing, 1nnals of Tourism
.esearch, Aol.-?D, No.?,JJD-F>, >DD? as cited in 9cDuie-.a, Duncan, The orth-$ast% Map of &elhi, (6@, Aol.
B'A##, No.?D, J,-KK, )Luly >F, >D+>-,)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGreview-issuesGnorth-east-map-delhi.html
11
9cDuie-.a, Duncan, The orth-$ast% Map of &elhi, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.?D, J,-KK, )Luly >F, >D+>-,
)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGreview-issuesGnorth-east-map-delhi.html
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 6
The northeastern region was converted from a frontier region during the *ritish rule to an
internal periphery in the post-independence period. This development in the region can be
termed as <internal colonialism=
+>
. Dependence of the peripheries on the monopoly power <core=
increased with the spread of industrialiation.
+?

Geographical Seclsion
<The first thing that comes to mind is the geographical location of the region. "onnected with the
rest of #ndia by just a >> &m land corridor in 4iliguri referred to as the <"hic&en$s Nec&=, the
region served colonial interests by acting as a <frontier region= of *ritish #ndia administered
under the *engal province until +F,E
+E
.
Non-consonant food ha!its and langages spo"en
<Northeast food is far closer to food found in *urma, and in "hina )Punnan-=
+C
is very different
from food found in other parts of #ndia.=
+J
These star& distinctions in eating patterns stimulate
criticism, estrangement and shoc& from the #ndian mainstream. 9oreover, the fact that except
1ssamese the (ighth 4chedule of the #ndian "onstitution
+K
have still not recognied the
innumerable languages spo&en by different communities in North east #ndia is a stimulant of
mainstream #ndia to ma&e the people of North-(ast feel !'esser #ndians$.
Unparallel Cltral Norms
/0
12
Thong&holal 5ao&ip, Is There a Pan-orth-$ast Identity and Solidarity#, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.-?J, FE-FC, 4ept
DF, >D+>,
)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGdiscussionGthere-pan-north-east-identity-and-solidarity.html
13
5 4ri&anth, &iscourses of Rights and India%s orth-east, (6@, Aol. B', No.-DE, ??C-??J, Lan >>, >DDE,
)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGdiscussionGdiscourses-rights-and-indias-north-east.html8:uic&tabsHissuesHtabI+
14
#bid
15
#bid
16
9cDuie-.a, Duncan, The orth-$ast% Map of &elhi, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.?D, J,-KK, )Luly >F, >D+>-,)Feb >F,
>D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGreview-issuesGnorth-east-map-delhi.html
17
Languages with Official status in India,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language!with!o""i#ia$!tatu!in!%ndia&'ighth!(#hedu$e!to!the!)ontitutio
n
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 7
<"osmopolitanism is an important part of ethnic identity in the north-east, especially in urban
areas which is demonstrated by North-east #ndians in what they consume, what they reproduce,
and what they relate to. 1 rich culture of roc&, rap, and pun& music in the north-east lin& them to
global networ&s representing rejection of #ndian popular music and *ollywood.=
+,
<Fashion too
constructs a separate moral order; because they are subjected to stereotypes about their lifestyles,
sexuality, and decency. 7orean popular culture
>D
is phenomenally popular in the north-east and
started 7orean hairstyles, ma&eup, and fashion is sported.=
>+

Stats #omen
$$
and men #ithin NE and otside
<The women live in shared houses, are unmarried, they move about the city for wor& without
male chaperons almost always on public transport, those who wor& have some financial
independence, most of them dress very differently to #ndian women, and they socialie with the
18
Aeena Das, !"ultural .ights and the Definition of "ommunity$ in / 9endelsohn and 0 *axi )eds-, The Rights of
Subordinated Peoples, /06,++K , +,,J as cited in .ajesh Dev, !uman Rights, Relati,ism and Minorities in orth-
$ast India, (6@, Aol. BBB#B, No.E?, EKEK-EKC>,/ct >?, >DDE,
)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGspecial-articlesGhuman-rights-relativism-and-minorities-north-east-india.html
19
4unita1&oijam, -orea Comes to Manipur,"aravan, /ct +, >DD?, as cited in 9cDuie-.a, Duncan, The orth-$ast%
Map of &elhi, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.?D, J,-KK, )Luly >F, >D+>-,)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGreview-
issuesGnorth-east-map-delhi.html.
20
Lim Dator and 4eo Pongseo& ,-orea as the *a,e of a .uture, Lournal of Futures 4tudies, Aol.,, no+, ?+-EE,
>DDE,
as cited in 9cDuie-.a, Duncan, The orth-$ast% Map of &elhi, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.?D, J,-KK, )Luly >F, >D+>-,
)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGreview-issuesGnorth-east-map-delhi.html
21
Korean films and serials were indispensible to both the young and the old. At the Hornbill esti!al" the lagship esti!al in
Nagaland that attracts tourists from all o!er the world" there is a Korean Pa!ilion where Korean bands perform and where other
e#hibitions of Korean culture ta$e place" including a Korea %Naga wrestling match in &'('.=- Lim Dator and 4eo
Pongseo& ,-orea as the *a,e of a .uture, Lournal of Futures 4tudies, Aol.,, no+, ?+-EE, >DDE,
as cited in 9cDuie-.a, Duncan, The orth-$ast% Map of &elhi, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.?D, J,-KK, )Luly >F, >D+>-,
)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGreview-issuesGnorth-east-map-delhi.html
22
Dr. 9onisha *ehal, "hairperson, orth $ast et"ork, /iolence against "omen in the orth-east-an en0uiry,
Lan, >DDC, )Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGncw.nic.inGpdfreportsGAiolenceQ>DagainstQ>DwomenQ>DinQ>DNorthQ>D(ast
Q>D#ndiaQ>DQ>D1nQ>D#n:uiry.pdf
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 8
same and opposite sex which ma&e them seem sexually !loose$.=
>?
<North-east men are also cast
as heavy drin&ers, unpredictable, and potentially violent.
>E
=
>C
Religion differences
<1ll major religions are practiced in the north-east along with indigenous faiths, some of which
are practiced in tandem with major religions with a slight dominance of "hristianity in the hilly
regions.=
>J

Dissimilar %istor&' incomplete integration and fla#ed assimilation #ith the Indian Union
$(

<#t is a region where the people repeatedly challenge
>F
the #ndian nation-building process based
on the <one nation theory=.=
>,
<@hile mainland #ndian states were reorganied along linguistic
23
#bid
24
#ndia2 5ow do #ndians view people from the North (ast part of #ndia8 5ow are these opinions different from how other #ndians are
viewed8 )Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.:uora.comG#ndiaG5ow-do-#ndians-view-people-from-the-North-(ast-part-of-#ndia-
5ow-are-these-opinions-different-from-how-other-#ndians-are-viewed
25
9cDuie-.a, Duncan, The orth-$ast% Map of &elhi, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.?D, J,-KK, )Luly >F, >D+>-,
)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGreview-issuesGnorth-east-map-delhi.html
26
=1nthropologist 9atthew .ich has shown that a problem that the *ritish colonial scholar-administrator
confronted in north-east #ndia was how to ma&e sense of the relatively egalitarian mores and habits of many of the
peoples, or rather the absence or the relative wea&ness of caste as an institution. 3iven their notion of #ndia as an
essentially <hierarchical= civiliation, they had to figure out whether the peoples of the north-east were outside or
inside the racial unity of #ndia. 6eople were classified as belonging either to the hills or to the plains, even though
the classification was fundamentally at odds with local cultural dynamics and spatial practices, resistance by
<indigenous= ethnic groups fearful of getting minoritied in the face of massive immigration in a frontier region.=-
4anjib *aruah, Territoriality, Indigeneity and Rights in the orth-east India, (6@, Aol. B'##, No.+>-+?, +C-+,,
)9arch >>, >DDF-.
27
4amir 7umar Das, India%s 'ook $ast Policy) Imagining a e" Geography of India%s ortheast, #ndia Ruarterly2
1 Lournal of #nternational 1ffairs, Aol. JJ, No E, ?E?-CF, >D+D as cited in 4anjib *aruah, Territoriality, Indigeneity
and Rights in the orth-east India, (6@, Aol. B'##, No.+>-+?, +C-+,, )9arch >>, >DDF- ,)Feb >F, >D+E-,
http2GGwww.epw.inGcommentaryGterritoriality-indigeneity-and-rights-north-east-india.html
28
<The N( is also comprehended as a region where the borderlands are yet to be decolonied, as #ndia inherited the
colonial administrative boundaries that had <ethnified= the indigenous communities .The #ndian leaders seem to
have no concrete policy to correct the mess it had inherited from its colonial ruler. 1nother defining mar&er of the
region is the presence of peripheral units within the N( periphery as well as within the different states=- 4
Thianlalmuan Ngaihte, The Reality of orth-east as an entity, (6@, Aol. B'A### ,No. CD, +?-+C, )Dec +E,>D+?-,
)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGcommentaryGreality-north-east.
29
4 Thianlalmuan Ngaihte, The Reality of orth-east as an entity, (6@, Aol. B'A### ,No. CD, +?-+C, )Dec
+E,>D+?-, )Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGcommentaryGreality-north-east.
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 9
lines based on the report of the 4tates .eorganiation "ommission constituted in +,C?, northeast
#ndia was reorganied on ethnic lines after decades of struggle for political autonomy which has
sharpened the divisions. <
?D
Demands and Outcome - )ro!a!le Soltions
Anti-racial *egal )ro+isions ,National - International.
#nternational-
<The 0niversal Declaration of 5uman .ights of +,EF had made a universal affirmation that
human rights should not be distinguished on the basis of race, colour, sex, language, religion,
political or other opinions, national or social origin, property, birth or status. This claim of the
Declaration that is based on the assumption of the inherent sacredness of the human being
reaffirmed the universal vision of the brotherhood of man&ind.=
?+

National )6resent 4tatus-
#n response to the recent outcry against hate crimes against people from North-east in the capital
city, the following developments have occurred. <#n a seminal judgment, the Delhi high court )in
February, >D+E- issued interim directions to protect people from the northeast from
discrimination. The measures include employing more people from the northeastern states, fast-
trac&ing of >J cases of hate crime pending for E-C years, increasing police presence in areas
where these communities are in majority and outreach by Delhi legal 4ervices 1uthority.
Delivering a judgment on his last day as chief justice of 5", before being elevated to the
30
4anjib *aruah, Territoriality, Indigeneity and Rights in the orth-east India, (6@, Aol. B'##, No.+>-+?, +C-+,,
)9arch >>, >DDF-,)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGcommentaryGterritoriality-indigeneity-and-rights-north-east-
india.html
31
.ajesh Dev, !uman Rights, Relati,ism and Minorities in orth-$ast India, (6@, Aol. BBB#B, No.E?, EKEK-
EKC>,/ct >?, >DDE,
)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGspecial-articlesGhuman-rights-relativism-and-minorities-north-east-india.html
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 10
4upreme "ourt, "hief Lustice N A .amana also as&ed the "entre, Delhi government and police
to wor& on a new law to prevent hate crimes.=
?>

)olice Ser+ices
<The problem lies not only in the violence itself but also in the way the police treat violent
incidents as North-easterners are held responsible for the sexual harassment and violence they
endure while the perpetrators are largely ignored.=
??
(ffective helpline ser!ices in regional
languages should be set up.
Go+ernment )olicies
The assimilation process of the people of North-(ast with mainstream #ndia can only be paced if
the government purposely ta&es some efforts. 4ome ways towards this are $preferable 1one( for
the transfer of #entral 2o!ernment employees, correction of fear psychosis harbored by the
people of the country can be swept away by increased interaction, improvement of logistics
followed by selecting the naturally ex:uisite places of this region as venue for holding national
sporting, cultural or li"e+ise e!ents. 3he *epublic Day celebrations should also specifically
provide broader slots for displaying North-east #ndia$s culture. #ompulsory student e4change
programs and assignment of these 1ones as centers of field study will also aid. 1long with
this, the region can be made more accessible by developing its transportation sector barring all
topological constraints )railways, roadways, waterways and airways-.
32
1bhinav 3arg, ido death) &elhi high court "ants ne" la" to pre,ent hate crimes, Feb +?,>D+E ) Feb >F, >D+E-,
http2GGtimesofindia.indiatimes.comGcityGdelhiGNido-death-Delhi-high-court-wants-new-law-to-prevent-hate-
crimesGarticleshowG?D>,,JCK.cms
33
#n the infamous pamphlet Security Tips for orth-$ast Students1/isitors in &elhi issued by the Delhi 6olice,
north-east women are advised to act and dress more conservatively. The pamphlet reads2 <.evealing dress to
be avoided. 1void lonely roadGbylane when dressed scantily. Dress according to sensitivity of the local populace=
)Delhi 6olice >DDC-. 9cDuie-.a, Duncan, The orth-$ast% Map of &elhi, (6@, Aol. B'A##, No.?D, J,-KK, )Luly
>F, >D+>-,
)Feb >F, >D+E-, http2GGwww.epw.inGreview-issuesGnorth-east-map-delhi.html
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 11
)ro/ection !& media-
The reporting by media should maintain e:uilibrium between the positive and negative cases. #t
is also essential to highlight the laurels
?E
achieved by the people of this region to recreate its
image.
Centres step-motherl& treatment- Initiati+es for infrastrctre' indstrial' edcational and
s"ill de+elopment0
The exodus of the people of North-east from their region occurs mostly because of insufficient
employment avenues. #ndustrial development along with agricultural independence followed
with improvement of infrastructure )to smoothen its connectivity with the rest of the country-
and optimum utiliation of its natural resources will pave the way towards glory. 1long with
this, a thorough rejuvenation of the educational sector is a must so that it prevents the mass
migration
?C
of hundreds of students every year to places with better options. The tourism sector
should also be formalied because of the availability of ex:uisite fauna and flora. 1ll this is
possible when capital investment is made conducive here which in turn depends upon how the
"entre
?J
tac&les
?K
the insurgent )or the estranged group-.
#onclusion
34
4tory of 9angte 9ary 7om at the 'ondon, /lympic 3ames >D+>. 5er achievement not only generated solidarity
and pride among the people of the region, it also awa&ened many #ndians to the region. North-eastern performers
have fared successfully in national music competitions, including Indian Idol )6rashant Tamang from Darjeeling
won in >DDK, 4ourabhee Debbarma from Tripura won in >DD,, and 1mit 6aul from 9eghalaya was a runner up in
>DDK- and the Naga band Divine #ntervention won 9TA #ndia$s Rock 2n 3454 competition.
35
64 lakh people may migrate from orth-$ast in 6 years, The 5indu *usiness 'ine, Dec >J, >D++)Feb >F,
>D+E-http2GGwww.thehindubusinessline.comGeconomyGCD-la&h-people-may-migrate-from-northeast-in-C-
yearsGarticle>KE,,>C.ece
?J
&elhi(s step motherly beha,iour (hurts( $ people, Feb ,, >D+E, )Feb >F, >D+E-,
http2GGarticles.economictimes.indiatimes.comG>D+E-D>-D,GnewsGEK+JFKDJH+Hracial-discrimination-national-
capital-racial-abuse.
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*i$i+ ,utta, The Long Road to Northeast Peace, Tehel&a 9againe, Aol7 8, Issue 96, Sep 49, 3455 :.eb 38,
345;<, http2GGarchive.tehel&a.comGstoryHmainCD.asp8filenameI/pD?D,++'ong.asp
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 12
#ndia$s freedom struggle might have ended JC years bac& but the people of north east are still
struggling for e:ual status and justice in their own country. They feel estranged in their own
motherland. Faults have been committed from both sides. <(ven if the =>adi is not about self-
determination any longer, it echoes an underlying sense that they have never belonged. #f we fail
to understand that the call for freedom first and foremost emanates from the struggle against
racism and discrimination, we run the ris& of collapsing into what Tagore
?F
once described as a
world bro&en up into fragments by narrow domestic walls.=
?,
38
-a.indranath /agore, 01e. 28, 20142, http://en.wiki3uote.org/wiki/-a.indranath!/agore
39
Lawren#e Liang 4 5o$an *au$ak, Cultural ignorance and prejudice, /he 6indu, 01e. 28, 20142,
http://www.thehindu.#o+/opinion/editoria$/#o+.ating7hate7#ri+e/arti#$e5646018.e#e
Racial Discrimination against North East Indians Page 13