[Assam] mainland vs northeast in delhi

Sat Jul 14 11:13:00 PDT 2007

I personally cannot read the mind of a particular organisation.

  But I have seen from my childhood days such conflicts in Assam.

  I think, after the emergence of 'nations' nation states' such conflicts are a rule than an exception. 'Nationalism' is a very strong sentiment indeed.

  However, rational people would always like to understand the problem and find ways for conflict resoltion. It is not that it is an easy job. Today's world bears testimony to its ramifications.

  Whatever a particular organisation is doing may not be correct, but there is no denying the fact that a section of the people of Assam, however microscopic, may support such activities, and we must understand that one cannot hatch chicken from a rounded stone, it got to be an egg.

  The only conclusion therefore is that such activities gather fuel from a sense of deprivation, may be illusory may be not, and it is a kind of a backlash. But we cannot wish it away with harsh words of condemnation. Even if you bribe some of them, subdue some, but there will always be someone, may be marginalised, to keep the fire alive. 

  The rulers must achieve divine insight and acquire divine qualities to solve such problems. The present philistines simply cannot solve these problems, it is simply beyond them.  

SANDIP DUTTA <pseude at yahoo.com> wrote:
    These kind of discussions are not going to help one single NE person who may or may not face the kind of discrimination we talk about. This is a practical situation on the ground. As we cannot change the fact that Haryanvis dominate the Delhi police and have little or no knowledge about NE, we have to be a bit more judicious for the time being instead of thinking like we were in the middle of Kohima. 

  Assam.org cannot change the way Haryanvis think about NE, atleast for the time being. 

  BTW, Isnt the Ulfa targetting Hindi speakers for similar racist reasons - and blowing them with bombs?

  Rgds,
  Sandip

Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:

  I don't see anything wrong in discussing the issue. In fact it should be discussed.

  But I agree with most of the points made here. Very well said!

  >. If it is true, then a Gujarati considers a Bihari mainstream and a Bihari considers a Tamil mainstream; >but they all consider us as not of the mainstream.

  *** And what that means is that we are different. It is a fact. We ought to be secure about it, and not seek to be like them :-).

  >If this basis is correct, why should we beg to be included in that mainstream? In that case, we are distinct from them as a class, because, we have a different/ vibrant/ rich identity, if not politically, then definitely culturally. And we are, and should be, proud of that.   

  *** Exactly!

  >The only thing that remains is 'discrimnation' by Delhi authorities towards our boys and girls studying there. When the entire country pride itself in baring itself to the western influence, why our guys should be singled out for special treatment on the plea that certain rape or other untoward things happened to a few of them. Such things happen to lots of Delhi students, western or domestic tourists.  

  *** There is a major MYTH here, however. The so-called 'westernization' of Indians cannot be further from the truth. Even a very large percentage of the so-called NRIs living in the west  are NOT  really westernized and live sheltered lives, divorced from the life of the communities where they do, hopelessly attempting to hold on to what they consider "Indian"--which, incidentally, varies widely from one group to the other, while each ethnic group remain largely divorced from others from the same 'India' they came from .   The parochialism is brutal.  Perhaps worse than what it might be in some more pluralistic of Indian metropolitan environments.

  Westernization in India is, at best, a mindless copy of the most superficial of traits of what is considered 'western', usually as created by Bollywood or as registered from fleeting images on the internet today.

  >The only thing that remains is 'discrimnation' by Delhi authorities towards our boys and girls studying >there.

  *** It really is a manifestation of the attitude that pervades the general Indian outlook: That numbers rule. My way or the highway.  While it argued that it is an universal human trait, the difference lies in  to recognize the rights of the numerical minorities, protecting them with FUNCTIONING  institutions of state: Constitutional safeguards backed up with law enforcement, and effective conflict resolution mechanisms, like courts of law.

  >The entire question thus boils down to one point: whether Delhi authorities should presecribe dress >code or should gear themselves up to provide safeguard to the people---dressed, undressed or >scantily dressed, without discrimination?

  *** Exactly!

  >I believe, we should tell them to mind their business and not waste our own time and energy on this >issue.

  *** Here I differ. Unless it is discussed, people will remain uneducated about its, and so will  its ramifications.  Indian intelligentsia's absence from dealing with these issues is the reason they remain operative.

  At 1:21 PM +0100 7/14/07, uttam borthakur wrote:
  Is there any point in pursuing this discussion?     There is an assumption here that INDIANS, other than NORTH EASTERNERS, consider other Indians mainstream, but do not have the same attitude towards the North Easterners. If it is true, then a Gujarati considers a Bihari mainstream and a Bihari considers a Tamil mainstream; but they all consider us as not of the mainstream.     Why is that so?     If this basis is correct, why should we beg to be included in that mainstream? In that case, we are distinct from them as a class, because, we have a different/ vibrant/ rich identity, if not politically, then definitely culturally. And we are, and should be, proud of that.     In so far as 'assimilation' is concerned, it cannot be done conciously or forcefully. A Marwari in Assam now a days can earn his living without having to learn Assamese like their forefathers did. Now a days, even many Assamese do without their language and some of them feel proud about that!     The only
 thing that remains is 'discrimnation' by Delhi authorities towards our boys and girls studying there. When the entire country pride itself in baring itself to the western influence, why our guys should be singled out for special treatment on the plea that certain rape or other untoward things happened to a few of them. Such things happen to lots of Delhi students, western or domestic tourists.     The entire question thus boils down to one point: whether Delhi authorities should presecribe dress code or should gear themselves up to provide safeguard to the people---dressed, undressed or scantily dressed, without discrimination?     I believe, we should tell them to mind their business and not waste our own time and energy on this issue.  

Malabika Brahma <malabikabrahma at yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
  What do you think is a better choice :

1.  Ask the NE people to be more "mainstream like" in their food or dress habits. May be even suggest they undergo  plastic surgery to look more "mainstream" like .

2. Educate the "mainstream" Indians that India is a diverse country and not all look like Harayanvi and "honorable practises" like dowry and female infanticide.

Looks like Delhi  police will choose option 1.

Priyankoo <priyankoos at yahoo.co.in> wrote:
  and why  people from the NE region MUST assimilate to the mainstream culture? In case of Assam haven't we seen more than 90% of the non-Assamese population never trying to "assimilate" with the local culture?

If there is a failure on part of the NE population in "assimilating" to the mainstream culture, may be the reason is the same as why the non- Assamese population in Assam never "assimilated" to the local culture/s.

best
Priyankoo

Priyankoo <priyankoos at yahoo.co.in> wrote:
  "Assimilation" is not the aim of the booklet. It just forces some dos and don'ts to people from a particular region.

In any case, a booklet is never helpful for any kind of "assimilation".

best
Priyankoo

SANDIP DUTTA <pseude at yahoo.com> wrote:
  There is no problem with "assimilation" for students or citizens from Assam. This advisory should be better worded and directed at our bros from Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur who stay apart not just in Delhi but in other parts of India too.     Rgds,  Sandip
  ----- Original Message ----
From: Malabika Brahma <malabikabrahma at yahoo.co.uk>
To: xourov pathok <xourov at yahoo.com>; assam at assamnet.org
Sent: Friday, July 13, 2007 7:33:28 AM
Subject: Re: [Assam] mainland vs northeast in delhi
  I wonder if similar "circular" was issued to Indians in the US ( regarding the spices we use), how would the Indians react ?  

xourov pathok <xourov at yahoo.com> wrote:
  having been in delhi for sometime as a student, i see
it is getting worse.

x

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070712/asp/frontpage/story_8048182.asp

Right intentions, wrong message
- Delhi police accused of dividing India into
mainland & Northeast
NISHIT DHOLABHAI

New Delhi, July 11: Delhi polices advisory to youths
from the Northeast studying in the capital is being
seen by most as segregating the region from the
so-called mainland.

The minister for development of the northeastern
region (DoNER), Mani Shankar Aiyar, had only recently
discouraged the use of this syntax. There is no
mainland, you are the mainland, he had told a
reporter in Shillong.

Aiyar was unavailable for comment on the booklet
released by Delhi police, but those who responded
seemed to cringe at the thought of someone advising
students from the region to change their food habits,
customs and manner of dressing to assimilate into the
mainstream.

Dipankar Gupta, professor of sociology at Jawaharlal
Nehru University, said the polices advice not to
create a ruckus in the neighbourhood by cooking
smelly dishes and dress decently was gratuitous, to  say the least.

The police come up with these advisories, but there
is no implementation. There should be a departmental
memo of some sort that if a person from the Northeast
is harmed, punishment will be stringent, Gupta said.

Moses Kharbithi, who is doing his MPhil at JNU, said
the advisory was tantamount to undermining the ability
of Northeast students in New Delhi to assimilate. I
wonder if they have given such booklets to students
from the South, he said.

Kharbithi said the fact that the booklet was
well-intentioned could not mask the sense of
discrimination.

Asom Gana Parishad MP Arun Kumar Sarma and his
Congress colleague Kirip Chaliha said there was no
denying the need to spruce up security for students
from the region in view of some incidents in the
recent past. But commenting on food habits and
clothing was unfair, the duo said.

How can one tell somebody what to eat and how to
dress? Sarma asked.

Chaliha said he would take up the issue with the authorities.

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