[Assam] mainland vs northeast in delhi

Sun Jul 15 05:38:36 PDT 2007

At 6:44 AM -0700 7/14/07, SANDIP DUTTA 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.

*** We are missing the point. Prevention of 
tyranny of the majority is not the aim here. That 
is the responsibility of the 'great Indian 
democracy' . But ours is to point out its 
dysfunction and to educate our people about what 
NOT to expect from it.

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

*** Why should Kohima be foreign to Dilli, if 
Dilli claims Kohima to be its integral part?  Is 
this not an utterly untenable proposition?

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

*** ULFA and its actions  are RESULTs of Indian 
policies and attitudes that remain unchangeable 
as you point out yourself. They are NOT its 
causes.

>
>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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