The collective marginalization of everyone from the North-East of India as “Chinky” is offensive in itself. What adds pain to the misery is when they are assaulted for no other reason than being a “Chinky”. Deke Tourangbam shares some such stories and wants tofight this prejudice:
No matter how much we try to divide within ourselves [...]
Archive for the 'North East' Category
You there, Chinky!
Published by August 13th, 2009 in Human Rights, India, North East, Prejudice and Racism. 1 Comment‘Us’ and ‘Vais’ in the North East
Published by June 3rd, 2009 in Adivasi, Caste, Dalit, India, North East, Prejudice and Racism. 5 CommentsParitosh Chakma says ‘racial discrimination’ thrives within the North East too:
Outsiders (meaning of course long-nose plains people) are called “vais” in Mizoram. “Vai” is a Mizo word and the term is used in contempt towards the people who look “different” from “us” in Mizoram. The people of Mizoram may contest my claim but I have [...]
‘..sensitivity of the local populace’
Published by May 30th, 2009 in Culture, India, North East, Prejudice, Racism and Women. 3 CommentsJune talks about racism in India:
In Bombay, racism manifested itself in ‘CHINA’ carved on my door- this in the posh Pali Hill neighbourhood, home to the rich and famous. At business meetings, people would ignore me and talk to my assistants, on realisation that I was the boss, their faces would first drop with surprise [...]
The Assam Agitation: A Subjective History
Published by May 6th, 2009 in Children, History, Human Rights, India, Language, Law and order, North East, Politics, Prejudice, Religion, Spotlight Series, Terrorism, Travel, Violence and Women. 1 Comment[ This is Essay No. 37 in our Spotlight Series. Click here for the archives.]
The Assam Agitation: A Subjective History
by Nitoo Das
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But then, I believe, all histories are subjective.
I was seven when the Assam Agitation started in 1979. I was ‘promoted’ to the next class without a final examination. I do not remember [...]
Over at Mutiny, Kima points at our perceptions about the North-East of India. Worth a good read.
Five. Seven of my cousins are serving in the Indian Army and Navy. And yes, a large number of people from the Northeast are in the Armed forces protecting this great country and ready to sacrifice their lives in [...]
The Nagas and the Japanese
Published by March 14th, 2009 in Adivasi, Geopolitics, History, North East and Prejudice. 0 CommentsFeonor digs into some scarcely remembered history to throw some light on the stellar role played by the Naga, Lushai and Chin peoples in overcoming the Japanese assault on the Northeast in World War 2:
The clash of cultures was most acute in the Northeast of India, where the Japanese rapidly advanced upon Nagaland. The British [...]
‘India’s hegemony unmasked’
Published by September 1st, 2008 in Human Rights, North East, Policy and Politics. 0 CommentsSriram Ananthanarayanan, in a very long post, documents the history and consequences of India’s ’sub-imperialistic’ policies in the Northeast:
The term “Northeast India” itself is very much a post-colonial construct, coming into existence only after Indian Independence in 1947, and the region has suffered for a long time under extremely oppressive Indian state hegemony as well [...]
Calling Into Question
Published by March 19th, 2008 in India, North East, Prejudice and Spotlight Series. 1 Comment[ This is Essay # 27 in our Spotlight Series. Click here for the archives.]
Calling Into Question
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Swar Thounaojam
“In the old days, they didn’t even know they were Kurds. And it was that way through the Ottoman period: None of the people who chose to stay went around beating their chests and crying, ‘We are the [...]
Wishing for a better tomorrow
Published by September 10th, 2007 in Education, India and North East. 0 CommentsZokuom Tongthai posts an article by Vunglallian Tonsing pleading for better schools in Manipur and making three wishes to improve the current system.
For against the backdrop of consistent non-performance, and a baffling refusal to come up with remedial measures by all stakeholders, especially the powers that be, one thinks the only way out is to [...]
Language policy for Manipur
Published by August 26th, 2007 in India, Language and North East. 0 CommentsRagongning Gangmei proposes a new language policy for Manipur ‘with a view to equally safeguarding and promoting’ all the distinct languages spoken by the 33 different tribes living in the State:
What is language to a native community? It shall be unfair on our part only to look at the face value and simply conclude that [...]
Tluanga shares some beautiful pictures of “the second largest town in Manipur”
Return of the Dreaded Mautam
Published by May 7th, 2007 in Environment, India and North East. 0 CommentsScorpio writes on the the dreaded bamboo flowering that has begun in parts of Manipur, in the mythical 48 year cycle.
The Mautam, as the mysterious occurrence is known in the Mizo language, is disastrous for two reasons. First, after flowering, bamboo dies almost immediately, rendering it almost completely useless. Whole swaths of bamboo forests disappear. [...]
Terrorism and utter rubbish
Published by April 9th, 2007 in Development, Human Rights, India, Justice, North East and Poverty. 1 CommentIn a lay man’s guide to terrorism in India, Neha Simlai gives you a lot of facts and figures.
The post begins with the disclaimer, “This article was written with the wholesome and untainted intent of informing.” Which is why I was surprised to find a sudden shift towards rant in the last paragraph:
Even today, after [...]
Rukmini writes about the National Games recently held in Asom, her filming schedule during that time and a nostalgic trip.
Is it possible to even consider that such an event is feasible in a dysfunctional state like Asom? Of course Manipur had done it earlier and they probably have the highest rebel groups in North-East hence, [...]
Magic and Elections in Manipur
Published by February 19th, 2007 in India, North East and Politics. 0 CommentsKeimah writes about the elections underway in Manipur, and the way it sounds, it seems that Manipur is very much part of that mythical “mainstream” India
So, apparently, democracy is still alive and thriving in spite of all the violence and poverty pervading us. We are still enthusiastic about ‘Indian elections’. The people still believe they [...]
Ashish feels that India should not have any dialog with ULFA
They are a bunch of criminals, and if the Congress can get above partisan politics, then the ULFA will be treated just like the criminals and murderers that they are. In addition, the nation needs to retain its credibility if we ask others nations [...]
Haumuanlum Samte illustrates the case of the arrest of 20 people arrested by the Burmese Army (and then released after intervention of the Indian diplomats), to build the case for a Zomi identity.
This is, but and more so, a cry for awareness of the common interests of the Zomi entity, recognition of the bonds and [...]
Lyan talks about how his identity as an Indian when everything Indian seems alien to him.
It is true that I am an Indian (I want it or not) and India is my home (at least my home lies in India). But the sad irony is that my Indianess ends the moment I passed my region [...]
If someone told you to keep a vegetable shop open 24 by 7 next to the busy bypass roads of Delhi, without a soul to guard it, and a tray kept for collections, even having change inside for the convenience of the customers, would you be interested?
Puru Gupta writes about ‘keeperless shops’ in Mizoram.
Namdapha is reportedly the only place in India to see the four cats – tiger, snow leopard, clouded leopard, and leopard. But I knew that if I saw even one of them here, I had the good deeds of all my previous births to thank.
Birds, leeches, Lisu, rivers, rains, ants, landslides and life. Janaki on [...]
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