Sunday 19 August 2012

Mama, WE are coming home!!


I just finished reading the book "Train to Pakistan" by Khuswant Singh and I should say, it best pictures the exodus of North East youths from major cities of the South to their homelands with special trains being operated to aid the North East people in the last couple of days. Its an irony that just as the entire nation exhaulted the victory of Mary Kom in the Olympics and acknowledged the North East States, the celebrations were eclipsed by communal riots and ethnic clashes in this geographically isolated part of the country and its ugly repercussions in the rest of the coutry. News of violence, fear and panic adorning the major newspapers, the entire nation shaken and yet safety and security is a cry far far away.

So what's next? 7,000 people who came in search of greener pastures fleeing back home where unemployment is at its peak. Thousands of people risking their jobs, many more sacrificing their studies and career leaving in the middle of semesters, thousands deported even if prices of airfare which is normally a few thousands reaching 30 thousands in minutes and yet we pay. We paid, we ran, we fled, we panicked....call us cowards but who cares, we want to live. 


Whom do we believe? The news and rumours of violence or the many Muslims who came out with playcards to lend their support requesting their North East friends not to leave, the Government who requested us not to panic yet provided special trains to help us flee, the same Government who didnt raise a finger when airlines authorities took the maximum advanatage of the whole situation!! I guess in times of crisis, its every man for himself!!

Its awkward that we always cry for discrimination by mainland Indians and yet even among North Eastern people where is the unity? Nagaland always on the lookout for economic blocades in the lifelines of Manipur not to mention clashes among  its different tribes, the conflicts and enimosity among the Garos and Khasis of Meghalaya, the abuses and mockery showered on hilly people by valley inhabitants at Manipur not to mention the saga of "Lawai" (countryside) and "Imphal" mentality, Assamese ethic clashes.....where is the unity? And when we feel threatened in the Indian mainland, we all pack our backs and run away back at home!!

Back at home the struggles continues, situation grim as ever. We still have 3 hours of power supply everyday, unemployement is at its peak, we have our regular share of bomb blasts and bandhs, we still have conflicts between insurgents and securities, we still have a list of missing persons, we still have AFSPA, we still have Irom Sharmila fasting for more than a decade, we still have economic blocades at every occassion...so are we really safe back at home? Where do we go now?

So much, yet we pride on being the world's largest democracy and a secular nation, a nation where the Great Mahatma was born. 

Peace be with you!!



*The views are strictly personal!!

8 comments:

  1. You just spoke what is inside my mind..

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  2. This time i felt liked crying for the first time as i know the unity and integrity of India and i was much concerned as during my students live, i witnessed many of such camps and organised visit of north east students to Indian mainland. Thanks for sharing valentina , but our social scientits are much worried and very uncertain about this exodus which is totally a different taste unlike those we witnessed in Kashmir of fleeing pandits, fleeing of Muslims from maharastra who belonged to UP ,Bihar in the past incidents which is somewhat correlated with some incidents of onspot , but again the lack of confidence over security over our fellow north easterners even though the governments assured them is still a big issue as the past incidents already shown .

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    1. Sure it is and I am sure it would have been a different story had it been somewhere else!! Lets pray for peace....thats the least we can do!!

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    1. Thanks for dropping by Sukhmeet!!

      Well, the current exodus with all the crowd and mob is best pictured in Train to Pakistan and saying so, it doesnt mean that situations and preconditions in both cases bear any resemblance.

      U have no idea how u feel when u are alienated in ur own country...And here, Im not talking of the obvious illiterate lot, even the highly educated, 1st class PhDians and IIT-IIM educated chunks are oblivious of the North East states!! We need a mass awakening of the rest of the country so that the feeling of " being confident citizen" of India is ignited among the people of this most neglected region.

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  4. I agree with you to some extent....but who would you like to blame...people society bureaucrats or the political system....???

    MARY KOM didn't win medal for N-E states but for INDIA. Similarly SIKKIM not DELHI is the state with highest growth rate...that too among all states of INDIA, not only the N-E region

    I too have an idea how it feels .... in Southernmost part wen one go around the market, turban wearing person is treated as if from mars with some supernatural powers....you don't understand them, neither do they....when rest of the nation is celebrating cricket team's world cup victory ...all jammed up,and wen u hit the roads chanting, people c u as mentally retarded.....
    what shall we call it ..ALIENATION or may be lack of socialization ??....i can continue... but this is not the point...

    i see people around me from far most regions be it N-E, S-W...studying, working, reputed jobs...handsome earnings far away from their homes all dis with pride.....

    would that be possible had there be social/regional oblivion...??

    u r rite....mass awakening is essential, but that of the whole nation, not of some particular section/region.

    If 'I' cannot get respect from 'ME', how can i expect it from others...

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    1. I totally respect your opinion and agree to some of the points you've cited. In a country as diversed as India, it only takes a word, an act or a simple gesture to hurt sentiments of different fractions of the society. You wont believe I know of Professors who think that I am an NRI....just coz they've never heard of Manipur before they met me...I dont blame them...its utter ignorance.

      It all begins with "me" and perhaps a little bit of respect for our fellow people won't do much harm.

      Cheers!! :)

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