Need to integrate the rest with the NE : Reverse the flow
- Sangai Express Editorial :: March 14, 2014 -

It is not the North East which needs to be integrated into the rest of the country, but the rest of the country which needs to be integrated into the North East, if the idea of India as a Nation is to have any meaning.

This is the message that can be read into the ‘Fight 4 Your Pride’ campaign launched by some youth in Delhi to take the mainlanders to the North East region.

Stringent anti-racism laws may be legislated, the police may be sensitised, the Court may talk tough and crack down on hate crimes perpetrated against the people of the North East but as long as the people in mainland India remain ignorant of the region, these measures will not have the desired impact.

Not so long back, former Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal announced that the histories of the North East will be introduced in the school syllabus of Delhi.

Herein lies the tale of how far removed the North East has been from the rest of the country, not only geographically but socially as well as emotionally.

While students from the North East know and master what the Mughal Empire is all about, know the Gupta and Mauryan dynasties, know the freedom movement as well as the history of the Chola empire, the Pallavas, the Rashtrakutas etc from South India what do students from the rest of the country know about the history of the North East ?

Do they know that the Battle of Imphal has been voted as the greatest battle of World War II ?

Are they taught that the flag of the Indian National Army under Subash Chandra Bose was first hoisted at Moirang in Manipur ?

No, they know nothing and the blame should lie with those helming the affairs of the country after the British left India in 1947.

Surely Nehru’s Tryst With Destiny, had nothing to do with the North East region and this is saying a lot.

Apart from those who have taken up the guns on the assertion that the North East was never a part of India and their sympathisers, to many others, it will stand true that as long as they stay within the region, they do not have a problem with their Indian identity.

But the identity problem begins once people from the region cross the chicken neck, a term which is symbolic of how fragile is the connection between the people of the North East and the rest of the country.

The Army and the Assam Rifles have been regularly conducting National Integration Tour, taking students from the remote part of the region to the big cities of India and sensitising them to the places of historical importance.

This is fine, but the time for a rethink has come. Why not bring in students from the rest of the country to the North East on tours and educate them that this region is also a part of the country ?

Time for a reverse flow, for it is more than clear that while people from the North East know what is Telengana, the latest State created in the country, majority of the people in the rest of the country do not know where is Manipur or Mizoram.

Manipur is a sports power house in the country. Why not host more and more National meets here ?

The point is, stress should be laid on the social aspect, encourage more people to people contact.

Given the economic scenario as well as the lack of infrastructure in the region, it will not be possible to draw in the professionals, but at least efforts ought to be made to encourage students and young people to tour the North East and this is where the initiatives taken up by some youth in Delhi becomes significant.

To repeat what has been said, it is not the North East which needs to be integrated into the rest of the country, but the need is for the rest of the country to be integrated into the North East.

As long as the present mindset continues the idea of India as a Nation will continue to be a half baked one, with the North East nothing more than an outpost.