Alienated Girls In Their Own Country

Laitonjam Neelam Devi *

When almost all the people of India will be busy celebrating the 61st anniversary of Independence but its geographically very own NorthEastern states will remain gloomy.

Every year curfew is imposed on these states by local insurgent groups demanding an Independent state and the only reason behind this is the govt. have hardly done little to make the state feel that it is a part of the country.

The lack of opportunities, poor infrastructure of institution and somehow and somewhere negligence of the govt towards the NorthEastern states makes the girls to come here to the capital with an everlasting ray of hope.

Not only from NorthEast states even people from Bihar, UP, MP and other states come here as good infrastructure of Institution and booming private industries attracts them.

Since the Northeast girls differ in appearance from the rest of the crowd they are discriminated. They feel alienated in their own country. They belong to a culture totally different from the existing culture but they try to adjust with it.

They are ill-treated and instead of co-operating with them in adjusting here people pass sarcastic comments on them that left them feeling rather abashed. Whether it's in a bus stop or inside the bus, while walking on the streets or in colonies where they reside, public places or private firms, offices or institutes everywhere they are subjected to all kinds of indignities.

It's more pathetic to see a man deliberately scratching his genitals while looking at the girls and making them aware of his act too.

It's more embarrassing for them when people ask them whether they belong to India or not? What to expect from illiterate and bigoted when their literate and educated colleagues won't step back to harass them abominably.

They are presumed as sex symbols and people pass satirical comments on them in the public places in front of other people and if they are asked for their behaviour towards these girls then these girls are blamed with their way of dress up.

There are many cases where people come forward to protect the dignity of women like in Shilpa Shetty and Richard Gere case then why such nepotism with North Eastern girls even they are from the same native land "India" and if the reason for discrimination is their doll up then even salwar or sari wearing women were not spared from being raped or harassed.

The scenario become more pathetic when they go to a nearby police station to lodge a complain instead of getting help they are more embattled so the girls prefer to stay away from such mess. Nobody wants to stay away from home.

They left their hometown because they are not facilitated with such opportunities available here. Even they are somebody's daughter or somebody's sister. Even they belong to well reputed family and are well cultured but the only difference is that they belong to different culture.

Since India is a land of diversity people must respect all the cultures instead of humiliating them by calling chinki, chini, pahari, etc should try to live amity with them.

It is really very shameful in a cosmopolitan city like Delhi where dignified women like CM Shiela Dikshit, UPA chief Sonia Gandhi, women and Child Development Minister Smt. Renuka Choudhary and even the supreme head of the Nation President Smt. Pratibha Patil are abiding here with much honour and under their rule these girls are staying with much extent of humiliation.

People have to come up with an open mind to understand their culture and to accept them even they are Indian and belong to different culture and cooperate and encourage them and should try to create a friendly environment for them to adjust here.

Aren't they deprived of the respect they deserve as women?

Hence again we have to set an example of "INCREDIBLE INDIA" who has "unity in diversity".