Its Touching :: Racial Discrimination

'Irritatin' *

Recent series of articles by the Hindustan Times, Delhi, were a wake up call for all of us living in hypocrisy, especially "Reverse Racism".

I do not belong to North-east, but have to an extent witnessed such racial discrimination and cheap/taken for granted attitude towards people from here. I'm not based in Delhi, nor such a place where all this happens so much (may be because there are not many north-east people here).

It is really sad and hurts me a lot to even imagine al this happening to someone(like teasing/molesting girls, no one to help like a responsible citizen). I would not even have spent hours reading the blogs on this site reading all that is here if I wasn't concerned or didn't care.

But I would like to say a few things, which I feel, as a non-north-eastern and non-racist human I can see. Classifying people as distinctly from north-east is racism in itself, but we are just reflecting the truth the way it is..

1. There is no doubt that there is a lot of misbehaviour and unreasonable trouble for any North-eastern in Delhi. But this is also true for many other young girls from the mainland, which blend into the regional looks. The fact is any pretty looking girl in odd hours is an easy target for miscreants. The difference, as rightly pointed out in a blog is, the appeals or shouts for help may be heard more in case of a girl from the mainland and not people bother to help (may be language is another factor).

But there is another perspective about this. There are many people among us who dont wanna get into any uninvited trouble, or dont have courage or ignore such things because they dont affect us.

Here's an example: while in college, there were some incidences of molestation (physical,verbal) with my colleagues. The problem was that the girls' hostel was not in the college campus and some such incidents happened when the girls used to be on their way back from college.

When an extreme incident occured, there were very few people to stand up for this issue and press up on the College Management for either better security or accomodate the girls within the campus. When the time came to go to the Management, I had very few people left with me.

More shocking was that many girls started cursing me for making an issue and questioned who am I to do all this. And many suggested that we better leave it all alone because there are just a few months for our internship to get over.

I was very shocked at their attitudes but faced the reality of "the mob" (one of those girls was from north-east who were suggesting that i should leave it)

2. Another difference is, I know , very irrational, but true, that girls from the north-east are somewhat more trendy, and their dressing sense and all is a step more modern and west-influenced compared to the others, which recieves more trouble from the cheap minds. And though we know this is wrong and unreasonble, this is the truth.

Girls from the Mainland, whoever are so trendy and all, I believe are not commoners strolling the roads often but mostly seen in big groups or their private vehicles or so.

3. The good example is of a few girls who dare to retaliate and this is the way it should go, I feel. It takes a lot of courage I appreciate it. By this way you are clearly sending out the message, "not anything is acceptable and watch your actions"

4. I have a hope that the society is changing, and so are the mindsets. I know it sounds ridiculous just for the sake of it, but the more you MINGLE in the people around you, your office colleagues, college-mates and all, without suspicion, the better you will be able to communicate and healthier relationships flourish.

Those ba***rds usually feel that you will not be able to retaliate when they find you in groups of your own, but going together in mixed groups is not a bad idea at all. I know it should not be mandatory for anyone to act in a stipulated way in his own country to maintain dignity, and to blend with people just for the sake of self-respect, but staying away and being in own groups will only increase the rift.

May be you are teased for not being able to speak a particular language properly, or something else that inhibits you from blending in (many times the people dont let you blend), but this is the best way to put an end to this.

Be a part of that joke they crack on you, and reciprocate with a spirit, may be its not justified, but its just a way... there are many many more problems you face, I know, but a few of them are common to any pretty girl aorund who looks like an easy target.

I have two of my friends in Delhi (who are originally based in Pune) who never come out after 7:00 if alone. The problems north-east girls face in Delhi are the worse than anywhere else in India, may be only 10-15% of it exists elsewhere.

But together I hope, we can change many things. It takes a lot of tolerance to face all that you do, but I have a hope and a will to make a change. May be you think I'm in no position to understand all this, but my girl-friend was from Manipur too.