Reduce knowledge gap, increase social interaction

Bula Devi *

Mass protest rally against aginst racism in New Delhi

The recent murderous attack on Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania in a South Delhi market and an assault of two Manipuri youth, again in Delhi two days later, have drawn the nation's attention to racist abuse that people of the Northeast face outside their region. While Nido was called a Chinese and thrashed, leading to his death the following day because of severe internal injuries, particularly in the head, the racist attack on the youth from Manipur landed them in hospital, where they are recuperating.

These attacks have spawned national outrage. The government has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to probe Nido's death, it has set up a committee comprising retired bureaucrats from the region to suggest remedial measures, the Delhi High Court took suo moto notice of the incident and has put the Delhi Police in the dock for lapses, the Supreme Court is seized of the matter after a petition was filed in the court, and discrimination faced by the Northeast people is being hotly debated on prime time television.

Rarely has the Northeast been at the centrestage. But, can all this attention stop the discrimination and racist slurs? Will it break down barriers between the people of the Northeast and the rest of the country? The answer lies in comprehending what led to the attack on Nido.

Nido was taunted for his hairstyle and teased for the way he looked. The Delhi shopkeeper and the others who attacked Nido clearly betrayed a lack of understanding of Nido's background. Of Mongloid race, Nido did not look like the archetypical Indian, which made his attackers call him a Chinese. They clearly lacked awareness and exposure to the people of the Northeast.

Nido's attackers are not alone in this. Like them, there are millions of others who are ignorant about the geography, culture, lifestyle and food habits of the people of the Northeast. This lack of awareness, understanding and knowledge about the Northeast is at the root of the Nido episode and the attack on the two Manipuri youth. Why else would they face racist comments?

But, the Government of India's mantra for the region has always been development and creating jobs. As part of this approach, the government pumped in crores into the region in the hope that it would integrate the Northeast and the rest of the country. Even many senior bureaucrats and police officers with long years of service in the region are convinced that only development can bring about integration.

But is this the solution to the alienation of the Northeast? Can this change the mindsets of ignorant people about the Northeast? Obviously no because money can only build bridges and roads in the region, not create awareness and understanding among the likes of Nido's attackers.

It's not that the region is not undeveloped or does not lack infrastructure. The Northeast is highly undeveloped, there are no proper roads, school buildings are in a shambles and hospitals lack equipment, and compounded by high unemployment. But, only providing doles won't stop racist attitude and discrimination. That stems from a lack of knowledge and appreciation of the Northeast.

An expert committee set up by the Planning Commission had correctly identified the problem. Led by Planning Commission member S.P. Shukla, the committee submitted its report in 1997 called Transforming the Northeast: Tackling backlogs in basic minimum services and infrastructural needs.

The report said: "There are four deficits that confront the Northeast, a basic needs deficit; an infrastructural deficit; a resource deficit, and, most important, a two-way deficit of understanding with the rest of the country which compounds the others." The need of the hour is to bridge this two-way deficit of understanding that has acted as a barrier between the people of the Northeast and the rest.

The Government of India's policy has changed from time to time. Under the British, the Northeast was left largely untouched in order to protect the uniqueness of the region. This approach more or less continued in post-independence India. But the crushing defeat in the hands of China in 1962, when Chinese troops overran Arunachal Pradesh and parts of Assam, brought a change in the policy.

The government abandoned the hands off approach. Defence and security of the Northeast and the country at large became paramount. New smaller states were created in 1972, partly to meet local aspirations and partly for better security.

This policy changed again in the 1980s, with development becoming top priority. Announcing special economic packages every time a Prime minister visited the region became the norm. H.D. Deve Gowda, who incidentally had ordered the setting up of the Shukla Committee, began the competitive generosity. He announced a Rs.6,100 crore package in 1996, followed by I.K. Gujral and then Atal Behari Vajpayee. But, it is an open secret in the Northeast that part of the money has lined the pockets of corrupt politicians and bureaucrats, and part has been siphoned off by insurgent groups to arm their campaign.

So how can this "two-way deficit of understanding" be reduced? How can awareness be increased on both sides? The only way is through increased interaction between the people of the Northeast and the rest, through greater contact, and through education. On this, the Delhi government's announcement that it would include chapters on the Northeast in school textbooks needs to be lauded.

To begin with, the Central government should set up more offices and educational institutions like IITs and IIMs, sports centres in the Northeast. This will serve two purposes: generate jobs locally and more importantly, lead to traffic of people from other parts of the country to the Northeast. Central government employees posted in the region will get an opportunity to understand the way of life there. Students of IITs and IIMs and sports people will rub shoulders with the Northeast people, giving them exposure early in their lives.

A large number of students from the Northeast are already making way to Delhi and other cities, especially for higher studies. But the government in partnership with the private sector should employ people from the Northeast outside the region. Malls, call centres and restaurants in cities like Delhi are increasingly employing youth from the northeast. But most of them have managed this on their own. The government should come up with institutional mechanisms with the private sector, particularly in the service industry.

Only this two-way traffic can reduce the knowledge deficit. Only this can stop taunts of Chinese, Nepali or chinkies, not the government largesse on the Northeast. (Words 1086)