Seven years away from North East India and I have met enough strangers to say that only a small percent of them were aware about the scenic beauty of that region, a few did talk about the law and order situation there but the biggest chunk was of ignorant fools who carried the brains in their head like a decorative piece without much utility value.Otherwise, how would one explain such ignorance exhibited by the educated folks? Initially, I used to feel insulted and often replied back in anger-"Kya aapke school mein Geography teacher ki kami thi???". But, gradually I started to be indifferent to such puzzled looks. I am proud of my home town. That society is much more forward in terms of education, fashion, music and culture. Infact, the rest of the country would do good to learn a lesson or two about the matrilineal society that exists there. The issues like female foeticide and crimes against woman would get taken care of once woman are given their due respect.
It really irks me when I see news channels going into a frenzy every year about cut-offs in Delhi or the stress levels that CBSE students suffer during admissions. Have they ever cared to highlight the plight of students from North-East who have to take that call of leaving their home states and dive into that competition on their own?? Consider this... a topper from non CBSE board from North-East carries a marksheet that pales in comparison to the inflationary tendencies that is the hallmark of CBSE. Those students from North-East are in no way inferior to their counterparts in the metros and rather better atleast at Geography for sure. The question is not about who is better than whom but the issue here is that the media needs to correct its myopic vision and understand that it has a duty to report news from all corners of the country and there are seven states in that corner for God's sake. It is very difficult for a student in North East to take the most important decision about their careers because the popular centers of professional education are miles and miles away. Trust me, when I say that it is a scary thought to leave behind an idyllic life in a beautiful place like Shillong and then travel to a big chaotic city with little or no clue about where would one find good education, social acceptance, exciting opportunities and good life. Internet of course has made information seeking easier but fifteen minutes of air time would be praise worthy for sure.
How many times have you seen a piece of news regarding the North-East on the front page of the daily newspaper?? Most of you would instantly recollect the ongoing riots in Assam and that is so unfortunate, isn't it?? There are so many beautiful sights in that region, so much of rich history, such wonderful cultures and yet all of these have remained a mystery to lot of people who call themselves Indians and yet their India ends where West Bengal ends. It won't be a surprise if someday we find more ink being dedicated to this region on Chinese dailies than on Indian newspapers. I will talk about the riots and related issues in my next post but this one is about the perceived step-motherly treatment meted out to the seven sisters and the total lack of concern on the part of the Center do something about it.
While I was growing up, I had a feeling that North-East was not being given due importance as mainstream India by the rest of India and the North-Eastern extremist groups loathed the very idea of being considered as Indians. There were lot of issues that led to development of such mutual feeling. As for common men like us, we preferred safety and hence adapted to such sorry state of things. Bandhs and sometimes even curfews would keep us indoors while the rest of India would be celebrating Independence Day or Republic Day. Insurgency led issues and center's apathy over the years had created a phobia amongst the indegenous people against any outsider. As a result, North-East is still not quite the Incredible India and its credibility as a tourism hotspot remains unfortunately questionable to a large extent. The magnificence of the Seven Sisters has remained confined to the Maps or in the words of those who have lived or happened to visit the region. Tourism and only tourism has the power to appreciate and popularise the jewel that we call the North East.
One good thing about Western Culture is that young people are encouraged to travel. So what if they don't learn from the books, they learn it through experience. In India, travel according to the youth is packing bags and heading to some Engineering Institute or some MBA Institute while for the elderly, it is bowing before God in Rishikesh or Mecca. Telegus are doing rounds of Visa Balaji, Punjabis are more at home in CaNNNada, Biharis travelling to any place where there is either a vacancy or a competitive exam on and Keralites love the dry conditions of the Gulf. There are only two communities who you can find on any tourist destination and those are Bengalis and Gujratis. But the inherent problem with Bengalis is the over-protective nature of the parents whose "Shona Go" and "Baba Go" attitude drains out the adventurous spirit of the kids. Gujratis, on the other hand, prefer to travel in big groups and enjoy being busy with themselves. As for our generation, we appreciate nature only when we are looking through the lens and there is Facebook page waiting for the pictures.
Guys do take a few days off and enjoy the sights and sounds of the seven beautiful sisters. I close this post by praying that the eastern corner in the golden quadrilateral is given as much importance as any other part of India. It is about time that India gets stronger at strategic geographic points. Now, quickly tell me the names of seven north-eastern States and their capitals???? Now, would you call yourself an INDIAN??????
