A plea for justice

Lyna H Misao *

Protest against Racism in Delhi, organised by concerned students of northeast from JNU, JNUSU, MSAD on Feb 14 2014 :: Pix - Rabikan Kshetrimayum

Honestly, it's funny to talk about barbarism in a world we live in at present. We believed and internalised the fact that modernisation, westernisation and industrialisation have touched us all in some ways. Stretching back to the past and the culture of our motherland India we all know how deeply rooted was our society with tradition, be it occupation, contacts, food habits, where we live and so on.

Certain code of conduct deeply governed the society. Indian society never had given opportunity to any it was always ascription basis. Born with opportunities or born with disgrace. Thanks to the whites who colonised us open our eyes and save the disgraced. By disgrace I refer to the people who were considered the backwards in the past.

Colonisation brought to us many opportunities but not to forget they took a lot from us too. But keeping that aside western education was one of the most important thing that was introduced to us and only few could attained that education and they are the higher groups like the Brahmins and so on. The so called backwards were not allowed to attain this education but were expected to serve them and do all the works which is considered filthy.

Now, the question is where had this western thoughts and culture losses its place? Well, if we are supposed to say western thoughts and culture have shifted its place to the mind of the minors, it is only the minorsto agree.

Yet again we wonder why the wise, the educated questioned and do not accept the western out-look, the western mentality. In the most reputed cities of India where people are believed to be most educated, well behaved and also where most respected people are assumed to live it is ridiculous indeed for the minors to know and experience barbarism. People from the hills, where life is simple and sincere come to cities and get adapted to the normal city life speak like them, work with them in the same work place and compete the same way yet instead of appreciating what they have achieved they are look down upon forgetting the old facts of how unequally we were treated in the past.

The irony is that the people who are expected to be well-behaved and highly qualified mock the very people who are westernising and is acculturated with the existing global culture.We yet again questioned why India is not a developed country till today. Where do these minor fit in if the mentality remains unchanged? Where do we unite to bring progress if all we do is killed each other and hatred flourish?

English education today seems so important that every child have the right to attain education yet our mentality is so deeply rooted in the past. People fights for achievement and wants to be the best. Competition level is about to reach the sky yet what are we exactly learning? To mock the very culture we are learning? Media have become one of the most important toolglobally and we see, read and hear news about the world every day. Movies and fashion is part of every culture alive today and nodoubt media have governed us and we internalised what we consumed. In our country having a fashionable hairdo can cause death .

Our dear Nido Tamian from Arunachal was mocked and beaten up which leads to his death. Yea, it is true north-easterners love to dress up and they do look awesome in it. They walk around with shorts and mini- skirts because fashiondemands and market is selling the products. Sadly, we Indians cannot internalised the fact that they dressed up because trend demand and it is a part of capitalism and not to forget if fashion teach them to wear thick jackets in the hot summer they would because they dress up for themselves yet again because that's fashion not because they want to be mocked, assaulted or rape.

It is indeed a shame to explain this to highly profiled people who just would not admit they are barbaric but instead calls us barbaric absurdly barbaric people in India actually looks like supermodels they see in fashion television everyday.

Schools in metropolitan cities seems to teach the kids the terminology of the north-eastenersie "chinky" it more or less seems like everyone who have a flat nose and a small eyes seems to be sex workers. Who would have known if a 4 yr old would know its literal meaning . Nicely suited name "incredible India" in the classmate notebook hats off to whoever have thought of that name.

Well, no denying our parents are illiterates yet we are never taught how to mock at people. This endless stereotypes in the mentality remains unaffected no matter how civilised the world become. The endless rape every day the assault and the molestation and the unheard cry of the people who are concerned remains unchecked, no wonder what do you expect if the mentality remains stagnant right?

The unknown case of Khursid Anwar, a 14 yrs old girl who was brutally raped in Munirka was denied FRI. Is this not a form of barbarism? Undoubtedly law was maintained even in the Stone Age but not in the capital of India. Ashis Nandy says "the west is now everywhere, within the west and outside in structure and in the minds" who exactly are we to refer if barbarism have absurdly replace the so called westernisation.

So we need to amplify our voices to our rights. If they can make a choice of what they want to adopt about western culture why would the migrants in the city not have such kind of choices? What is the used of preaching democracy and calling India a democratic state if democracy is not practice. Constitution of India was in effect since 1950 and we all know who had the opportunity to read them way ahead of us.

We cannot on the other hand deny the fact that by talking about this injustice and victimising the other, racism does not exist. Yes, racism will continue to live in our minds no matter who we are, where we come from, that ethnocentrism do exist. This is undeniable fact. I would argue that racism is neutral if harm is not done. Just because someone looks different from what you are does not necessary mean you need to harm them. Preferring your own community is harmless if you respect the 'Others'. The fact is that notion of superiority is misused by harming the people we think who is inferior to us.

Unlike India, Barack Obama is the president of the states today. People watched movies of different languages and nominate it in the Oscar. Movie like '12 years a slave" won Oscar awards. Well in India, since 1909 film industry begin but till today no one ever bother to watched movies of languages and India is known for its diversity in culture. The funny part is some college students are still ignorant about the north-eastern part of India. They assumed Manipur is somewhere in China or Korea.

Well, truly speaking it is not their fault. How do we expect anyone to know about it when Indian history did not bother to include this part of the globe right? Isn't it shameful that we are not capable of including our whole country in the academics? Our beloved ex CM Arvind Kejriwal did promised to include the history of Northeast in the academics. All we have to do is just keep calm and see how things actually turn out.

Our cry is far away and we never know how many centuries are we yet to suffer in our own motherland. The effort is worthless no matter how hard we try to put an end to this. So many lives are taken and we don't know how many are yet to be taken. The protest, the lathi charge we face trying to bring justice just go wasted. We were once colonised and we all have that pain inside us likewise we all want freedom and peace in our land. Motherland! You tell us where we belong if we were born from your soil leave us free if we don't belong in your arms lead us the way. We have suffered way too much in your arms. Set us free, if we belongs to you, manacle us no more if we are to respect and honour you. Give us peace and justice so that we may continue to proclaim the goodness of you and proudly sing your anthem endlessly. Give us a chance to be a proud Indian and we promise you unconditional love and peace.