A Small Note

BoneyM Ngangom *

The most marginalized part of the country is in the front page of the national daily newspapers once again. But this time it is not another bomb blast or any rape in any posh areas of the metros. It is the microphone and not the rattle of the gun that has created hysteria across the country.

And here I am talking about the recently concluded Indian Idol in which a couple of youth from the hilly regions of Darjeeling and Shillong made a sensation. Their achievements came in the midst of the insurgency riddled histories of the northeast.

The very success of the idol, Prashant Tamang, has already sent a chill on the spines of the mainland people and we could see that when a radio jockey (RJ) of a Delhi based FM channel made some derogatory remarks against the Nepalis.

This very attitude of the people in the mainland starkly proves that the achievements made by anyone from the hilly regions hold no significance. But today, I am proud of these two young friends and it is not just because they are from the hill regions but they sang in Hindi and had outshone all other competitors from the hindi-speaking belt of the country.

The enthusiasm to be on the top was shown when people came out and voted for the two youth icons. The determination to carve a niche, the thirst to win, the perseverance despite a long journey, of these two have been the gestures of all the commitments the people of the hill stations posses in any task they undertake.

The success of Prashant is not only for the people of Darjeeling but his voice represents the entire voice of the hilly regions, which is only present in the map of the country but not in the minds (of the mainland people).

They are several areas where the hilly regions have contributed but those are hardly recognized. It's a big disappointment that sports and culture are not promoted to a larger extent as it is in the mainland. Indeed a heart rending sight to see the segregations despite many successes.

Celebrating 60 years of India's independence, a famous national daily newspaper recently published achievements made by various personalities in different fields but none from the hilly regions was included with the exception of Mr. Laldenga, the first CM of Mizoram.

Undoubtedly, words about him were published on the secluded 'margin' of the page. Interestingly, I got to read, in that paper, about the flamboyant nose-blocked singer Himmesh Reshammiya who had shown contempt when the entire northeast citizens voted excessively for Debojit Saha, voice of India from Assam last year.

And the much loved and hyped 'queen of soaps' Ekta Kapoor also found herself a comfortable place in that very page.

Here, what I would like to ask is that, what happened to the fames brought by Bhupen Hazarika? Hazarika's all time famous number Ganga is very rich in its lyrics, beautifying the grandeur of the Indian culture, the Vedas, the landscape, the people etc.

Would it get any appreciation had it been 'Brahmaputra behati ho kyun'? I doubt. The inexplicable theatrical skills of Ratan Thiyam, the Bob Dylan of the East, Low Mojo, are all wrapped under carpet.

While the country is busy lifting Sania Mirza up to the pedestral, there the victory of athletes from the NE namely Sanamacha Chanu, Mary Kom are hardly recognized and haven't received any media attention.

Obviously, there are no reasons why anyone from the hill stations will not feel secluded and segregated. Any does anyone knows that a major chunk of the players in the national hockey and football team are from these marginalized regions.

From my personal experience, I have seen this segregation right from college days. You suddenly feel that you have lots of friends, especially during the election period.

After cogitation, I finally found the answer 'YES', we are the VOTE BANKS.

I can never think of these integrated feelings I have without touching upon the courage of the womenfolk of the northeast. Can anyone left behind the fast-unto-death carrying out by the 'Iron Lady Of Manipur', Iche (sister) Irom Sharmila to repeal the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act; 1958.

She was one amongst the many nominees for Nobel Peace Prize, sharing the same dice with the Iranian Nobel laureate, Sherin Ebadi. Celebrations would have been very loud and clear had she won that most covetous prize.

The naked protest by the brave Imas (mothers) of Manipur during the murder of a lady, Manorama Thangjam, by the so-called patriotic Indian Army also sent a wave across the globe. That very bold incident proved the real value of the womenfolk in the region.

Ironically, the entire nation stood with candles in their hands to bring an eternal justice for victims like Jessica Lall, Priyadarshini Mattoo. It might also be due to the notion framed by the mainland people that the girls from the northeast are very 'easy' going and they don't need a Rangde Basanti type of candlelit protest.

Since I am residing in the capital, New Delhi, I have come across these differentiations quite often. For that matter, a low-rise jeans and plunging neckline tops worn by any girl from northeast is an 'explicit enticement' in the minds of these mainland perverts.

It is high time people stop relating the northeast with just sex, booze, drugs, and guns. There are more than these. Everyone in the region, for various obvious reasons, know that this step motherly attitude meted out to these regions will never come to a halt.

The fissures created due to this rationalization are expanding at a very rapid pace. And soon will come a time when Northeast and India will be estranged for good. This estrangement is already seen and there is already an extreme aping of the oriental life style in the northeast.

Korean movies, soaps, songs, their mode of dressing, their hairstyle etc. have become really famous in the region.

I can very much relate the entire happenings with that of the ideas of Orientals and west as explained by the renowned scholar Edward A Said. "It does not cost anything to acknowledge the potentials of these diminutive figures". Eventually, this lamentation is not only the voice of mine but it indeed represents those voices which are always ignored, and unheard.