The NE youths are likely to hit the Delhi Streets again

Ninglun Hanghal *

Protest in Delhi against killing of Nido Taniam (a youth from Arunachal Pradesh :: 01 February 2014 :: Pix - Debanish Achom

In the aftermath of the death of Nido Tania, a 19 year old student from Arunachal Pradesh, who succumb to his injuries after being beaten by the locals in Lajpat Nagar's middle class colony in south Delhi an indefinite protest was started. Beginning February 1, for six consecutive days the NE youths were out in the streets of Delhi calling for a stop to racist attacks against the Northeastern people living in NCR and other Indian 'mainland' cities. The locals allegedly mocked at Nido who reacted and a fight took place, he was further mobbed by a group of about 8 men ever after he paid a sum of Rs 10,000 as a settlement.

A series of attack was reported this past five days, including rape of 14 year old Manipuri girl. Every alternate days we witnessed youth in large numbers thronging the several police Stations in South Delhi.

Emotions, sentiments, anger ran high as the youths shout "we are Indians, why do you treat us like this?"

This time the gatherings were huge, slogans were thunderous and the solidarity was palpable. Perhaps the numerous hardships, discriminations, faced by the NE community particularly the youths and women in the NCR region and in recent years in other cities, such as the NE Exodus of 2012 in South India have further cemented the solidarity. As the protests gained momentum, young student leaders were selflessly working day in and day out to keep the flame of the momentum alive and they did so, as the NE youths, students, scholars, professionals joined the protest every-day. v Significantly, on Thursday, day 6th of protest witnessed a scene if not "history" inside the Parliament street police station. There was a direct interface between the youths and the Northeast Members of Parliament. Six of them who were compelled to come to the Police station came face to face with the angry youths with tough questions. The youths who have come out early morning for a March to Parliament to demand for 'anti racial law' and subsequently detained in the Police station, were hungry, tired and angry, emotional and critical of their elected representatives. Some questions such as this were raised " why the NE MPs did not raise any questions in the Parliament against racial attacks or matters related to NE"

The defensive MPs tried to reason with the youths, but failed. Apart from meeting the Prime Minister and other Central leaders, suggestions, proposals, the defense , rather a confession was made by the MPs that they are at the mercy of the party high commands and that the NE Parliamentarians were themselves a minority , whose voice were lost in the sea of 545 MPs in the parliament. It may be mentioned that all together the NE states (including Sikkim) sent only 25 elected representatives to the Lok Sabha and 14 members in the Rajya Sabha .

Besides the demand for speedy fair trail into the death of Nido Tania and strict punishment for the culprits , which will set an exemplary action, the protest consolidated to the demand for enactment of an anti – racial law; and most importantly inclusion of NE history in school text books. The inclusion of NE history went down well with many CSOs and intelligentsia, including the Delhi Chief Minister.

On the other hand as the protest made headlines in national Media , Political leaders, prominent individuals made a bee line to the protest site in Jantar Mantar. Among the heavy weights were , Rahul Gandhi ( Congress Vice President) Arvind Kejriwal ( Delhi CM) Paban Singh Ghatowar ( DoNER Minister ) Narendra Modi ( BJP PM candidate) who did not visit the site but invited representatives. This was followed by numerous 'solutions', committees and suggestions for safety of NE people in NCR being floated.

In the highest level, Prime Minister reportedly told the NE representative that the matter will be discussed with the Cabinet. Then the next level, the Union Home Ministry's Proposal for a committee to look into the issues and problem. The said committee members, comprising of a list of retired bureaucrats was immediately rejected. Clearly, the political class did not feel the pulse of the youths.

This and not surprisingly, expose the disconnect between the Indian political establishment and the people of the NE states , both geographically and mentally. Such suggestions also comes from the political class's understanding of anything and everything to do with these "conflict region" NE and its people is through the angle of 'security' law and order and should be dealt with a 'bureaucratic' approach. Indeed another indication of a failed duty as elected representatives.

An exclusive Ministry for Development of North East Region (DoNER) suddenly wake up and decided to hold Cultural events; seminars and set up a support centre. The cultural centre, inaugurated way back in early 2010 in west Delhi which was lying unused resurfaced on the table. How far cultural extravaganzas can decrease the number of protest demonstrations in front of the Police stations in Delhi remains to be seen.

As it stands there is no concrete convergences of these proposals and measures, the PMO who met student representative, the MHA's committee, the Delhi CM's suggestion for a NE team to work out the modalities of inclusion of NE history in text books of Delhi schools . All the while the Delhi police too were busy calling for a meeting with student leaders and suggestions from general public for "safety and security".

The protest was put on hold , for now, but the dust of the Lajpat Nagar incident and the popular wave not to retreat, not to stop until demands are fulfilled is likely to bring thousands of NE youths again out on the Delhi streets;