The Mass Exodus: Rumors, Race and Indian Society

Mass Exodus: Is it just rumors and Pakistan? Courtesy: santabanta.com

 

While Indian media and government are blaming Pakistan and technology-driven rumors for the recent mass exodus of Northeast people of India, the fault within us must also be realized entrenched in the Indian society. The consolidation of ethnic and racial heterogeneity of Indian society has much to do with the mass exodus coupled with fear psyche in elsewhere of the nook and corner of ethnic Mongoloid people.

It is not just that rumor triggered mass exodus of Northeast people from Indian cities especially Bangalore on the 66th day of Independence of the country, what media and intelligence inputs has deciphered about the wrong-doers seems not convincing to an average northeasterner like me, one is for sure that there are revealing reasons that why northeasters rush were seen in railway stations, seemingly overcrowded with fearful foots. I had definite inputs from my childhood friend based in Bangalore on an early morning itself on the eve of Independence day, that they are frantically looking for tickets since days back and sought our help for safe return.

My friend is a higher secondary drop-out who had moved to Bangalore six years back in search of much-heard employment opportunity to the IT city of South India.Before the news of mass exodus went viral on web and televisions on the night of independence day, I had posted at least one hour earlier on misingonline.com based on conversation with the friend, who was already in the railway station. What is more attributive to Indian media was the news of "rumors", that was not at all to many workers, security guards from our place. Member of Parliament from Congress party, Mr Ninong Ering was right when he said that people of Mongoloid features are being targeted in the Indian cities. That is what story behind why people become so panic since the faces of northeasterners can be identified easily. And here the government blames Pakistan again!

Whatever it is rumour or real threats, one fact must be agreed that Mongoloid ethnic minorities who basically belongs to northeastern India are vulnerable to attack and abuse, if they are once out of their homelands.

It is not just good to blame that the fleeing Mongoloid Indians were threatened by one particular religious group but the ethnic minorities too suffers from solidarity and lack of cooperation from other counter-parts in rest of India irrespective of caste or religion. The present exodus of people of northeast tells that reality. As it is evident from the arrests made by police, the culprits are from different religious backgrounds.

From Delhi to Bangalore, from Kolkata to Mumbai, ethnic minorities having Mongoloid features suffers from insecurity just because they look differently. Girls belonging to Mongoloid stock are most vulnerable to gender-based atrocity even in Delhi. India's veil of racism on ethnic Mongoloid minorities should be exposed at the global level so that India is force to do justice to the suffering indigenous peoples. Otherwise, why people from Mizoram or Arunachal Pradesh, even with negligible Muslim population ( if Muslims are to blamed!), had to flee the cities when they have nothing to do with the violence happening in lower Assam? Some matters really needs second thought to dealt with for better unity and integrity of the nation so that every citizen can live like an any Indian, anywhere in the country.

» Kapila Bangalore bokké taniyé dukpakpé idungkun ?

Mass Exodus: Northeast Rush in Bangalore. Photo: AFP

Ngo August 14 ro yubkolokke darobla kumnam ni:tom ako tadla dungai, rokom 8 ka:ngaboi, do:nyi ngok dungko rumdo kanga:ladu:bo. Ngok cell phone sé bagémpé bé:sang kang, ka:namé Bengaluru ( Bangalore) bok du:né ajon Bongali bí. Phone dém torík sumadap méngkang kapé édílosin rokompé phone kíman amisé phone ikinkan? Luposula "ainé rokom'" émna aidun-aiman émnam do:yingko tatsa do:do méi bí lukang, atai do:ying ako kabomap taddumalalng, édé Assam mo:di kapéi idung émdakmalang, okkar dém émna tatto ném lukang "Sido ngolumsin gíkangku:bo émdumalang". Ngo taulat toném lukang, " Odo Boro-Muslim pa:mín sula ngolukodok éddík taniyé so du:ji 20 longé ara:do gípayeku émdak". Ngo tattoném kapil August 20 ara:do émdun...okkarla édémpé ludun.? Eid longé lédupé 'halat kharab hoga" émdak.

Porin ko kísapé mé:moko kala ngok ajon dém ngo luto, "Do:yidé arrolang atai, no sékkolok pa:dun, aiyop confirm po:to?". Ngok taunamdém lulat sukuma:pé pésonémpé lukang, "Amme one week lédudokkébo ticket ém langab to:bo. Ticket ma:lasin mélokébong pa:map idung, no okoi ko ibi la:yéne, ngo sido sílímang". Ngo bík sémpé lunam dém taddannai tatkinto:bo. Ngok ajjoulokkébo jonnam ajoné bí, arík ila, so:bo kanggab jonla sí:sa jonnam ajoné, jikong aríklo oi kabjon nam ta:niyé, ngo kindak okaiko anguru:pé ima:pé sokkídíko lagila rokompé bí phone ima. Bím ngo dítak takkéng (6 years) ko ka:ngkíkumanam idakbo, ngo édílokké Jonai mé:pakla porikolo gílenduji, odokkébong ríksoi kíkuma.....sémmopé phone lo luposumíndo, mo:tép du:né ajon akko dém kapé ajukala du:moyen! Ngolu Mising angé-bírrangésin deeko bolo ngasodla dag émda.....ngo kindak do:lulok sí:sa:né kísapé kapin ngasod a:la, éddík porige:la gídakji mo:téng amo:lo bottan ma:nyingém yékbomla...ajuka dung émye mílo mé:péi iyé.


Ngo do:yidém mé:mi ge:la bím asin kínggídop luto no mé:pénam kamang, ngolu sokké kapéi daggom gílangkunam dém ibiyé. Ngo ngoluk abín ami kídarém office gípíla email, phone ila bík lunam agom takam dém, ngasodém anpasuyenémpé idung émnamdém lubito. August 15 India sok 66na:né Independence longé ro:do lubidak ngolu siyum sa:len yeku...yu:mé ma:dapé bí dungko dokké ajon takam gílenyeku. Lédupé ticket émsin pa:tobo émna lubidak, ngo asinsé mé:po kang. Odokkésin lukang ngolu first train dém pa:mang, annyi ko special train bisettak..11.45 yumépé dukyé émdak. misingonline.com do ngo yumédo atto ta:niyé Bangalore station dé bingka:bo émna, Northeast sop gíkkopénné. Okolosin do:yidém nérkíkpé bima:da Hindustan Times dém mé:gela, édésin andongo:pé. Yumé 12 AM anin dokké ka:namé Facebook do do:yidém orbomdu:bo aso asopé. Twitter do ka:namé 'Bangalore" dé trending la dung Top 10 ara:do. Do:yidé odokké gusangkang......


Ka:pé yumé atérlo special train annyiko la:len layen Southwestern Railway yé, édílai bagémpé la:len kítaklang? Ngasodém anpa su:ma mílo tu édémpé yumé atér lo ilamang, Ngoluk réngam légang ager gerné kébang ami, Assam odokké Northeast sok migom amiyém sok légang ngolu aséngko bipaye.. Supak ipénamko du:daggom ima:bo, takamé amik miktar ka:bo! Amme okkoi aí émpésong mé:mipénamé. Lédupé émdaggom tauto atai do:lung gíladla supak okkom iyekun, ager ikko kamang! Bí lukang, "édémína mé:du:né, ager-asak no matokai odok". " No édém mé:yok no aiyop pí:potoku ajon", ngo luto. Mé:mi pénamé aro:pé éddíko ngoluk réngamé sé mo:lékso ngasodla turbek du:ji.

Obituary: Noted Mising leader Sibaram Pegu dead

Late Sibaram Pegu Photo: misingagomkebang.com

Noted Mising personality, who was involved with various community organisations in critical juncture of the tribe- Sibaram Pegu- is no more. Pegu left for heavenly abode after a week-long illness at his Laimekuri residence yesterday in Jonai.

Pegu was a dedicated community mobilizer who lead the people during nascent stage of Mising ethnic nationalism from seventies to early nineties. He was a founder member of Takam Mising Porin Kébnag ( TMPK), that was re-christened on October 16, 1972 at Jonai Higher Secondary School, after the bifurcation of All Abor-Miri Assam-NEFA Students' Union ( another group is the powerful All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union), when the state of Arunachal Pradesh was declared first as union territory. During the period of anti-foreigners movement of Assam from 1979 to 1985, he had to left his post-graduation studies incomplete from Gauhati University. He went to establish, later on, the Laimekuri Koneng High School, realizing the importance of women education and empowerment in the society.


Pegu was an active member of Mising literary movement in the eighties. He served as the general secretary of Mising Agom Kebang from 1983 to 1987 consecutively. It was during his tenure the Mising language was recognized formally with adoption of Roman script in October 30, 1986, when the regional party AGP was in power in Assam, which is today observed as language day by the community. The Mising organizations have expressed deep condolence over his untimely demise and said it was irreparable loss to the society. His mortal body was taken around several places in Jonai where hundreds of people paid their last respects to the deceased Mising national personality. His body was cremated with full honours according to Mising social rituals and rites. He was born in Haldhibari village of Sisikalghar and was 58. He left behind his wife, a son and three daughters as well as number of friends, relatives and well-wishers.

Reminiscence of personal encounter with the leader

Last month in early July, when I met him in Laimekuri, whom I fondly called Tato, he was looking quite well. When I enquired about his well-being , he replied in positive and exhorted me for further good studies. " No okkoméi idakji aiyo:pé ilang", he advised me. Once in summer 2009,  he came over to our house to congratulate me on hearing the news that I passed my graduation with flying colours from Cotton College, my parents told me, later, since I was already back to Guwahati . When I was doing my post-graduate studies,  and was in home  due to a brief vacation, he once  stopped me and passed me hundred bucks seeing me to have light refreshment in the journey to Guwahati. He didn't gave me just the bucks but shared inspiring thoughts with me,  which I will remember it in my entire life,  for it is done rarely in our place. He had that personality , at least ,  to inspire the lower strata within the community, not just a leader. I am really very sad to learned that a towering personality like him is no more in the society. I was thinking of having an interview relating to the present and past state of society with him one day but he didn't lived upto that. With tears...I am expressing my grief. RIP my dear Tato!