Life in Delhi has been difficult for Linda. Anywhere she goes she gets to hear lewd comments. Her only fault – she possesses all the features of a girl from north east India. Infact anybody from this part of the country is addressed to as “chinkies” – now definitely for their mongoloid eyes. Can we call this racism ? Writes Mercy Barkakoty...
Linda is a young and ambitious girl hailing from one of the beautiful states in North East India. Her parents have dreamt of a bright future for their daughter. To fulfill her dreams she has come to Delhi. Still in her twenties Linda studies in one of the reputed colleges in Delhi University. But the capital city has not given her a warm welcome. Life in Delhi has been difficult for her. Anywhere she goes she gets to hear lewd comments passed at her by people. Her only fault – she possesses all the features of a girl from north east India. Infact anybody from this part of the country is addressed to as “chinkies” – now definitely for their mongoloid eyes. Can we call this racism – the same word with the same meaning that everybody hates but yet is so prevalent in the country?
The country burns, political parties fight and protests take place when an Indian is abused in Australia or UK or the USA. But do we really care when the same thing happens within the country. Political parties opposed playing with the Australian team, the foreign ministry and the Home ministry had endless debates and discussions with their foreign counterparts to respond immediately to the plight of the Indians in Australia. But again they fail to stop racism in their own country.
This is not just the plight of Linda but of all those thousands of north eastern students especially girls, who come to Delhi every year for a fresh new beginning in their life. A lot of cases in the past have reflected the sorrowful state of the people from this region. Horrific tales of rape, molestation, abuses speak for itself – while some have been solved, some still remain in the files with just a number.
Huge uproar by the student community demanding stricter measures against such practices have put a lot of pressure on the government. Of late the Sheila Dixit government has been trying hard to curb such evils. Simultaneously a lot of women help numbers have also been activated for faster improvements. But it is not that always there has to be policemen present everywhere to check all these. What needs to be taken into account is the mindset of the people. I truly believe that a society can progress with a progressive mindset.
Laws can only help. So here I leave the floor open for answers and comments from my readers to find out for itself, the steps needed to be taken to prevent such malpractices. Is regionalism playing a dominant role over universal brotherhood? Is the fact that India is a diverse country with so many people with different and unique features hard to digest? Is it that higher education leading to narrower thinking? Or is it that we simply want to mind our own business rather than raising a voice against such evils in the society?
The answer lies in our mind and we know it। Otherwise who knows today, it is Linda who is suffering, tomorrow it might be us – same problem in a different place, in a different situation, in a different environment!! Let’s give it a thought.
(Mercy is a Journalist based in Delhi. She did her English Journalism from Indian Institute Of Mass Communication (IIMC, New Delhi). She worked in a prestigious Publication House in Delhi. At present she's with one of the leading English news dailies in the country. Having a good experience of working with various NGO's specifically in North-East, She loves her motherland and takes great pride in writing about issues pertaining to North-Eastern part of India.)
