From a good friend of mine

The People of Manipur and for that matter, the whole of the North East India has been alienated and looked upon as a different people. "Which country are you from?" is a common question all of us had to field when stepping beyond the North Easter region.
A piece written by a very good friend, Hahat Melchior, slightly abridged to suit the style of this site. This is one of the many facets of the North East India as seen by an ‘outsider’ and I feel this short essay depicts things in its right aspect. More of such articles and write-ups coming your way via this portal..watch!
This is especially for those who live outside the NE India but within India and perpetually feel sidelined and discriminated for being perceived as so 'different'.
I spent almost 12 years in Delhi for various reasons - student, non-student preparing for various national exams, working woman and finally a married woman and a mother before we moved to Zurich, Switzerland early last year.
During most part of my stay there, I had a lot of reasons to not like mainland Indians. I hated the word 'chinkies' in reference to us. I hated having to face harassments when having some work at Delhi University main campus, especially upon seeing the clerk not giving me attention.
Maybe the clerks are lazy in general but to a naive student, it was easy to infer that it is an act of racism. I hated it when our girls in particular are perceived as immoral because of what we wear and our outspoken independent nature.
Well, wearing shorts, sleeveless shirts, minis etc were not new to us. We've worn them for ages ( go to the photos link for proof). And now if you go to nightclubs in Delhi, you think you're wearing too many clothes because Delhi girls wear almost nothing. These are the same people who pointed fingers at us over a decade ago.
O! How I also hated being touched or pinched at in public buses and at Pragati Maidan during trade fairs. But the most overrated insult is when I would be asked where I am from, and then I'd say 'from Manipur' and they'd ask 'where is Manipur? Is it in China?' or 'Are you a Nepali?'. Aarrgghhhh!!! I just wanted to scream 'which school did you go to? In Manipur we know so much about your place, your little towns, your dams, et al.'
I like Nepalis and I respect them for their humility and independence of willing to work as house helpers, drivers etc. but when mainland Indians refer to us as Nepalis, it is usually in a derogatory term.
Fast forward that to today, in Europe, in Zurich in particular. I have this gift of people, people love to come and chat up with me (maybe I look friendly and maybe out of curiosity).
My church in Zurich is very international, people from around 100 nations, so I get to meet a lot of them. When they come to the point of asking me of my native land, I always wished I had a camera with me to capture their expressions of "What!!!! You’re from India?!!. You're too nice to be an indian. Your English is too good to be an Indian. No! its not possible" and so on....
It sounds like a compliment to me but its not. I feel sad that people are surprised to know that I am an Indian. I am very much an Indian.
So now, can you clearly sense that the Indian Government is doing nothing much to let the world know about us unlike Malaysia or Singapore who clearly let the world know that they have people of Indian origin there too.Isn't it sad? Maybe and maybe not.
I just have no regrets about being from Manipur and the NE India. Maybe we're not loved in India as we have wished but the world over loves us which is a more comforting feeling. And one of the things I am really proud about our uniqueness is that people identify us more as south east Asian but with good communication skills because of our fluency in English and other languages.
At the same time, we can also dwell in the glory and greatness of India because that is what we actually are - Indians. I am just so happy to have belonged to where I belong.
On a light hearted note, I am also proud to admit that much before MTV came to India, we were already so updated with the latest bands and best selling albums (one of the many things we excel in).
My husband who is Swiss also has deep respect for our modern yet traditional cultures (a quaint mixture but perfectly balanced). And he is so proud to tell people "My wife is from the north east India. They're very unique, friendly and different".
So now, whenever you feel you are being discriminated or harassed by a Mainland Indian, don’t get mad.Just smile and remind yourself of how much the rest of the world embrace you. And also that there are many good Indians who love us very much too.
PS: Can anyone of you tell our local politicians that I am willing to continue speading the goodwill work for our region as long as they also give the world and the country a good impression about us all.Copyright © Hahat Melchior