It was a common question to ask someone where he or she is from on meeting them the first time. It was a classical Indian conversation starter. I have asked the question and I also have been asked. I use to respond to others by casually telling them that I am form North-east. I did not bother which states I belong to. Because I feel that people did not really bother what is inside the north east. “Oh! ULFA. Are the Maoist dangerous there?”. “No, ULFA operates in Assam. The Maoist operates only in Andhra, Jharkhand and places like Bihar. I am from Manipur”. I did not want to be branded along the lines of any of the terrorist.
When someone talks about Paris the first thing that comes to my mind is the Eiffel tower. When someone talks about London, the first thing that comes to my mind is either the London Bridge or the Big Ben. But when I talk about northeast the first thing that comes to the other person’s mind is “The ULFA! Maoist! The militants”. I am not blaming any of the organizations that operates in Northeast. But it is really depressing to have our beautiful place being associated with such things.
I would be further investigated with what the Maoist(read as militants) are planning to achieve. I would tell them that they want Independence. People there wants independence. Correct me if I am wrong, but I think most of the organizations want an independent government starting from the Naga groups that operates in Nagaland and certain parts of North-East to the smallest groups. I would then be asked that Suppose the terrorist get independence then how will you survive?”. I would end up saying things like “I don’t know!”. A friend of mine from a state in the north-east use to joke around on a Naga friend of ours saying that the Nagas will survive by exporting their dried meat. Our Naga friend use to bring back dried meat from home after vacation. The northeastern states particularly the hilly states survive solely on the baby like treatment given by the central government. Assam may be an exception with many industrial as well as mineral resources. The rest of the hilly states are a burden to the centre government. It is good that I were not the head of the central else I would have told the insurgent to get whatever independence they want and get lost along with their independence.
I do not want to belong to a place that is infested with terrorist. Our place has been branded along the lines of the Al-Qaeda terrorist. I use to have a hard time explaining the difference between a terrorist organization and a militant group. Be it a freedom fighter or a good will militant group or a people friendly terrorist(doubtful), it makes no difference. People looked upon them with the same strange eyes. It is time we wake up from our dream and face the reality!
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