State climber scales Everest, the first woman from State to do so... N Bidyapati scripts history from atop the world
IMPHAL, May 17: A lady climber from the State, Ningthoujam Bidyapati Devi is among the three members of the 1st NE India Mt Everest expedition team to scale the World’s highest peak, Mt Everest today thus registering the entry of the region’s climber.....
Degree In Academics Not The Only Route To Success In Life 67 year old MM Sharma shows the way
IMPHAL, May 17: Degrees or diplomas are not the only inevitabilities for an individual like 67-year old Manoharmayum Manihar Sharma but resilience, ingenuity and a little cerebral exercise can be the mantra for success in life. A resident of Nongmeibun.....
HSSLC, HSLC exams results by May 22 and 25, says Oken
IMPHAL, May 17: While announcing that results of the class 12 and 10 examinations would be declared on May 22 and 25 respectively Education Minister M Okendro has appealed to college students not to boycott the upcoming semester examinations. speaking .....
KSO calls strike on May 21
IMPHAL, May 17 : The Kuki Students Organisation, General Headquarters (KSO-GHQ) has announced a 24-hour bandh on May 21 in protest against the State Government’s alleged non-implementation of reservation in certain areas. The KSO said it had apprised.....
Traffic police beat up man
IMPHAL, May 17: Traffic police personnel severely beat up a man near the gate of Churachandpur police station at around 4 pm today. The victim, Kumam Rajbala (43) s/o Sanal of Moirang Turenban, while narrating his ordeal to reporters here said that he .....
AHRC appeals UN Special Rapporteur
IMPHAL, May 17: The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has appealed the UN Special Rapporteur to press the Manipur authorities for conducting thorough and independent investigation in connection with the alleged arrest of two human rights defenders on .....
Semester exams to continue as usual
IMPHAL, May 17: As agreed between Education Minister M Okendro and representatives of the Coordination Committee of College Students’ Unions, semester exams for BA, BSc, BCom will be held as usual. Notably, the committee has been demanding translatio.....
Twin Pallel drug seizure cases One given bail, others sent to further remand
IMPHAL, May 17: Even as 12 police men held with illegal drugs worth Rs 3.50 crores have been sent to prison, Lalminsanga, one of the accused in the same drug smuggling case has been released on bail. Meanwhile, seven other individuals including an army.....
MSCW team puts heat on Nekhohat murder case
IMPHAL, May 17: A team of Manipur State Commission for Women (MSCW) led by its chairperson Dr L Ibetombi conducted an investigation into the murder case of Nekhohat Kilong yesterday. The team went to late Nekhohat Kilong’s home at Moreh Ward No 9 an.....
Hate-leaflet concerns MP
IMPHAL, May 17: Taking serious note of putting up wall posters and circulating quit notices against a community staying in churachandpur district, Outer Manipur Parliamentary Constituency MP Thangso Baite opined that failure to identify or pull up the cul.....
Lallumba group seeks separate accommodation
IMPHAL, May 17: KCP-MC Lallumba group which has entered into a process of dialogue with the Government of India and Government of Manipur has demanded a separate place of accommodation outside 7th MR complex where its cadres are presented housed. Spea.....
Mahasen spares Mizoram
Aizawl, May 17: There is a sigh of relief in Mizoram as the cyclone Mahasen, feared to hit the state last night, lost its speed before reaching the region. This was informed by state Science and Technology Department Chief Scientific Officer Vanlalzara.....
Myanmar nationals held
IMPHAL, May 17: Twenty Myanmarese nationals including two women, who were caught by Manipur Police for violating the immigration laws of the country, were produced before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Thoubal district of Manipur on Friday. Th.....
Corrigendum
Apropos to the news report appeared on the front page of May 17 issue of this daily under the caption, ‘Ukl takes up precautions’, ‘Mahasen Volcano’ must be read as ‘Mahasen Cyclone’. The oversight is deeply regretted. —Editor.....
Deer rescued, freed
IMPHAL, May 17: PFA Thoubal freed an injured Barking Deer yesterday after administering first aid to the deer. A statement issued by the PFA said that the PFA was contacted by one Athokpam Subhaschandra Singh of Moirang Kampu informing that he found a .....
Four die in mishaps
IMPHAL, May 17: At least three persons including a police commando and a nurse have been killed while four others sustained injuries in separate road mishaps during the last 48 hours A nurse riding a scooter was killed when she was knocked down by a t.....
MU students
IMPHAL, May 17: A meeting of Manipur University students held today has resolved to constitute Manipur University Students' Union Revival Demand Committee along and submit a memorandum to MU authorities for necessary action to revive the union within July.....
Joy alleges
IMPHAL, May 17: MPP advisor O Joy has stated that some Opposition parties have been playing spoilsport with regard to the collective effort of Opposition parties to field a common candidate in the next Parliamentary election. Reacting to the statemen.....
NPF campaign
IMPHAL, May 17: The political awareness campaign of the Naga Peoples’ Front (NPF), Manipur State at Senapati district headquarters on Friday was marked with the party leaders coming down heavily on the Congress Government for all the ails in the state. .....
Prithviraj congratulates Bidyapati
NEW DELHI, May 17: Tourism and YAS Parliamentary Secretary Mairembam Prithviraj has congratulated Ningthoujam Bidyapati to get to the top of the world’s highest mountain today. In a congratulatory message, M Prithviraj said, “I am very happy to.....
Live Life
By : Usham Tomba
“What Lies Behind the Racial Discrimination in Mainland India”
Except for a lucky few, every Manipuri in our state lives a life with constant threat to life. There is always a danger of being killed for reason unknown. If one moves out of the state, into mainland India, one again runs the risk of being racially discriminated if not sexually harassed or killed. One wonders who is to blame for the racial discrimination and why it is there. Whoever one may point one’s finger at, one must admit that this racial discrimination stems out of ignorance and conflict of outlook in life and interest.
There is indeed a great wall of ignorance between the two civilizations. While the mainland Indians cannot understand why North East Indians eat foods which are repulsively smelly or odd, the latter cannot understand why the mainlanders eat food as oily as engine grease and add a lot of masala into things that go down their gastrointestinal tract and later royally fart in public places without any hesitation. They also rue at the rising price of foods considered odd by some mainlanders like chicken feet and pork which find new fans among the mainlanders.
While the mainlanders cannot appreciate the North East Indians’ slant eyes and body without much hair, the latter cannot find much good to appreciate in the formers’ eye anatomy and often compare them with crows. They also cannot appreciate the formers’ body hairs that amount to almost like that of Chimpanzees’ and find their body odor extremely repulsive.
While the mainlanders question the morality of the North East Indian girls, the latter are taken aback at the vulgarity of the mainland Indians. They also get quite boggled at the issue of incest particularly among North Indians. Nor can they understand why they burn and murder their lovely daughters for monetary issues called dowry or false pride.
While the mainlanders mock at the Chinese or Nepali look of the North East Indians, the latter find nothing to be proud of in the Negroid look of the former.
While the mainlanders rue at how the North East Indians eat up a bulk of jobs in the mainland, the latter feel that the rent they pay feed the mainlanders and pull them out of their cow herding lifestyle.
The physically similar Nepali girls with their often looked down profession, especially in the metro cities, sometimes add fuels to the misunderstanding. This vividly points to the ignorance of the reality that the population of their counterpart Indian CSW’s (Commercial Sex Workers) is more than the whole population of Nepal put together.
One can look at the matter from different aspects. Let me share one of mine. Blinded by ignorance, what one frequently misses to see is the essence that lies underneath the seeming vices. While one can abhor the smelly dishes North East Indians live on, one misses to see the organic nutrients and energy those dishes provide, good enough to fuel a Mary Kom or a Dinko Singh, unlike the chemically contaminated tomatoes and potatoes we find in the mainland summer. While one can abhor the repulsive body odor of the mainlanders, one misses to see the hard toil of the day that man had contributed towards his family in particular and society at large.
While one questions the morality of the North East Indian girl, one completely fails to see her simplicity and innocence which I personally have never come across in any mainland Indian girl so far. The general world wide trend of changes is sweeping across every nook and corner though. Can North East India be left far behind when it has swept across all of India and beyond? While one questions the North East Indian lifestyle, one fails to notice that it is the land that gives Irom Chanu Sharmila who, according to some, is at par with Mahatma Gandhi in her non-violent struggle.
Again, there is widespread discrimination among different races of mainland Indians. Biharis are discriminated in Mumbai. Muslims feel that they are discriminated by the majority population. The anti-Sikh riots in North India tell its own story. There were issues of South Indians in Mumbai. Even in Manipur also, many of the issues dogging our society arise from discrimination either real or perceived and amplified beyond proportions, by some to their own ends, on which a greater debate is well deserved. This drives home a conclusion that discrimination is rather a phenomenon when large number of people of different backgrounds and interests share a common platform.
The best part of racial discrimination in the mainland is it never differentiates whether one is a Meitei, a Naga or a Kuki. It never matters from which of the seven states one hails from. To the Mayangs’ eyes, one becomes just another Chinky. It unifies all the ethnic groups but with a maligned reason.
While one comes face to face with racial discrimination, it may help to keep a point or two in mind. Mainland India or Delhi, for example, is like an instrument or tool we have at hand to reach our goals and aspiration. A good workman never fights with his tool. Discrimination, in this sense, is like professional hazard. Calculating the risk and cost with the possible gains is a good idea. If that equation is not to one’s favor, shifting base may help. How can one fight with the land one lives in?
Dealing with racial discrimination needs a lot of courage and tact. We cannot finish it. How can one empty a sea with a spoon in hand? While one cannot empty the sea one can surely swerve one’s path to avoid wet feet. Focusing on the reasons one came for should help. After all, nobody came here solely to showcase one’s culture and tradition to the mainlanders. If the mainlanders fail to appreciate it, can it be anybody’s fault? They are the ones who are missing on to discover a race of beautiful people.
It needs a lot of tolerance too. It is the acceptance of the different ways people struggle to survive and live. The idea of tolerance has its limit though. In fact, tolerance is the key to many a problem we face today. The issue of ethnic divide in Manipur is one issue which will need a lot of tolerance to solve. But, there are also issues that need zero tolerance, one among which I feel is the apathy towards Inner Line Permit System demand. It is up to you to decide which one is to tolerate and which one not to. And my article is definitely not out of the purview.
Now, coming to the point, does it really matter to you with what name some people call you when they do not even know you? For me it is a big ‘NO’. I have more important adversaries to fight against. My sleepiness, my laziness, my temptation and my weakness are far more important adversaries to me than the slum dwelling bastard who calls me Chinky or the well educated beast in human garb who looks down on racially different people. From where I stand, he is not better than any Chimpanzee. But, I am ready to tolerate one and all up to a certain limit while keeping my purpose and reason in mind above all. I have taken my vow. What about you?
Robin_Jiri
A class Article.
Shyamson
A point 2b noted 4m ur article:"I hv far mor adversaries 2fight rather than simply reacting 2 mainlanders' provocations". Let me add 1mor: We need to prove our superiority in d areas where we can dominate/excel that they hv no choice but 2look upto!!
chiru
we need to stand up to our rights. Racial discriminatn has cum to such a point that it exists in higher educational institutions in an invisible form, an invisible wall. By the way, i like your articles. It conveys a msg for all.
sophia
nice comparisons beetween the two! Both sides have positive and negative characteristics. One must learn the art of combating racist people.
tom
yes folks, calling the spade a spade as honestly as can be.
Samm
Pls tell me, 'How come that peopl frm other states living in Manipur are submissive and hard working but they never complained against the locals even though Biharis were attacked n killed as stray dogs by valley UGs, warnings n quit notices hav becom a regular practice apart from looking down at them as outclass creatures. Is it that these peopl belive in 'As they sow so shall they reap'?
Samm
Mothers discriminate their children. Teachers discriminate their students. Society discriminate on ground of race: meetei, bisnupriyas, kukis, nagas, pangals. . n fires venomously brandad titles like Mayang-machas, xxx-machas, . . its discrimination everywhere. O.k! b frank, n think n ask urself, 'Is d article not 1 sided?' If yes, than is it not discrimination on d part of d writer? Can d writer write on d 'Life of Biharis in Manipur valley'??
Tomcha
Fine. Discrimination is everywhere. It's only a matter of intensity. When our girls are raped and thrown out of running car in Mayang-land, your racist local police refused to file FIR. Besides, they mocked at the victims. When some migrant labors are murdered in Manipur by anti-social elements, our police forces acted swiftly and people condemned the incident. That means, it's the society that is problematic in the previous case while it's law and order in the later case.
len
Dear Usham Tomba, thx pal. U have an educated mind but plz see the core of the issue. Why sud u run away from ur hom. The crux of the problem is Indian colonial subjugation. U can't fight it by running away. Plz see the scheme of things. Indian colonial rule taking and assimillating the creamy layer of our talented youths into their fold inthe meantime obliterating the leftout masses to permanently swallow manipur.
tom
Hi len, how do you translate 'wild animals' into meiteilon? 'Lamshaa' or 'lamlakta leiba shaa ngaa'. Either way is true but the former may sound a little offensive to some. Likewise, 'to run away' may sound a little offensive to many a northeasterners living in the mainland. For some, their spirit stands too tall to be bogged down by the frustating lack of oppurtunity and infrastructure back home. And without this oppurtunity the well learned NE professionals in the mainland would have been probably fighting for a school teacher's job in Imphal if lucky or in the hills if desperate. Meaning: Many of our talented youths get wasted and lost into oblivion in the sea of issues back home. But, the happy news is that at the back of many a Manipuri's mind lies a desire to return home and settle down there. Who does not want to enjoy the warmth of our beloved family anyway? In the meantime, I don't see any reason why we should not encourage people to get eduation even if in the mainland if needed be. Because, that will be the decisive factor of what he does when he goes back home finally.
sam
hiii to all my frnds ,well the topic of descrimination is what no one can deal with .I am a delhite though east indian .I have faced mor descrimination than anyone out in india ever. in india or outside .south indian don't ljke nortg indian they beat us when we try tolive free in chennai or bamgalore. u say mainland india we say whole northeast though every state there is different.and mainland each state is distinct .everyone here faces waht u r facing. bihari.mallu.marathi all is like different nation put together to live .in usa black an white fight s each oder.in africa u will b robbed . in australia u will b killed . in thailand u will be robbed.if u don't look or speak like as above. why I have to take special permit to visit nagaland or mizoram why.its creating areverse effect.a northindia is different fro. every state as u don't know the same way people here don't know mor than northeast. its same. we all are indian u all are better than a bihari in india.leave all if someon say u smthng give bak.
Lets do good
Writers write to becom Heros. But criminal minded writers r dangerious 4 Humanity. Only brainless n heartless peopl praise them. A writer who writes 4 unity, love n brotherhood must b praised. Sory brothers if i hav hurt any.
tom
I don't think people write just to become heroes. Please read the beautiful work by george orwell on why he wrote. The list does not seem complete to me though. Well, what people write often reflects how things are in actuality. The idea of peace and brotherhood cannot stand on blind assumptions. Understanding the views of both sides is essential. Don't be sorry.
khupboi
well comprehended with the classical doses of manipurism. and well balance but lop sided with strong manipur heroism. well it was indeed inspiring and i am proud to be called the son of manipur, keep it up.
Dayanand
Thanx for the well-balanced and honest article. We need to focus on wht we ought to do..ie, our duty is to learn and try to achieve what we set out to achieve/our goal. Some uneducated ppl or an educated but a beast/devil may give us any names or try to irritate us but we should not lose our focus bcoz of some racist idiots. While I was working for an NGO in Delhi, one of our collegues told us tht nepali n some NE women are workin as hookers..and questioned their moral.. I told him tht "ok..but its v likely tht one of their Clients may be ur uncle or ur cousin or any1.. Do those ppl who pay to spend time wit those women are havin a high moral or what.?" Frm tht day, he never mention the morality of any girl he saw/met..n we remain good frens since he change his outlook n mindset. It will take another 50/100 years for the ppl of the country to become a civilised nation like tht of Japan or France. We must be patient and work hard and try to discard all the negativity in our life n embrace only the positives.
@dayanand
Nice answer.
Mother Nature
Good brings good. Bad brings bad. Its all mother nature play. Society tat discriminate on racial ground will suffer to the roots. Do not encourage racial minded people. Cos of racial mind-set, Manipur is breaking. Dnt disgrace peopl as xxx-machas, Mayang-machas, . . after all, we all r d children of our only dear mother earth. We born in fear, we grow in fear n we r die in fear. Tats why our youth r going out of Manipur to live feel free life, atleast for a few years or so. Arrogant individuals r dangerious for our own society.
Point
Discrimination in Manipur is so old tat old men frm hills finds hard to forget till today. They say, tey were treated as untouchables in manipur valley cos tey r tribes. Tey used to say, 'Mangay! Mangay!' Tey were stoped frm entering even frnds house by family elders. xxx-macha! is wat tey called us tos days. . . . even today, discrimination is everywhere in manipur. Tis is d main reason for unrest in manipur.
Mr.Ningshen
Evrywhere in India discrimination is there....not only To chinkys...ie we...the NE....or other lyk frm North india...bt y to NE most....reason behind....in one way or the othr NE r responsible for that...when v look our lyfstyl in metro its cmpltly dffrnt....specially wnen v talk abt female...m nt cretisizing them bt itz a fact...eg.in Delhi...plc lyk Munrika....sufdarjung..n north delhi...i have n instant incident....two teen galz nt NE galz bt Mayang...they were just passing by wearing vry short so called fashion jean..man on the othr side were passing a comment Agar Kisika Lund Khada ho gaya toh uthake Lake jake Daal de ga pata b nahi chalega....so nw wtha do think abt....N now when v talk abt our sisters who r wrking or studying...when v talk abt there dressing sense..OMG...just unbelivable...they wear nyc fashion n dat vry nyc fashion bcmz a hindrence..The Mayangz look at them till they dissapeared frm their eyesight vt lust in their mind...n coz of dat they think evry NE galz r none othr den Kusubi....no doubt galz mind r alyz fashion mind....just coz of their fashion mindedness they r rape....India is nt lyk Othr country..Discrimination previals n vl b forever..just dat how v live n how v manage our lyfz... Chinkyz vl alyz be ckinkyz..no matter wt??? Hw to live our lyfz in a smooth way it depndz on us n our mindset...All da best....
Good is good
Good is good. Good minded people write good for peopl, . . any artical that creates hate or anger is bad. Todays society needs articals writeen in the language of Lord Budha's way. . . But, i dnt understand why articles r being written targeting whole mayangs (mainland Indians) as dirty racial uneducated bastards. If we go on with tis mind set, then 1 day we may becom rejected guests everywhere at mainland indian states. Spread love of brotherhood, not hate.
@good
Hey dude, as quite evident, the writer is trying to show what he feels over the few aggressive wrongdoing offenders and not all of the general population of mayangs. I think it is good to open up our feelings instead of nurturing a grudge or bear offence silently. So good, if u r a meitei stop discriminating tribals. If you r a mayang, stop discriminating all of NE. If u are a tribal plz stop discriminating other tribals. If u are someone who does not discriminate thank you.
Shan
My dear beloved frenz, Every individual has his or her right to express their views, as did by the gentleman, the writer of the article in debate. Yes of course he has given his views its upto the individual to follow. And to be very unbiased in my submissions the notion of discrimination does exist in any society. even one takes a look at the history of human civilisation. I wont go into detail. Yeah, indeed i have been staying away from my native kangleipak since my school days. i have never face any sort of discrimination from any quarter from the so called "mainland" as decided by the frenz above. it all depends upon how one perceive things. one attitude, way of life etc etc.........the point is do gud things one gets gud results. Yeah i agree to some of the comments of dear frens .... one needs to be tolerant, adhere to certain ethics, value of life, understand the toiling of the people, the hard workers, No need to blame anyone. lets first correct ourselves, why today u see the hatred among the people of hills and valleys in kangleipak? its all our own creations. Manipur is such a tiny state, we have very few districts. Lets talk about unity. lets discuss about prosperity within ourselves, its time for self introspection rather than pointing fingers at others . Why have we treated people from hills as this or that as xxxxx machas, yyyyy machas , or lawai machas ect ect....or valley machas, or mayangs etc. one needs to think that manipur cannot develope unless we stand united from hills, valleys, city, or lawai.......so dear frenz lets change our mindset before blaming others. lets unite. and listening to others is the best lesson. We people seldom listen to others .... thats a drawback. lets be hard working, lets learnt work culture from others ..... And last lets try to be more tolerant and deligent. all these issues of discrimination will fade away one day if one has gud attitude, gud outlook, and open minded in every aspect.. lets hope for a better manipur rather than telling other people.
From V
Hapy to see some positive remarks. Lets correct ourselves n lets also correct others too, but with love. We may say : Shakti is a rapist or Ranjit is a beast. But pls do not use common nouns that stands for whole class or society. We have 1ly 1 life, n we live 1ly 1c; so y shd we spoil our most prescious life by stuffing our heads with hate n jealosy for others. Let there b peace everywhere.
From Delhi
We have to do away with the misunderstandings and ignorance between different communities and see the essence inherently present in each and every person and each and every community while occasional hiccups from uneducated and indecent people have to be ignored and tolerated for a greater cause of peace and progress as is presented in this article.
@ Negative Commentators
“What Lies Behind the Racial Discrimination in Mainland Manipur” ??? Why so much of Halla gulla among the different communities of Manipur??? Meitei, Naga, Kuki, Pangal, . . which community is responsible for this Discrimination ??? 1 or 2 black sheep are everywhere, but that doesn't proof mainland Indians as racial discriminators. I am a mainland Indian too but I love Manipur despite the fact that Mayangs (non mongoloid Indians) are discriminated as third class people by mainland Manipuries. Pls do not spread hate against non mongoloid Indians (mainland Indians) for your ignorance. Spread words of love that unite us as one BIG Family. Unity is strength and one BIG Family is power. As we sow so shall we reap.
Ibo
Good Education will bring down discrimination among the people automatically. God has created different religions, different outlooks, different languages ultimately to make one language and one similar outlook amoung the people. Today discrimation among the people is the starting point for staring indicrimination among the people because EGO people cannot survive for a long.
Biken
Well written.. I appreciate your thoughts about the tolerance.. We have better things to do than to mind in their stupid and hypocrite words....
