We the People: ‘We might look, eat different, but are all equally Indian, right?’

The Sunday Express reaches out to men and women across the Republic, from the uneasy calm of the Valley to the angry disquiet of a campus, the desolation of Bastar to the solitude of a rape victim, and the hope for a job next to Millennium City Gurgaon to the longing for a temple in Ayodhya — to find out, in their own words and their own photographs or sketches, what they talk about when they talk about ‘being India’ and ‘being Indian’.

Rights That Matter Most: ‘ST reservation not a privilege… we’ve been through a lot’

Suohu is a member of the Angami tribe, one of the major ethnic groups of Nagaland.

The 20-year-old, a first-year student of English Honours, lives in Kohima with her parents and three siblings. In October, she participated in the Miss Kohima beauty pageant. Suohu is a member of the Angami tribe, one of the major ethnic groups of Nagaland. On October 31, the deadline for the final settlement of the Naga peace accord lapsed.

What does India mean to you?

Naga history is different from the rest of the country… But the moment the national anthem is played, I feel a deep association with India… I don’t want to talk much about it (the Naga movement), but I want things to be peaceful. We have frequent curfews. These don’t help us in any way… I do feel patriotic but there are things I hear from my friends about mainland India. They say they have been called ‘chinki’, even ‘momo’!… We might look different and eat different, but we are all equally Indian, right?

Have you ever been to Delhi?

No, but I have heard that Delhi is a happening place, also crowded and polluted… and I don’t plan on visiting any time soon! My elder sister had moved there recently for a job but she left because she couldn’t handle the pollution, crowds… Anyway, there is a lot of scope coming up in Kohima as well.

What is the farthest place you have travelled to from your hometown?

Three years ago, I went to Pune for a student exchange programme. People in Pune were so welcoming and advanced. I was impressed by the roads there, especially because the roads in Kohima are a nightmare. Also, Pune had elevators, even at home! Here we don’t even have apartment buildings.

Do you have a friend from another part of the country?

I have a lot of friends from outside Nagaland — Pune, Bengaluru, Shillong, Kolkata. My Pune friends ask me a lot about Nagaland. They want to know when to come, how to come, when to visit, if it’s safe.

What are the three important rights you enjoy as a citizen of this country?

I don’t know how to answer that, but I want to talk about something else. People think the ST reservation given to us is a privilege. But I think we deserve the quota as we are a minority and we have been through a lot, not to forget the discrimination from mainland Indian people. We lack basic necessities, quality education, proper roads.

For you, the government is…

One that doesn’t focus on only religion so much. At the Miss Kohima event, when I said ‘PM Modi should focus on women, not cows’, everyone erupted in laughter. But later, I saw many comments online where people felt I was insulting Hindus. I really had no intention to do that, I respect all religions.

For you, a good citizen is…

Someone who contributes — be it small or big — to society; someone who is an asset, not a liability; a blessing, not a burden.

For you, the most important historical event has been…

People talk about sacrifices national political leaders have made. What is unappreciated are the sacrifices the Naga people have made. They fought for our freedom….

In the New Year, what is the one change you hope for in the country?

That it becomes a place where every religion is treated equally.

On the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act…

There will come a day when I have to prove my citizenship too. I am not afraid because I have all my certificates in a file. In the Northeast, our concerns are different. There might come a time when immigrants will rule my state.