A poet friend of mine, Lalsangliani Ralte, writes: “Every word in the national anthem is a challenge to my tribal tongue/that is more used to a slightly altered version of the English alphabet/than it is to the Devanagari script…./So when you get confused about my identity/and where I am from, the God I worship/the way I dress, the way I look and behave, Remember that I am just as confused/for I am alleging my loyalty to a country through an anthem/that has to be explained to me/for me to understand what it means.”
This is not just the voice of one Mizo girl but of many, a shared experience of tribal communities from the northeast region of India. I still remember singing the national anthem under the scorching heat of the morning sun in our school assembly. My pronunciation of every word was slightly different from my classmates, and I did not know what the words meant. But I knew I shared the same solemnity and pride that they sang the anthem with.
Through the course of 75 years since its independence, India has achieved glorious milestones in many fields while trying to uphold values of democracy, liberty, national unity and integrity as expressed in the Preamble to the Constitution. We have come a long way. But can the same be said for tribal communities in the Northeast?
Thousands of young people from the Northeast flock to mainland metro cities every year, seeking jobs and higher education. With packed suitcases, a head full of dreams, and sweaty palms — we are just thinking about how to fit in. It’s always a challenging, inspiring and intimidating journey. I know this because I have been one of those hopeful dreamers and I cannot count the number of times I have been asked for my passport, or to explain the location of Mizoram on India’s map. Since middle school, one of the first things we learnt about our country is the cultural diversity and the hundreds of ethnicities that contribute to the greatness of this nation. But the ground reality has always been different from the words in our textbooks. Since Independence, the experience of people from the Northeast has been marked by racial discrimination, rape and murder, instances of public humiliation, and social ostracism.
Progress is slow but not entirely absent. With the growing encounter between the Northeast and the mainland, developments have been made in certain areas. For instance, I no longer get called “chinky” while strolling through the streets of big cities. It’s only on rare occasions that I have to explain that Mizoram is not a country but a state of India. I don’t have to explain that we don’t all eat dog meat or hunt heads. Last year, I attended a literary fest in Mumbai and I was thrilled when I met many literary artists who said, “Lovely place”, “I came for a visit some years ago” and “I’d love to come again” — when I told them where I am from. For many, these small steps of progress might not be as significant as technological innovations, industrial growth and infrastructural developments. But for victims of decades of racial profiling and discrimination, gestures of acknowledgement and social acceptance are achievements that India has accomplished through the years.
The region has also progressed along with the country during this time. An area that was merely written about and studied, is now writing its own stories and reflections. But as old stereotypes slowly recede, new challenges are cropping up. In one of the literary festivals I attended last year, I was asked why I didn’t write myths and folktales because that was the expectation of writers from tribal communities. I replied saying that a writer from the Northeast can also choose not to write about myths and folktales.
More than 50 years have passed since Mizoram demanded independence from India because the people felt neglected and abandoned. It was 57 years ago when Aizawl was ruthlessly bombed by the Indian government. But agreements were made, and the peace accord was signed. Today, we still proudly sing the national anthem and cheer with great pride when our brothers and sisters bear the Indian flag on international platforms. Acceptance and acknowledgement can do so much for national unity. Hopefully, one day we will accept that not every Indian has well-defined round eyes and we understand what it means to call India a land of diverse ethnicities — only to be amazed at just how far the word “diverse” can stretch.
Lalhlanpuii is a writer from Mizoram and Assistant Professor, English at Mizoram Christian College. This article is part of an ongoing series, which began on August 15, by women who have made a mark, across sectors
