Monday, October 1, 2007

Don't mess with us or else face the music!

I don't know what exactly transpired during the 8th September Freshers Meet at Rajiv Gandhi University or at 20th September University elections, where 2 first semester students of the University were made to tender public apology (which was splashed over all the state dailies) for their remarks on Nyishi Community at these two occasions. Apparently, one had remarked, "Nyishi's are wild, inferior and lethargic" while the other had questioned during election platform speech "Why only the Nyishi should always hold the office of the President and the Secretary of RGU student's union?" (quoted from their public apology letters). The two events disturbed me a lot and set me thinking.

No doubt, the first remark was racist and shouldn't have been made in the first place, but then shouldn't the Nyishi students' community have shown some maturity and tried to solve the issue amicably without pressurising the students' to tender public apology? Shouldn't they have tried to find out why that particular student harbour such negative view about their community and tried to remove it with understanding and maturity? I'd say, the student who tendered public apology, even if under duress, has shown greater sense of maturity to diffuse the tension than his counterpart.

Secondly, since the university is not a domain of any particular XYZ community, I feel there was no point for such hullabaloo when the question was asked-why only XYZ community is holding the office of President and the Secretary of the University Students Union? Their answer would have been simply-may be we are much eligible than others, that's why, instead of just pressurising other to tender public apology. Or is it that they wanted to send a message across-Don't mess with us or else be ready to face the music!

C'mon guys, we need to grow up and give room for understanding and mutual respect instead of just trying to suppress others; after all, we are Arunachalees and not the Apatanis, the Adis, the Nyishi's, the Mishmi's, the Monpa's, etc., etc.

19 comments:

  • Buru sinyi

    As usual, your single post has shown more maturity than the collective delinquency of the rowdies who forced the 'apology'.

    It is really pathetic to see such juvenile circuses being done by college students.When a person(allegedly) makes a personal comment he is made to tender apology to the witness audience and not this sort of public terrorism.
    The perpetrators of this event may be congratulating themselves for their 'victory' but has not had enough maturity to realise that such actions tend to breed communal hatred over time. One has to just look at Nagaland,Manipur or Assam to see what happens next.

    Shame on them.
    Shame on the first student also if he said what is alleged.It should not be said(even if 'true') for the same reasons given above.

  • AG

    Hope such sort of 'public terrorism' is not resorted to further and these incidents does not flare up communal tensions among the different communities of the state. And praying that people would start making rooms for understanding and mutual respect without letting these incidence breed communal hatred.

  • tanii_gal

    Communal hatred, communal repression of any kind fosters future conflict and should be nipped in the bud before it snowballs into a more dangerous and bigger issue.

    I wish these morons learnt to live in a brotherly and amicable manner and realised how negative actions and reactions impact their own future and their own people.

    If only they were mature enough.

  • AG

    @tanii_gal
    Yup,we have better thing to do than spreading hatred and communal tension. Hope these people would grow up.

  • Govind Singh

    On a recent visit to Seppa, I had faced a somewhat harsh behaviour from some of the locals and had to spend the entire night in the taxi I had hired even when I had a room booked at the guesthouse...but then that does not mean that such incidents can be used to stereotype the entire Nyishi community.

    Such comments (and the people who make them) should be largely ignored, socially boycotted and not payed any heed. Those who cannot give (mutual) respect do not really have any place in the society..or elsewhere.

  • AG

    Govind, I'm sorry for the behaviour meted out to you by our people on your visit to our state.

  • RICHO

    IN THIS REGARD I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO COMMENT, Some peoples are really doing doing funny things thinking themselves a good leader but world knows what they've done.

  • Rome Mele

    I won't be a racist here, but just would outlay this abject truth, very much ubiquitous with most of the people's perception about the tribes of AP, and hence a stupid remark those guys made.
    But, the treatment meted out to them, would just support the remarks they made for the concerned Tribe.
    This is a sheer act of racism, and perpetrated by the so called racial guard of that community.
    I feel sorry for those hapless guys.
    Maybe we can start growing up !

  • AG

    @Rome Mele,

    I do agree with you that the treatment meted out to those making stupid remarks substantiate the remark made to the concerned tribe (though both are equally at fault for making that racist remark and for forcing public apology). Hope our people grows up and learn to live together as Arunachalee and not as any particular tribe.

  • Govind Singh

    @ag: apologies not required - as the love I got from a lot of other people already filled up the need for that!
    And yes, even I do wish all of arunachalese learn to be an Arunachali First while taking pride in his/her tribe.

  • Anonymous

    Honestly I didn't know that such things really happened. It is a shame that students of an esteemed university behaved like that.
    Now also I hear they are asking the present chief secretary to move out from Arunachal(Dont know what happened actually, I would be gratefull if somebody highlight me on that)and some tribes are calling for arunachal bandh

  • AG

    The present chief secretary has not been asked to move out of the state but to move down from the present post. I've written about it here.

  • Anonymous

    Yo Buru (you cryptozoo maniac), you aren't the last word ... the sonofabitch who blurted out his abomination for Nyishis deserved all the consequences he had to face.

    This is the problem with Arunachalis back home who've n'er ventured out of North-east. They tend to be embroiled in petty ethnic squabbles as to who is more cultured, who is more educated, who is more clever., etc.

    You guys need to be sent more frequently to places outside North east and if possible given once-a-lifetime opportunity to go abroad. Probably then it'll bring in you a realization that how small Arunachal is and how even smaller are our differences. Unfortunately, for most of you guys (AG, Buru and other schmucks) who have been brought up and educated in Arunachal (probably in the dilapitated Govt. schools and colleges) ethnic differences are more important than other things in life. Both Buru and AG are unemployed people, educated only upto graduate level and it is quite understandable that these two jackass have nothin else to do except write crap stuffs in the cyberspace. I do sincerely feel that the Arunachal Govt. need to seriously ponder doing something for them. I suggest they be employed in IRBN and sent to Nagaland.

  • Buru

    Dear Anonymous,

    I understand you have a desperate compulsion for attention from other posters.However I am in no position to massage your wilted Inferiority Complex.

    Your only 'contribution'across three posts (don't think we cant trace you:)has been abuse, name-calling, threats and such.
    Now since we are all uneducated low-paid village shmucks,why dont you introduce Your Highness to us rurals; as also which hallowed schools you attended, post-graduation from which Ivy-league, how many thousand US$ you earn per month, what is Your Highness job description ,how many times you left Bank Tinali for trips abroad to which countries and the like.
    And, yes Your Highness, please dont forget to reveal to us your grand name too.

  • nyia

    Savagery has existed among the tribes here but where in the world had it not during some period of time at least, even when world religions flourished? They(our tribes) were given abominable names and repulsive data was about us was written in the chronicles of more developed communities by visitors who came here.

    But time saw civilization enter into our land too during which circumstances saw that some people, tribes received the favors of education earlier than others. That may have caused differentiating among themselves which grew from people to tribes.
    The differences went to the extent when a community began calling themselves the superior tribe of the state(though I believe it is only by sections of their society) The most bitter moments were when it was referred about by people from other states. While some tribes were badly ridiculed and subdued.

    Time again came to the rescue when sense & sensitivity dawned into our people’s mindset hence causing the slow natural death of the earlier misgivings.

    In the times of internet blogging, online or offline campaigning and messaging filled with hate contents, we should be grateful Arunachal did not become another Lebanon or Iraq, Rwanda or a Congo, ok you think that’s exaggeration, then thank the lucky stars we are not in Nagaland or Kashmir, Manipur or Gujarat, any of such places. The above mentioned and more places faced in common, thoughts of racial superiority, ethnic blasphemy and violent resolutions creating tremendous blood and developmental disasters. Chances of such a thing happening here seem to die at their infant stages. That’s good.

    Itaa only at times fellow Arunachalese(all 17 districts) seem to forget that ‘provocation’ in any way is an easy tool to ignite hatred. ‘Repercussion’ to that might not be a good answer but hasty judgment of incidents, giving opinions using offensive and hate language is a sure cause to turn a small kitchen fire into a towering inferno.

  • Anonymous

    Dear anonymous, ur words smells of pride which u gather to speak because of ur father's filthy malicious money..using hip words does not make u cool n worthy..ur sick mentality needs some medication perhaps it will lead u to some good sound thinking. n show up guts,dnt posts urself as anymous. if still it does not make u understand i the rural say " RUAT IS PISS" by iZMIR

  • LR

    Respect to one another as a fellow human being is the key point to all issues, not by wielding a dao at some people (foreigners), just because they unknowingly arrived to take up a long standing 'issue' with one of your Uni's Assoc Prof, who's has been misleading people and himself leading a deceiful life for almost 7yrs. And you know, the sad thing here is, yes one can expect people to get emotional (all victims' here due to a selfish Assoc Prof), however not to the extent of wielding a dao and threatening to hurt a 75 year old, a 74 year old and 2 others. So when refering to local people, why do you get violent? The sad thing is the 4 visitors were victims, the selfish lying bastard ran away, the lady of the house wielding a dao, 2 other youths kicking and hitting at the 4, 2 other lady friends shouting at the 4 people, and one of the lady friend's husband also an Assoc Prof himself, just kept quietly to himself. He for one knows the story however he decided to keep quiet. To protect his 'selfish lying hypocrite of a friend'? One wonders! Actually, no one provoked anything here, its just that when one (the locals) gets emotional, they decide to inflict injuries on the victims. So where's justice, one might ask? The key point is always respect to one fellow human being, no matter who or where one comes from or what the issue on had is. Not by intimidating, inflicting hurt or condescending others.

  • Tabu

    Govindji, to post a neutral comment on the subject “Don’t mess with us or else face the music!” you have cited an example involving yourselve. If you can elaborate the date and time, it would be good on part of the people of Seppa to justify themselves that such things are singular and unprescendented and may not be required for justification of your point. We are sorry, if that incident really happened and caused you discomfiture.

  • RAJU MIMI

    Despite what we get to hear about Nyishis, I found them to be very nice people.

    If one gets to any place in Arunachal, we will get to know every tribe behaves like Nyishis in their own place.

    Being from a minority community, we have our own share of sentiments of our people illtreated, cheated in other towns in Arunachal.

    Just we need to introspect of how kind we are to other people (less represented/minority tribes)

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