Meet Sub-Rs 10,000 3G Mobile Phones

3G services are finally set to revolutionize Indian telecom landscape. With 3G spectrum allocation over, telcos are now gearing up to roll out the services to users. And very soon Indian consumers will be able to do so much more than just voice and text messaging.

3G will allow mobile users to watch TV, play online games, download videos and listen to streaming music straight on their mobile screens.

But in case your handset is still not 3G ready or you are struggling to find one that suits your pocket, here are some 3G phones in the sub-Rs 10,000 range.

Samsung S5620 Monte

Samsung recently expanded its touchscreen phone line-up in India with the launch of 3G-ready S5620 Monte.

Featuring a 3-inch TFT touchscreen display, the phone comes equipped with Smart unlock, accelerometer sensor, 3.15 megapixel camera and geo-tagging.

Other features include smile detection capability, Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack, Google Maps, Stereo FM Radio and image editing applications.

The phone promises to offer 9 hours, 42 minutes of talk time. The phone's internal memory is 200MB which can be expanded using a microSD card. Samsung S5620 is priced at Rs 8,850 approximately.

LG GU285

Korean electronics giant LG has extended its mobile portfolio with the addition of 3G capable LG GU285. Sporting a 2.2-inch touchscreen screen, the phone packs two cameras - a 1.3 megapixel at the back and a VGA camera on the front side for video calling. The phone supports GPRS/EDGE and is 3G ready.

Other features include expandable memory upto 8GB, music playback, FM Radio and ‘Try & Games’ which has games like Sudoku, and Ferrari GT.

LG GU285 is priced at Rs 6,000.

Nokia 2730 classic

Finnish cellphone maker too offers a low-price 3G phone in its India line-up. Called Nokia 2730 classic, the phone is equipped with Nokia's Ovi Mail, Nokia Messaging, Nokia Life Tools and browsing. The phone also comes with an integrated Opera mini browser.

Available in black and dark magenta colour, the handset measures 109.6 mm x 46.9 mm x 14.4 mm and weighs 87.7 grams. The battery life offers maximum of 7.4 hours talktime and 16.5 days standby time.

The 3G capable phone comes with A2DP Bluetooth, USB port with microUSB but with no WLAN and infrared. The handset also packs a 2 megapixel camera with 1600 x 1200 pixels with video recording of 176 x 144 at 10 fps(frames per second).

As for memory, Nokia 2730 Classic has 30MB internal memory which supports microSD card upto 2GB. The handset is priced at Rs 4,499.

Samsung Metro 3G

Samsung recently added another 3G phone to its India line-up. Called Metro 3G, the phone has metallic exterior and is 11.9mm in thickness.

Samsung Metro 3G provides users with easy access to nine social networking sites, including Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, Picassa, Friendster and Photobucket.

Metro 3G also comes equipped with a chat messenger and supports GTalk, AIM and Palringo chat. Other features include 3.2 megapixel camera, with Smile shot and Panorama shot technology, and Bluetooth 2.1 which offers wireless connectivity to headsets, printers as well as mobile and PC devices.

The mobile phone has 105MB internal memory and a microSD support for upto 16GB. Metro 3G is also the first phone in Metro series to offer support in nine regional languages.

The phone is priced at Rs 8,250 approximately.

LG Cookie Plus GS500v

LG has refreshed its touchscreen lineup in the country with the launch Cookie Plus GS500v.
The 3G-capable model LG Cookie Plus GS500v sports a 3-inch LCD touchscreen display and has a 3 megapixel camera. The phone's key features include one touch social networking, editable screen shot, MMS and a 3-way user interface.

The phone comes with 3.5 mm jack and connectivity options include Bluetooth 2.1 and micro USB. The handset also comes with Facebook auto update feature. The phone has 30MB of internal memory that can be expanded up to 8GB.

LG Cookie Plus GS500v is priced at Rs 7,999.

Nokia C5

Nokia recently added 3G phone to its C-series in India called Nokia C5. Sporting a 2.2-inch display with 240 x 320 pixels, C5 comes with 3.5 megapixel camera with LED Flash and video recording VGA at 15 fps (frames per second).

The phone also offers support for Nokia Ovi Maps which enables free global navigation. Running on Symbian OS 9.3, the phone comes pre-loaded with a 2GB memory card. The memory can be expanded upto 16GB.

Other key features include front-facing VGA camera, Class 32 GPRS and EDGE, FM radio, 3G support, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP and microUSB 2.0 port.

The phone is priced at Rs 7,999.

INQ Mini 3G and Chat 3G

UK-based handset maker INQ recently added two 3G handsets in India -- INQ Mini 3G and Chat 3G. Measuring 114.5 x 61 x 12.8 mm, INQ Chat 3G mobile comes with QWERTY keypad. The device supports push email, Facebook, Twitter and IM.

The other key features include QVGA display, music player and a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera. The phone has 100MB of internal memory and can be expanded upto 4GB. INQ Chat 3G is priced at Rs 7,600.

The second handset Mini 3G comes with a 2.2 inch QVGA TFT display. The integrated INQ apps boast of Facebook, Skype, Twitter, and Instant Launcher.

The device features a 2 megapixel camera, on board 128MB memory and expandable memory card slot support upto 4GB capacity. It also comes with Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, USB 2.0 and 1150 mAh battery. INQ mini 3G is available for Rs 5,400.

HTC Smart

Priced below Rs 10,000, HTC Smart is the cheapest device ever launched by the company in the Indian market. Sporting a 2.8-inch TFT-LCD touchscreen with QVGA resolution, the phone comes with 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, HTC Sense UI and a 3 megapixel camera.

Other features include GSM/GPRS/EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0, HSDPA/WCDMA and microSD memory card with SD 2.0 support. Smart promises 370 minutes of talktime for WCDMA and upto 450 minutes of talktime for GSM.

The phone has a 300 MHz processor with 256MB RAM and 256MB ROM. The mmory can be expanded upto 16GB. The smartphone is powered by Qualcomm’s Brew operating system.

Smart offers support for Bluetooth withA2DP, 3G, Mini USB connectivity, 3.5 mm headphone jack, FM radio with RDS and music player. However, Smart is not Wi-Fi enabled.

Mizoram to Export Incense Sticks

Aizawl, Aug 30 : The Bamboo Development Agency of Mizoram here today struck a deal with India’s largest incense sticks company for marketing the stated-produced square incense sticks.

Executive Director of Bamboo Development Agency and Director of State Industries Department Shurbir Singh and Chief Operating Officer of N Ranga Rao & Sons, Mysore, M S Suresh, signed the memorandum of understanding at the office of commissioner and secretary of industries.

According to the agreement, Mizoram will supply 50 tonnes of square incense sticks to N Ranga Rao & Sons on monthly basis. The company will also give necessary training to incense stick-makers of the state.

Samples of square incense sticks produced in Mizoram was shown to the CEO and he was satisfied with the quality.

R L Rinawma hoped that the MoU would revolutionize Mizoram’s rural economy.

The Bamboo Development Agency, Mizoram had on February 3 this year signed similar MoU with ITC, Chennai for marketing the Mizoram-produced round incense sticks.

The BDA have set up production centres for round incense sticks at Saiha, Lunglei and Haulawng. These units are now in operation. ''In addition to these units there are various units of this kind supported by BDA through National Mission on Bamboo Application, New Delhi,'' officials said.

Once the venture is successfully operated, it will result in generating large scale employment opportunities in the state and shall provide revenue to the government of Mizoram at the same time.

Indian Govt Chase to Clear UNESCO Language Haze

New Delhi, Aug 30 : Misgivings over a UNESCO report that has described 191 Indian languages as endangered and five as extinct have prompted the Centre to begin work on a white paper on tribal languages in each state.

Sixty-four languages that the latest UNESCO World Atlas of Endangered Languages describes as endangered are spoken in the Northeast and along the India-Nepal border. Thirty-nine are spoken in the Northeast alone.

“Many of the languages listed as dead or endangered are very much alive and kicking. The government has decided to send fact-finding teams to every state to document the tribal languages, especially those declared dying or dead by UNESCO,” a tribal affairs ministry official said.

The Centre for Tribal and Endangered Languages, a division of the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore, has been assigned the job. “The CIIL will bring out a white paper. That would be hard evidence which can be presented before any international body,” the official said.
Work is already on with the head of the Centre for Tribal and Endangered Languages, Prof. G. Devi Prasada Shastri, visiting the Northeast.

Tribal leaders had brought the matter to the government’s notice. “We received representations that the widely spoken Aimol and Tarao had been put on the Unesco list,” the official said.

The two languages figure on UNESCO’s critically endangered list, which would mean they are spoken only by the elderly and that too infrequently and partially. Aimol Literature Society chairman S.L. Warte termed the Unesco report “unfortunate” and demanded correction.

“The population that speaks Andro, Aimol and Tarao may not be large, but these languages are being spoken,” said Ch. Jashobanta, a linguistics professor at Manipur University.

Jashobanta, however, agreed that the languages would count as endangered by international standards because less than 10,000 people speak them.

The CIIL says there is confusion over the definition of language. “Most languages listed in UNESCO’s e-atlas are not considered languages but mother tongues in India. We go by the Census 2001 definition. If there are 10,000 or more speakers, it’s a language, else it’s a mother tongue,” a CIIL researcher said.

Mother tongues are not included in the Eighth Schedule, a list of 22 officially recognized languages. “Only if a language is in the Eighth Schedule will it be taught in schools as part of the three-language formula,’’ said Aravind Sachdeva, a specialist on tribal languages. He pointed to an increasing tendency among tribals to speak Hindi or English as the reason for their languages being labeled endangered.

But Asam Sahitya Sabha president Rongbong Terang and educationist Tabu Ram Taid believe tribals can protect their languages. “I don’t think any tribal language of Assam would ever become extinct. I can speak Assamese, English, Hindi and many other languages. But my mother tongue is Karbi and I speak Karbi with my family and friends,” Terang said, describing the UNESCO report as exaggerated. Karbi is on the list as a vulnerable language.

Taid, closely associated with the preservation of his mother tongue Mising, too disagrees with the UNESCO report. Mising, on UNESCO’s endangered list, is spoken by 517,170 people out of a population of 587,310, according to the 2001 census. “Mising today has a firm written tradition and has even been introduced in primary schools,” Taid said.

An email seeking UNESCO’s response went unanswered till Saturday evening.

Manipur Designs For Land of Versace

Manipur Government pushes for designers to showcase indigenous couture on international ramp

Models at the fashion show, Living Looms, in Imphal on Friday.

Imphal, Aug 30 : Home-grown Manipuri designers are preparing to stitch up a storm in international couture when they travel to Italy and Germany with their designs later this year.

The Manipur Handloom Export Development Project, prepared to take the state’s designs to foreign shores, is being funded by the state planning board and undertaken by Manipur Development Society, a state government undertaking, and the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

“A team of Manipur Development Society and Indian Chamber of Commerce will be visiting Milan from September 9 to 12. We are taking the designers and their designs to find a market there. After Milan, the next visit is to Frankfurt in December. The project is taken up to export our handloom designs and find markets. We are hopeful that we will be successful in our attempt,” said chief secretary D.S. Poonia.

Before hitting the Milan ramp, the designers showcased their work at an event at a hotel in Imphal last night.

Titled Living Looms, the show had nine designers, selected from 20 applicants, displaying a riot of colours and a range of natural fabrics.

Academicians, army officers including GOC 57 Mountain Division Maj. Gen D.S. Hooda, experts in handloom and Manipur government officials formed the audience.

In between the catwalk, Manipuri singer Mandakini entertained the audience with Sakira’s Waka Waka, while another girl grooved to the number.

“The show and designs were quite impressive and after seeing the designs our confidence rose that our designs could now find buyers on foreign soils. The designs displayed today are good enough for the national standard,” Manipur Development Society project director Y. Ningthem said after the show.

The regional director of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Mahesh Deori, chipped in: “The ICC’s effort in the project is to upgrade the designs and link the designers with buyers. We will extend our full support to the project and Manipur government in the effort.”

The designers are confident too.

“Our apparels are made of silk and cotton and are eco-friendly. The dyes are natural and not have chemicals. We can find a market outside if there is support,” one of the designers, Memyo Ningomba, said.

Indigenous Delicacies of Nagaland Out Of Reach

A customer tries to negotiate the price of bee larva at the super market in Dimapur. (Morung Photo)

Dimapur, Aug 30 : Indigenous delicacies of Nagaland are no more a gourmet treat for most people. Of late, the prices of exotic meat, bee larva, aquatic creatures, domesticated birds etc, have risen beyond the common man’s budget. Most people don’t even want to contemplate buying the tantalizing food anymore.

In Dimapur’s super market, a plate sized hive of bee larva is priced anywhere between ` 600 to ` 1000. The price varies within the market. A wicker holding about ten chunks of banned exotic smoked meat is priced between ` 400 to ` 700.

A pair of local chickens, is sold for not less than ` 500, irrespective of weight; while dry river fishes is priced anywhere between ` 400 to ` 500 depending on the quantity. Silkworms come for a high price of ` 150 to ` 300 per plate.  

The vendors attribute the high cost of indigenous delicacies to ‘scarcity.’ “Moi khan bhi bishi dukh para ani ase (we are bringing it with a lot of difficulty),” most say. The vendors also try to make up for the different kinds of taxes they pay for renting stalls. Most people are now complaining about the high cost of indigenous delicacies.

“We understand it involves hard work…but ` 900 for a handful of bee larva is unreasonable,” a customer said. The vendors are having their way by fixing exorbitant prices on indigenous delicacies.

While it is amply clear such high rates exist in the market, yet there is no mechanism in place to prevent hoarding of any kind. There is no price monitoring system on such items and the prices are soaring every week. Dimapur Municipal Council (DMC), which is in-charge of fixing rates for all perishable items in the market, has not formulated the prices of indigenous delicacies owing to several factors. As a result, local vendors continue to fix rates according to their whims and fancies.

DMC Advisory member in-charge of market rate and quality control, Atovi Zhimomi said “It is difficult to fix rates for such items because they are not regular in the market.” Another problem he cited was prices for such food items are hard to determine. “Such products cannot be fixed in terms of kilograms or pieces,” the member said. Furthermore he said price for exotic meat is not fixed by DMC because there is ban on sale of such meat.

Zhimomi added he does not want to discourage local vendors because it takes a lot of hard work to bring the produce in the market. However, DMC would be compelled if it feels the prices are unreasonable, he said. Also taking cue of the complaints received, he assured the DMC would inspect the market and make sure the vendors don’t overprice their products. “Yes…if prices are unreasonable we may be compelled to take action,” Zhimomi said.

Unless a proper mechanism is put in place to check the random pricing of indigenous food in the market, vendors will continue to fix prices on indigenous delicacies unreasonably. . “It is a complete rip-off,” a lady opined.

A lover of silkworms, she stopped buying them due to high price. Prices of all food items- both local and imported- must be regulated by concerned authority to prevent vendors from hoarding.

via The Morung Express

Living And Breathing Manipuri Dance

In conversation with Warda Rihab

The dance form Manipuri, is now quite popular among urban Bangladeshis. The dance form is ritually practiced by the Manipuri community in India (Manipur state) and Bangladesh (Sylhet region). Rabindranath Tagore popularised this dance form among urban Bengalis. The form developed its own regulations and nuances. It originated as a religious dance form and the experience of it remains spiritual. Like other dance forms, Manipuri, too, narrates stories -- traditionally focusing on Radha and Krishna. The “Ras Lila' is often the central theme. The dance is accompanied by cymbals (kartal or manjira), double-headed drum (pung or Manipuri mridang) and sankirtan.

Among contemporary Bangladeshi dancers who have studied this dance style, Warda Rihab has carved a niche for herself. Her initial training started at Chhayanaut. Rihab trained under seasoned Manipuri dancers Sharmila Banerjee, Tamanna Rahman and Belayet Hossain. After completing her BBA and MBA from Dhaka University, she attained a scholarship from ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) in 2006 and went to Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata to do her honours in Manipuri dance. She is currently doing her MA in Manipuri dance and also training under Smt. Kalavati Devi and Smt. Bimbavati Devi at Manipuri Nartanalay, Kolkata. Manipuri Nartanalay was founded by the legendary Guru Bipin Singh. Besides her extensive training in dancing, she has also taken lessons in pung and Than Ta (Manipuri martial art) from Ojha Ranjeet and Ojha Thoiba Singh.


Warda Rihab

Rihab's talents have been recognised by the numerous awards she has been showered with. These include Dr. Hrinmoy Banerjee Memorial Award, Guru Moisnam Amubi Singh Award, Shikriti Shommanona Award (conferred by Bangladesh Mohila Parishad), Sangeet Bibhakar Award and many more.

After her production, “Hey Ananta Punya” (an adaptation of Tagore's “Notir Puja”), Rihab is now working on the dance-drama, “Bodhidrom” under Shadhona's banner. She plans to introduce Charya Nritya through the dance-drama. Charya Nritya is an ancient Buddhist dance form that has been virtually unknown outside the circles of those who perform it. This ceremonial dance dates back over 1000 years. Priests in Kathmandu perform the dance as part of their esoteric meditation practices, ceremonies, and rituals.

It has now become a trend for dancers to set up their own schools, and Rihab is no exception. “I have started a dance school along with two other gifted dancers, Amit Chowdhury and Arpita Shome. We decided to call the school 'Dhriti'. With our expertise in different dance forms, we are eager to train young, aspiring dancers. However, our intention is not to just teach, but rather to work with young dancers, and to encourage them to take dance seriously,” Rihab says.

“Many feel that dedication to dance will lead to no significant achievement. I consider this state of mind as a social issue in Bangladesh. I've been overseas, and I have seen how it works. Interested individuals abroad get a chance to carry out researches and open doors to further enhancements, while we lack behind due to restraints. Based on this, people make assumptions that there is no future for dance, and we end up shutting the door to our emerging talents. We want to change this mindset,” she adds.

Rihab also opened a shop called 'Shalonkara', which offers jewellery, costumes, namely everything related to dance. About the shop, the dancer says, “Initially I started it to make dance materials, costumes, books etc accessible to all. But now I am looking forward to expand it and provide the interested individuals with research materials.”

Other than working on “Bodhidrom”, Warda Rihab has plans to perform “Hey Ananta Punya” once again for expatriates living in Bangladesh, as a greater audience has appreciated it, both at home and in Kolkata, the Uday Shankar Festival being one of them.

Kashmir & The 7 States

BJP activists take out a peace rally in Guwahati.

By Patricia Mukhim

Comparisons are odious but they are the only way in which human beings and institutions can progress. Unless there is something better to compare with, how can we measure our successes or failures? How do we know that we have made some headway in our human endeavour?

The seven states of the Northeast which have been tagged together as homogenous entities have always felt that Kashmir is the apple of India’s eye while they are orphans.

The damage control exercise launched by an obliging Centre during the recent crisis in the Valley was illustrative of the concern for that troubled paradise, once the beautiful kingdom of Maharaja Hari Singh. People in the Northeast have nursed their hurt and pain at this obvious display of favouritism.

Normally this should not happen in a country whose rulers possess a depth of knowledge, political acumen and social discernment about governing a nation of disparate voices and ethnicities. Unfortunately, this nation does not have people of that calibre.

The social apathy and political insouciance was evident during the 68-day blockade of National Highway 39, called by a section of Naga organisations to express their grievances against the government of Manipur

This blockade resulted in an economic crisis of unspeakable dimensions which also affected the Naga-inhabited areas.

It was like cutting the nose to spite the face. The Nagas of Manipur knew this but had claimed they had no other way to bring the Manipur government to its knees. After the 68-day period, the Centre began talking tough because the media had made it uncomfortable for the government in New Delhi to remain unconcerned.

The blockade was lifted on condition that it would be re-imposed if the government failed to respond to the demands of the Nagas of Manipur. And indeed the Nagas made good their word. The blockade was re-imposed on National Highways 39 and 53 since August 3 and continues.

The Centre made a feeble attempt to create some sort of forum where things between the parties in conflict would be thrashed out with Delhi acting as the referee. But this failed to pacify the Nagas. They had taken a decision to opt out of Manipur and have stuck to their guns. These are political battles that are expected to last for as long as Naga peace talks are on track.

We are talking here of a 63-year-old problem which seems to defy solution. The Nagas have been hewing at a humungous boulder bit by bit for all of 50 years.

Whether they have made a dent is not the issue here. But it has been 13 years since they officially agreed to talk peace.

Compared to the Naga insurgency, the Kashmir assertion is of fairly recent origin. At least the insurgency bit is.

Perhaps the situation in Kashmir has taken a nosedive after Omar Abdullah assumed charge as chief minister. He is accused of remaining aloof from the people, a characteristic that is typical of a high caste, high-class ruler who lords it over his subjects.

That someone was so piqued as to throw a shoe at the crotchety Omar who seems to be saying all the wrong things could not have done his sagging image a lot of good. And that by a cop!

Kashmir scene

Recently a national media news channel aired a programme that provided the microphone to several young Kashmiris to say what they felt about the present problems of Kashmir and the way forward. Each one who spoke said they wanted a Kashmir that enjoyed its autonomy and was allowed to rule itself. They spoke of political sovereignty without blinking an eyelid. It sounded very much like what the Nagas had been saying for half a century and the Manipuri Meiteis for over two decades. The young Kashmiris who spoke up cannot be accused of being spokespersons of the hardliners who are alleged to be fomenting trouble in Kashmir. They seemed like educated, independent young people with a mind of their own. They all detested the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, and wondered why the Centre continued with this draconian law against its own people.

What they were trying to convey very subtly was that it was easy for “India” to use such draconian laws because the Kashmiris are never really considered “Indians”. Clearly, the Centre’s appeasement policy does not wash with the average Kashmiri because it is seen as a purely political ploy to keep Omar Abdullah in his chair. There is also an obvious disdain by the present generation for politicians across the political spectrum

Fear of what?

Indeed, come to think of it, seldom if ever would a nation once enslaved, use a law enacted by a colonial power and apply that law on its own people after it became a sovereign country and long after that colonial power had left this its soil. Since no part of India is today safer than the Northeast or Kashmir, would the army act be applied so readily anywhere else? What then are the compulsions of India when it comes to Kashmir and the seven states of the Northeast?

Pakistan’s penchant for Kashmir and the issues around that state certainly are trigger points that make India react, often with uneducated responses. But what are India’s fears in the eastern sector? Is China still a threat? Have the ghosts of the past not been exorcised yet? Can any part of the country be kept under a tight leash merely because of the fear of invasion? A fear that is perhaps ill-founded, given the present geo-politico-economic compulsions and the interdependence of nations? If the fear is founded on some well-founded arguments then is it not premature of India to be speaking of the Look East Policy unless it is some kind of red herring intended to befool the people of the seven states.

Maoist threat

Comparisons indeed are odious but there is no doubt that Kashmir not the periphery that the Northeast is. Kashmir is the core of India’s existence as a sovereign country. In this so-called Indian state, the assertions for secessionism are no longer covert.

Every other day, hardened groups owing loyalty either to Pakistan or to a different idea of sovereignty make that call and whip up anti-India sentiments without being held to account.

The only similarity is that Kashmir like the Northeast is also a highly-militarised zone and military brutality is felt there on a daily basis as much as it was in Nagaland and Mizoram in the fifties and sixties.

While Kashmir is always in the eye of the storm, the Northeast has to jolt the Centre every once in while with bomb blasts. The sense of real and perceived neglect is gradually sending the region into a sort of delinquency which could become a fertile ground for Maoism. In the long run this could further dent the image of India. If Maoist violence spreads to the Northeast it will catch on like wildfire. India does not have a policy that is tried and tested and can be applied in the Northeast or Kashmir. Those ruling the roost in Delhi are obsessed with the politics of instant gains. They have no stamina to think of long-term strategies that will yield more sustainable, long-term results.

(The writer can be contacted at patricia17@rediffmail.com)

Braving The Odds: Northeast Migrants

By Seema Sanghi

Many skills at hand.

Migrants from the North Eastern States are appreciated in other metros for their commitment to work. But the road to success is not all easy…

They wore short red pleated skirts, striped stud-buttoned shirts, big cowgirl-style hats and black boots up to their calves. Some had eyebrow piercings, others small tattoos on their arms.

With polite manners and attendant to all the guests of the party, these Manipuri women comprised the catering service at my cousin's recent wedding in Hyderabad. It was quite affronting at first to see their ‘uniforms', especially in contrast to the more conservatively dressed women in their bejewelled saris and best ornaments.

The waitresses reminded me of Thai women working in an American-themed restaurant/bar I'd seen in Bangkok. But when I asked others at the wedding what they thought of the servers and their outfits, no one else seemed to notice them. They were merely the ‘new item' in the perpetual race to have the most elaborate wedding.

“They like to have us greeting customers because maybe our skin is a little fairer than other Indians,” says Vung, 22 from Churachandpur, Manipur in Northeast (NE) India. She left her hometown three years ago after completing school.

Since then she has been working in places like Subway and Pizza Corner. She currently works in a retail shop in Chennai. She also studies history at Madras University and lives with her sister in a flat near her work. “We share the rent so we can send more money home to our parents,” says Vung.

Search for jobs

Thousands of educated girls like Vung, from Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland come to work in call centres, the IT industry, retail and the hospitality industry in India's biggest cities. There are few educational or employment opportunities for them in their home states.

Leaving behind a very unstable political and economic climate and dismal infrastructure, they also leave their families, sometimes travelling for days on the small tip from a relative or friend, that they will find work in the metros of India. Many Manipuri women work in the hospitality ad retail industry.

They are conspicuous, not just because of their ‘East-Asian' appearance, but also because women do not traditionally do the jobs they do. “It was really difficult to get any women to work here. I needed them to work late and even if local girls were interested, their parents wouldn't allow them,” says Ciro Cattaneo, owner of Bella Ciao in Chennai.

The only females willing to work were the Manipuri girls. “People might misunderstand us, but we are just doing our work and going home,” says waitress Ngai Muan Sang, 18. She says that she is called Jeslin as people find her name too difficult to pronounce.

She's been working for the Italian restaurant for six months. “South Indians are very curious about us and are always asking if we are from Japan, Thailand or China. They don't know we are Indian,” Ngai says, adding that she often has to explain that Manipur is in India.

It is this lack of understanding of where they come from, their ‘otherness,' that allows these women to do the jobs that are traditionally not considered appropriate for local girls.

“For some reason, parents here don't like their girls to work in restaurants or cafes,” says Samir Nanaviti, owner of the Mocha café, Indira Nagar, Chennai. All his female waiting staff hail from the Northeast . He says that it wasn't a policy to have all North Eastern female staff, but they were the only ones applying.

Although there is no official data, most North Eastern migrants move to Delhi, with an estimated 100,000 residing there, followed by Kolkata, Bangalore, and then Chennai.

In Delhi, about 85 per cent of the migrants are students. They take part-time jobs to support themselves. “They are very independent. They don't like to depend on their parents for everything like other Indian girls,” says Professor Savita Singh, Director of the School of Gender and Development Studies, Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi.

She sees the presence of North Eastern women in non-traditional female jobs as a reflection of society as a whole. “Our patriarchal system constantly exploits women. They work very hard, unpaid in their households. The North Eastern States have a different understanding of ‘household' where men and women are more equal.”

They also have a reputation of being slim built, at ease in Western outfits and comfortable in English. These attributes are sometimes used against them and many NE women are harassed and abused.

The North East Support Centre & Helpline (NE Centre) was founded in New Delhi eighteen months ago by concerned NGOs to assist such girls in distress and in danger of physical and psychological harm.

Lansinglu Rongmei, Advocate and President of the NE Centre says, “We get many phone calls from girls who have been abused but it's very difficult to deal with the local authorities. They don't seem to care about NE women.” Madhu Chandra, spokesperson of the NE centre, says 10,000 NE migrants are estimated to be arriving in Delhi each year. The majority are from Assam, followed by Manipur and Nagaland.

Pros and cons

Chin, 30, from Manipur and the assistant manager of human resources in a Delhi Mocha café, has been in Delhi for 15 years. She loves living in Delhi and says, “Good experiences and bad experiences come in a package. If it's your destiny, then you have to face it.”

She believes that the South must be much safer than the North as she hasn't heard of any major assault cases like those in Delhi.

However, as places like Bangalore and Chennai offer more employment opportunities, North Eastern migrants are becoming increasingly visible in the South. Akeh, 23 from Manipur, working in Mocha café, Bangalore, echoes Chin, “Sometimes there are rowdy, bad guys, trying to steal our things, but there are also good people here.”

In between greeting guests at the shop, Vung says she has no plans to return to the North East . “I like it here, I want to stay longer even though I miss my parents. It's nice to stay and not waste time at home where there's not much work. ”

via The Hindu