By PATRICIA MUKHIM
Artistes perform during the Paite festival
Those glued to 24x7 television news channels might be forgiven for believing that the entire population of Delhi is dancing to Anna Hazare’s tune. But that is hardly the case. Large swathes of Delhi remain unaffected by the Ram Lila gig. There are people who pursue their duties with a “business as usual” attitude. However, Anna and the Lokpal are definitely topics of avid conversation. Such conversations precede meetings called for other more mundane issues because this is one movement that is so “in your face,” that you can hardly ignore it; or do so at your own peril.
After all corruption is so all pervasive and those entrusted with the public trust are so disdainful of the janata that Anna and his cohorts are the only people who could make them do a reality check.
But let me come back to the point of this article. On Saturday, August 20, the 2,000-strong Paite community working and studying in Delhi held a cultural programme named North East Colours at Siri Fort Auditorium.
The programme was essentially aimed at bringing together the Paite people from all corners of Delhi for what is a celebration of togetherness. I was briefed by a senior at the function that there are today a number of tribes who have come under the larger umbrella of what is called “Zomi”. They include the Paite, Vaiphei, Zou, Simte, Tedimchin and Thangkhal.
The last time I wrote of this peculiar grouping phenomenon, I was greeted by a couple of angry mails. This time I am only quoting an insider and hope to get off without a rap on the knuckles. The same gentleman also proudly informed me that the Paite group is the first to have their own church at Dwarka in Delhi.
I had learnt early in my journalistic sojourns and forays into some of the backwaters of Manipur such as Churachandpur, Ukhrul, Senapati and Tamenglong that the government is an invisible entity.
Political scientists might observe that less government is better than too much government but that is if you are part of a developed nation where people have learnt to govern themselves. In the case of these hills of Manipur, it is a complete absence of government and with it also the absence of the rule of law. But whereas the latter is somehow managed by tribal institutions that adjudicated over local problems, the vacuum of governance was too palpable to be missed. Roads are in a bad shape and villages remain disconnected.
There are no schools and colleges worth their name. Districts continue to remain laggards even as the Manipur government gets away with the alibi that it is fighting insurgency and is, therefore, always on notice.
Green pastures
It is no surprise therefore that those who could somehow afford to escape this vicious trap of under-development, lack of good education, and who were therefore fuelled by the ambition to have exposure to a better life, quickly moved out of their nests and ventured into Shillong or Guwahati. Those who can do better make it to Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai or Chennai.
Most do well in their studies and get absorbed in the IT sector or other multinational companies (MNCs). The Indian corporate sector is growing and MNCs setting up shop in this country offer opportunities that would never have opened up back home in Manipur.
Tomes have already been written about how every mall, every upmarket eating joint and nearly every back office of international firms, including those engaged in public relations and the beauty and cosmetics businesses, have some northeasterners cosily fitting into the ambience.
Either by design or default most of them come from the hills of Manipur.
This is not an assumption but information volunteered by these young people who have no qualms about doing so.
After all, they have a right to work with dignity despite the occasional glitches that all of us from the region are subjected to from ignoramuses who believe we are Southeast Asians or Chinese.
These young men and women are great as salespersons. The American Diner at the India Habitat Centre’s plush pub has a couple of northeasterners working and they do a good job as gracious hostesses.
No wonder they don’t have problems finding a job.
What, however, is also creditable about the tribes of Manipur is their determination to make it in life, come what may. At the Paite function I was introduced to Haulianlal Guite, who cleared his civil services examination in 2010 and was ranked 33rd in the qualifying list.
Raw gut
This is a great achievement. Haulianlal is only 23 years of age and wrote his UPSC exams after graduating from St Stephen’s in Delhi, with honours in philosophy. A beaming and confident Haulianlal said he was grilled for over 15 minutes at the personal interview. One of the commission members asked him whether he believed in reincarnation. Without batting an eyelid his witty reply was that there is a difference between what he believed and what is reality. Apparently the interview panel was impressed. Haulianlal said he knew then that he would get in.
Haulianlal’s parents are both doctors and posted in Delhi; so that perhaps gives him a distinct advantage over his peers who have had lesser exposure. But this is not to say that the others do not strive. Every year there are people from this and other hill tribes of Manipur who make it to the civil services and with good grades. Haulianlal is now awaiting his cadre posting.
At the ministry of home affairs is another Paite IAS officer, V. Vumlunmang, at the director level rank. He was probably handpicked by former Union home secretary G.K. Pillai, whose commitment to the cause of this region is unsurpassed. Pillai, who came as guest of honour at the Paite function, made no bones about the fact that officers from the region are integral to filling up the huge information gap that exists in this ministry about the Northeast.
Vumlunmang, too, studied in Mumbai and that is because his father was also in the civil services. Talk about national integration and you see it among the tribes of Manipur who seem to have blended very well with the Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore or Pune circuit.
Achievers
A young, articulate and good-humoured lady compere for the Paite cultural function kept the audience spellbound with her comments. She works as a public relations person for an international firm and says she prefers to remain in that sector as it is challenging and adventurous.
The Paite community in Delhi has a website called www.paite.org which lists the activities of the group, its achievements and keeps them connected. I wonder how many other groups from the region are as cyber savvy. Organisers of the cultural function, the Delhi Paite Indongta were magnanimous enough to invite cultural performances from all groups in the region. The Meiteis performed their Choubal dance but before the performance the leader of the dance troupe cautioned the audience that the Northeast is not just about song and dance. “We should not be a cultural zoo but move forward in other endeavours,” the dancer wisely proclaimed.
Indeed, the Northeast has come a long way from being an isolated, little known region disparaged and disconnected. People from here have made an impact in the consciousness of the average Indian and continue to seize the opportunity.
(The writer can be contacted at patricia17@rediffmail.com)
