'चाईनिज नही भैया ..... सिक्किमिज़'

A funny poem depicting how students of Sikkim and North Eastern States are called chinki and chinese in the main land India and treated as outsiders.

अकस्मात, झटारिएर,
उछिटिएर, लड़बरिन्दै,
म कहाँ आईपुगेछु !
अस्त ब्यस्त शहर,
मान्छेको भीड र हतार
म यो कहाँ आईपुगेछु ?

पहिलो दिनमै,
केहि छिनमै
जता ततै 'ए चिंकी'
'ए चाईनिज' मात्र सुन्छु,
आफ्नै मूल आफ्नै देशमा
बिदेशी भनिन्दा
कता कता उदास हुन्छु ||

'चाईना नही सिक्किम'
भन्दै बुझाउनु खोज्दा
'ये सिक्किम कहाँ पड़ता है ?'
भन्ने अफ्ठ्यारो प्रस्न पाउछु
'इंडियामे ही पड़ता है भैया !'
भन्दै आफ्नो बाटो तताउछु ||

हन, कहिले कहिँ त
आफैलाई प्रस्न गरि पठाऊछु
म पनि भारतीय नै होइन र ?
इंडियाले वर्ल्ड-कप जित्दा
के म उफ्री-उफ्री नाचिन र ?
हाम्रो राष्ट्रिय गान बज्दा
के हामी उठ्दिनौ र ?
'कालो धन फर्काऊ'
भन्दै अन्ना बाजे अनसन बस्दा
के हामीपनि भोक भोकै बसेनौ र ?

तरै पनि खै त,
'सिक्किम कहाँ पड़ता है ?' भन्छन....
'नेपालमे कि चाइनामे ?' सोधछन् ....
हन, सानो छदा भूगोलमा
इंडियाको म्याप हेरेनछन् कि कसो?
छ्यास्स उक्सिएर उभो निस्केको सिक्किम
देखेनछन् कि कसो ?

कि त सिक्किमको समाचार
आज तक र इंडिया टिवी तिर नआएर हो
कि सिक्किमको IPL को टिम नभएर हो ?
कि हामी  एति शान्त स्वभावको  भएर हो
सिक्किमलाई धेरै नचिनेको......

हन, हाम्रो आँखा चिम्से नै भए पनि
हामी ह्यान्डसम र ब्यूटीफुल  नै छौ
नाइटोमा हामी प्यान्ट लाउदैनौ,
मुरीले जुत्ता छोपदैनौ,
चप्पलमा टाई लाउदैनौ ||

तर हामी कहिले तिमीलाई हेरेर हाँसछौ र ?
सिक्किमतिर आउदा तिमीलाई
नाईजेरियन र अफ्रिकन भन्छौ र ?
फेरी हामी चै किन आफ्नै देशमा
भारतीय जस्तो नठानिएको ?
किन अर्कै ग्रहको प्रजाति
जस्तो मानिएको ??

त्यसैले दाह्रा किट्दै भएपनि
'सिक्किम इंडियामे पड़ता है' भन्दैछु
नबुज्नेलाई खुर्पाको बेड़ भने जस्तै
'चाईनिज नही..... सिक्किमिज़' बुझाऊदैछु  ||

Note: Not meant to harm the sentiments of any.

- Amir Bhandari

Soreng, W/Sikkim

The Other Half - Another India, another protest....

While the farcical drama around Anna Hazare's protest and arrest has hogged the limelight, Irom Sharmila's indefinite fast since 2000 to get the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) repealed continues to be ignored by the nation and the media…

A day after Indians ‘celebrated' Independence Day by following the annual ritual of hoisting the flag, singing the national anthem and patriotic songs and listening to politicians, including the Prime Minister, talk about the strengths of Indian democracy, the police cracked down on a much-celebrated campaigner against corruption, Anna Hazare and his team.

The drama that followed his arrest and that of others in his team, the growing protests, the late night release and then Anna's refusal to be released was not just farcical; it was a pitiful display of a government with no respect for people's right to protest and no strategy to deal with those who demand that right. In one day, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government managed to unite the opposition. Even those who do not subscribe to every aspect of Hazare's campaign, such as his demand that only his team's formulation of the Lok Pal Bill be accepted, strongly condemned the government's actions. On August 16, Anna Hazare successfully “arrested” the UPA government.

Ignored

Yet even as Hazare's anti-corruption crusade gained momentum with hundreds courting voluntary arrest, in another part of India, a protestor who has used a similar tactic, of going on an indefinite fast, continues to be ignored by the rest of the country and by the political leadership.

Given the issue — rooting out corruption — and the mobilization of groups in big cities across India, as well as the concerted media attention, some might consider it irrelevant to talk about a corner of the country where a lone woman continues her fight against the truly undemocratic Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) imposed on Manipur that has made life a living hell for the ordinary people of that State.

Indeed, when the rest of India — barring, of course, the Kashmir Valley — celebrated Independence Day, the scene in Manipur was strikingly different. Pradip Phanjoubam, Editor of the Imphal Free Press, wrote this moving opening paragraph in his editorial on August 15 titled, “State of Independence”:

“On the eve of the India's Independence Day, Imphal is acquiring the look of a war front. The scenario is not too different in other townships in Manipur as indeed in much of the Northeast. It has almost become a ritual every year. Various militant organizations would call for a boycott of the celebration of what is arguably the biggest and most important day in the country's history and in response the provincial governments would virtually stage flag marches to demonstrate the power of the establishment and push its way without being deterred by any threat whatsoever. Uniformed gun totting security personnel are on every corner of the streets frisking people, stopping motorists, checking their vehicles, questioning them etc. As expected, even a week before the big day approached, Imphal already began wearing a deserted look, especially after sunset. People return home early so as not to be accosted by security men and go through the humiliation of being made to stand on the side of the roads to be frisked and questioned like potential trouble makers. The ordinary people are supposed to be mere bystanders in this war game, but every time tensions escalate in moments like this, they have no choice than to be prepared to be the undeserved casualties, and sometimes become statistics of ‘ collateral damage', the well known sugar-coating aimed at making civilian killing and harassment seem like necessary and pardonable fallout of a conflict.”

Yes, Imphal is a long way from our relatively comfortable lives in cities in the rest of India, even if our lives are disrupted by the occasional power outage, by water shortage, by pot-holes on our roads, by inflation, and by the government deciding to deny those so inclined the right to protest. But Manipur is also India. Yet, here people live without electricity for most of the day, even in the capital city. Here, the areas with a sufficient water supply would probably be only those where the government and the army reside. Here, people are afraid to go out after dark and markets close as soon as the sun sets. Here, men with arms, the security forces and the various groups of militants, run the show. Here, ‘democracy' seems a theoretical construct, certainly not a lived reality.

Beacon of hope

And here, since November 2000, a 38-year-old woman, Irom Sharmila, has been on an indefinite fast demanding withdrawal of AFSPA. She is under arrest and is being force-fed by the government in a public hospital in Imphal. Every year she is released, and then re-arrested. Yet, this woman of unimaginable courage will simply not give up. And by holding on to her resolve, she holds up a small candle of hope for the people of her state. A hope that people will notice, that her determination will be recognised, that the current government, which in its earlier term had promised to look again at AFSPA, will not break one more promise.

We have forgotten that a year after the UPA government first took office in 2004, it set up a five-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge B. P. Jeevan Reddy. The committee recommended, amongst other things, a withdrawal of AFSPA. So Sharmila's demand is not unreasonable; a government-appointed committee has endorsed it. But the recommendation was given more than six years ago. Yet today, the security forces continue to enjoy the right to act with impunity, while the citizens of Manipur, who are also citizens of India, live without many fundamental rights guaranteed to them under our Constitution.

Anna Hazare's campaign, in the national capital and in full media glare, is premised on scepticism about the government's intent on the matter of dealing with corruption. But Sharmila has even a greater reason for scepticism given the absence of any movement on a recommendation that has been before the government for so many years.

If we are concerned about freedom, about democratic rights, about the right to protest, let us also remember other protests, other parts of India where democratic rights are being denied. Let us remember Sharmila.

Coutesy: thehindu.com Email the writer: sharma.kalpana@yahoo.com

Are You An Indian?? Do you know your own people?

"Do you know the feeling when someone from the same country thinks that you are not an Indian. Treat as if you are 'foreigner/chinkey'. We are Lucky that we are born with good mentality."

Hi all, especially Eastern's (Gorkhalis, Nepalis, Sikkimese) & North Easterns Of India and dear well wishers!!

It's that time that we showed the people of our country, who we really are. I'm fed up of the misconceptions and views people have about us!! When you are in other cities or town, away from home, have you ever experienced people calling you " Foreigners " or "Non-Indians" or slapping in those cheap racist remarks and giving sarcastic grins ??? So much to hear just cause of your distinct look & features or say even accent!!?? Many of us don't have the so called Mongolian looks, the typical accent and outlook but still are given a low key attitude, after HEARING who we are or which part of the country we belong to, when they do not know how much educated and acknowledged we are!

Certainly some come from a less priviledged family or remote rural areas, but that doesn't mean we all do! We have many national sports celebrities, actors, artists and other famous personalities who have represented our country nationally and internationally.. So why are people still unaware of it? Majority of us go to the best schools and institutions in India and abroad, yet people do not have a single hint about it, just cause they don't give a damn or are simply incorrigible and have that typical low mentality!

It's amusing to explain people that Darjeeling is in the east of India and not north and that Nepali is almost 90% similar to Hindi because it has it's roots from Sanskrit! Even harder to explain that all Nepalis do not belong to the country of Nepal and that north east people do not stay in mountains! No am not saying all people are demeaning and blind folded, many know the differences between the various ethnical groups and have found good friends in them, but there certainly are many incredible Indians who know not an inch about who all constitute as people of India but boasts about being a true Indian! If one of us proves to be injurious, does it mean all of us are the same? Why don't people judge each individual individually??

Experienced eve teasing? Ever fought back for your rights? Ever told people, why we are INDIANS too?? Yes, you all are free to post in your comments , give critical appreciations and views in here. Your inputs would be highly appreciated and would help us in a great way! Let us all join hands and begin the revolution! This blog is just for us!! From the People, to the People & for the People of East & North East, India! Others who support us are proudly welcome too.

You can visit the following links for more references :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Gorkha#Castes_and_clans
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepali_language
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorkhaland
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_Nepal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeast_India
http://mdoner.gov.in/
http://www.north-east-india.com/

Source: eaneib.blogspot.com

Students rejoice as HT visits college for selecting Role Idol

Sikkim Students studying at Meerut has yet again small story to share. It was an event organised today at DVSIET by the team of Hindustan Times to select a role idol for the institute. Hindustan Times organises this type of event in different colleges selecting a boy and a girl student depending upon their confidence, dressing sense, gestures, body language, etc.

Around 20 students were selected as the contestants from the college. There were two students from Sikkim viz. Amir Bhandari and Pravesh Chettri among the contestants. The program started with students introducing themselves in front of the jury that comprised of 4 faculty members randomly selected from the institute.

It was an interesting session that lasted for couple of hours. After the first round, three boys and girls finalists were selected respectively depending upon the way they introduced themselves. Interestingly, there was an student from Sikkim Mr. Amir Bhandari in the finalist.

The six students again competed for the first place. They went through different question and answer round where they were asked question based on GK, IQ, and some other stuffs.

After some tough hours, finalist were declared which comprised of Renuka Singh from Jharkhand pursuing B.Tech in EC field and a boy student from 3rd Year pursuing B.Tech in IT field.

The winners were awarded prizes and coupons and they also got a chance to appear on a page of Hindustan Times. Unfortunately there was no prizes for students from Sikkim.

'When you fight a battle you never loose, either you win or you learn', said smiling Amir .Further Pravesh added 'Competition drives innovation and we are not going to shy away from it', after the program. They added , 'It was a great fun and the program was quite exciting. We are looking for some similar kinda programs in the near future' posing for the photo shoot.

NE students thank GJM Unit, Delhi for their help

People say that "culture creates Identification. By practicing a set of rituals and traditions, the community gains a unique character and personality, simply because of the culture of the people belonging to it."

People who have seeped their cultural values and traditions in their lives display them in foreign lands as well. In today’s competitive world, most people migrate from their homeland to other places in the quest of a better living or some for doing further studies. It is only due to their sustaining of the cultural values that they stay connected with their family and community, in particular. Further, they maintain their unique rituals and customs so that they do not mingle with the people out there and lose out their traditions back home.

A bunch of students from different parts of North-East India had talked with the management about forming a North East Students Association in Meerut. The management in return had asked the students to organise a small cultural program showcasing the various tradition and culture prevailing in the North-East India.

It was a golden oppurtunity for the NE students to exhibit their mannerisms, their religious or spiritual beliefs, and principles. "Being far away from home, we couldn't manage our traditional dresses and the day of the program was so near. We were in a complete trouble," quoted Mr. Rupen Pradhan, B.Tech 2nd year from Tashiding.

It was then some students headed to Delhi with a hope that they will meet someone from NE willing to help. "We were so lucky that we met some Gorkha community in Delhi. They are so good," quoted Mr. Dhani Raj Rai, B. Tech 2nd year from Soreng.

They helped the students by offering the traditional dresses without which the program wouldn't be healthy. Students reached their hostel at around 11pm at night completely exhausted. But since they were prepared mentally as well as physically for the next day, they still managed to do some hours of practise.

The program was a great success and the college management was extremely impressed by the way the NE students performed the cultural program.

Students are very much thankful to the following people who helped them in the hour of need.

1. Smt. Luci Rai, GJM Women President [Delhi Unit]

2. Mr. B.S. Rai

3. Smt. Meena Limboo

4. Mr. Milan Gurung

5. Mr. Rustam Chettri

6. Mr. Suresh Thapa and others.

They also assured the students to extend any kind of support in the near future. "Feels really great when we meet such good and helpful people from our places in far land. They were also delighted when they heard that we were performing cultural program showcasing our traditions," said Rupen Sharma, B.Tech 2nd Year from Gangtok.

NE students perform cultural program at Meerut.

It was an extra ordinary day in the history of DVSIET College, when students from North East India entered the college premises well dressed up in their traditional dresses. When they walked past the gate in daura suruwal, dhaka topi and kurta, the first comment that they encountered was from the security guard who thought that weren't students and said 'hah bhai kaha ja rahe ho?' We were allowed to the college premise after showing our Identity Card.

The audotorium was all set up for the program except for the music system which was being set up. After some hustle-bustle, a nice banner of the program was projected in the wall with Map of 7 sisters.

Some time later, the chief guest entered the hall with the Director. Till then the hall was full with invited faculties and the students who were the members of the Eco Club.

The program started around 1 PM with the members of eco club giving presentation on environmental issues. The guest lecturer also gave us a nice presentation on the conservation of natural resources and their importance. After a while, it was time for the NE students to continue on with the cultural activities. The anchors of the cultural program Mr. Amir Bhandari (B.Tech 2nd Year) and Trishna Saika (B.Tech 1st Year) were handed over the stage.

The first song was a homage to the people of Japan who lost their near ones in the tragic incident in the recent days. Everyone present on the hall stood up as the video of the japan incident was projected on the wall as the students sung the song, 'sambodhan timilai gardai chu ma.......' The song concluded with a grand applause.

The program went on with students introducing themselves and some nice musical numbers from Mr. Amit Gupta and Mr. Pravesh Chettri. Meanwhile Assamese students also sang a group song signifying the beauty of their state 'o mur opunar dekh'.

A skit that made everyone jump of their seat laughing was presented by a bunch of students. The problems that the NE students have been facing here was well represented in the skit. The skit left everyone thinking and smiling.

Next, Mr. Tshering Namgyal Lepcha entered the stage with his Lepcha traditional dress and presented us with a nice overview of the North Eastern States. Also Arnav Borthakur presented some slides about Assam.

After some more cultural performance, now it was time for the final performance which was surely the attraction of the show. Students entered the stage dazzling in daura suruwals and dhaka topi and took their position.The song started like this, 'ahem......... haaaaa wari jamuna pari jamuna....' Though many of them were dancing for the first time [not to mention the break dance in the parties] they did extremely well. The audience gazed at the dance with both their eyes and mouth wide open [except some at the back who were busy gossiping]. The dance concluded with the loudest roar and applause of the entire day.

The college distributed gifts to all the NE students. Some were very eager to open it up and have a glimpse, it was a nice T-shirt. Students couldn't wait to reach hostel and wear it on.... :)

By that time, everyone was looking hungry and they headed to the canteen with a lunch coupon and the exciting day was over. Students were very much happy that they got a chance to show their traditional culture to the faculties and students.

"The program was exemplary..... Even though we had a hell lot of problems, we managed to gave a good performance and not to forget we had loads of fun [laughs....]. And I am looking forward
for a next program like this." said Anurag Thapa (B.Tech 2nd Year) from West Bengal.

Meeting with NE students at DVSIET college

'No matter where do you belong, you are an Indian', said the Director of Dewan Vidya Sagar Institute of Engineering & Technology [DVSIET], Meerut.

The management had organized a meeting of all the North East Students studying here at this institute on 17th of January, the last working day of Odd Semester 2010-11. The meeting was attended by around 25 NE students, including a lecturer belonging to Assam, some faculty members of the institute, Director of B.Tech, and Mr. C.S. Sharma from the Management committee.

The purpose of the meeting was to share the problems and difficulties that the NE students have been facing in the last 6 months. It is interesting to note that there was not a single NE students in the institute in the last year and presently there are more than 40 students from this region including states like Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam & Arunachal Pradesh. DVSIET also has around 10 students from Bhutan.

Interestingly, the Director shared his story of his NE visit in the past. He talked about the beauty of the 8 sisters of the North India. 'I was really amazed and happy to hear that he has also been to Sikkim and even worked for a couple of years there' said Amit Gupta from Gangtok, B.Tech 1st year student.

'On looking at the fact that students from all across India and even outside India are coming to Meerut for further studies, it wouldn't be wrong on saying that Meerut is growing as one of the education hub of India and it will surely develop more on coming days' said one of the MBA faculty.

Discussion was also done for the formation of North East Students Association in the coming days. Meanwhile director strictly said that the formation of the association should only be meant for unity but not for protests and demands. Only 2 post are to be held by the students, i.e. president and vice president. The post is to be given on the basis of election to be held after the college reopens.

'Samosa, biscuits and tea were also served, which was really unexpected', said Amir Bhandari and laughed, B.Tech 2nd Year student.

The meeting went on for almost 1 and half hour and the director concluded by giving a piece of advice to the students about studying at their best and keeping up the expectation of their parents, teachers and the society.

~ News sent by Student, DVSIET

We are Indians, not Nepalese or Chinese, say North-east students

We are Indians, not Nepalese or Chinese,' was the collective sentiment expressed by 30 students from the north-eastern states, who were on a three-day visit to Gujarat.

They urged the people of the state not to discriminate them from other Indians just because they don't look like other Indians.

"We want to see and learn about this state and its culture; similarly we want you to understand us," said Lamyuki Shollai, a class 12 student from Meghalaya. These students have been invited by the Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) under their student experience in inter-state living project.

Clad in traditional outfits, the students visited various places like Science City and City Gold theatre. They garnered information regarding educational opportunities, fee structure and Gujarat's development. They also met Narendra Modi, who shared his experience of north-east.

Making these students familiar with the outside world was the main purpose behind the visit.

All the students are ethnic tribals of their state and some of them were travelling by train for the very first time. They belonged to the seven north eastern states. "We want to know what is going on outside our region and we want others to understand our sentiments as well," said Tadar Lugu, a BA student from Arunachal Pradesh.

source : DNA.com