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By Madhu Chandra

Recent crimes against North East girls in Delhi compelled me to write this article before the
completion of formal research on the subject. This is being undertaken by the North East Support
Centre & Helpline sponsored by the All India Christian Council. Once again the plight faced by the
people of North East India in Delhi and NCR has come into the limelight after the gruesome kidnap
and gang rape of a 30 year old Mizo girl at Dhaula Kuan in a moving vehicle at midnight of November
23, 2010. In a segregated society likes ours in India, unless pressure is mounted on law enforcement
agencies, justice will continue to be unheard and denied to communities like North Easterners and
oppressed Dalits.

Delhi has become a capital of rape and unsafe for women, particularly those working at night.
Unfortunately, the law enforcement agencies were in a reactive mode all these years and, if they
continue in the same mode, the Dhaula Kuan case -- which was not the first -- will not be the last. A
proactive, preventative paradigm shift is the need of the hour. Steps must be taken and preventive
measures implemented like installing night police patrols in unsafe areas, CCTV cameras, and
ordering BPO industries to follow safety guidelines. These steps should not be forgotten after a week
or a month but should be monitored throughout the year in a proactive, preventative approach.

But the unanswered question is why have people from North East India, particularly girls and
women, become vulnerable for sexual abuse in the national capital city? It is important to look at
some realities of North East Indian migration into mega cities.

Until early 2000, most of the people who came to cities like Delhi worked in central government jobs
and pursued higher studies. A larger number of people began migrating after 2000 and increased in
last two or three years mainly in pursuit of higher studies and a hunt for employment opportunities.

The duration of stay in mega cities differs from community to community. Most of the student
community come for four to five years and return home at completion of studies while those who
manage to get a job continue on or migrate to other cities. Those who work in government jobs and
the private sector stay until they retire and return to their native state. But this phenomenon is likely
to change in the days ahead due to the unrest and socio-political situation in the home states. Next
it is important to understand what pushes and pulls North Easterners to mega cities and challenges
they face.



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There are a number of push factors for the North East Indian migration to mega cities like Delhi,
Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and many others. Identification of these push factors is
important for the whole nation as it reveals how life in the region has been for years. The push
factors include the following.


 there is socio-political unrest in the region of origin for migrants. This includes the
mushrooming of militants, bloodshed, constant ongoing public strikes, Armed Forces Special Powers
Act, and corrupt nature of some parts of government. This unrest was in the region for over 50 years
in some states and less in others. Life in the region is a nightmare ʹ 100 days of public strikes in a
year ʹ markets shut, schools closed, and public transportation off the road. Hardly two hours of
electricity is available, and the water is only supplied once or twice a week. Markets and shops close
at 4 p.m. each evening and streets are pin-drop silent after 8 p.m. Anyone can be harassed,
abducted, or killed by night patrols of police and militants.

North Eastern people lived in their villages, towns, and cities in the midst of all this unrest for years,
but people did not desire to leave their home states until globalisation reached the mega cities of
India. Only then the young generation of North East India was attracted and started migrating in
pursuit of employment, mostly in BPO-related companies like call centres, shopping malls, and
hospitality industries.

ë  there is a lack of employment opportunities in all the North East states. Government
employment is small percentage of the work force opportunity and it is available only to those who
have political connections or money and power to bribe. The educated poor, who have no political
connections, have no hope for government employment in the region.

The private sector and non-governmental business establishments are also limited in the region
which means an even greater lack of employment opportunities apart from limited governmental
jobs. Due to the positive impact of English-medium education through private schools (not many at a
Masters-level but at the high school and intermediate level), people are attracted by globalisation in
mega cities like Delhi.


 the educational system is badly affected. This should be a top concern for the entire region.
Almost all government-run schools have collapsed and only a little bit of quality education has
survived due to private schools. The most affected state is Manipur where there are about 100 days
without classes in a year for the last few years. The effect of decreased education combined with the
socio-political crisis of the region may not be seen in the short-term, but the region -- and
particularly the state of Manipur -- will suffer the consequences in the future.

Parents, those who can find a way, send their children for better education outside their home state.
This is a challenge as many children are targeted for human trafficking. To stop the problem of child
trafficking, the Supreme Court of India ordered any children below 12 years of age from going out of
Manipur state, for example. This order violates the freedom of parents desiring to send their
children outside of the state for better education, although the order of court is appreciated when it
comes to stopping child trafficking.

Again, a major push factor of migration is the lack of educational opportunities. The field of
professional education can͛t match the demand in the region caused by globalisation. This pushes
students outside of the region in pursuit of their higher studies.

 
 there are communal conflicts among the different heterogeneous communities and
insurgencies which have destroyed hundreds of villages, thousands of lives, and made many
homeless or orphans. Many people are internally displaced and when they have opportunities to
migrate to mega cities with friends and relatives, they take the chance.



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The major pull factor for the migration of people from North East India is the impact of globalisation.
Although the four push factors mentioned above have existed in the region for the last few decades,
the phenomena of migrating to mega cities, particularly in search of job opportunities, did not take
place until the emergence of globalisation. Globalisation opened the door of opportunities for the
whole world and it has attracted the people of North East India to mega cities.


 there is a better environment for educational opportunities with multiple choices of courses
for study. This has attracted the young generation from North East India. This pull factor attracts all
students in the region, but only a small percentage of the population can afford to move.

ë  employment opportunities in central government jobs have attracted an educated young
generation from the North East. They have to compete by taking examinations. But obtaining
positions in a central governmental department is relatively easy because many North Easterners
come from Scheduled Caste and Tribe communities and qualify for reserved jobs in both in higher
and lower professions.


 globalisation opened doors to many other employment opportunities, particularly for the
semi-professional and semi-skilled person. Many young boys and girls from North East India, who
are semi-skilled or semi-professional, get jobs in organised and non-organised private sector
companies like BPOs, hospitality corporations, and shopping malls. Many of these young people
have appealing personalities, the ability to communicate in English, and come from a
hospitality/socially oriented culture that values honesty and hard work. This makes them attractive
candidates to private companies. Nevertheless, they are not without challenges when they migrate
to mega cities, particularly in Delhi and NCR.


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Most come to the city unprepared for the challenge. It is a multidimensional challenge that needs to
be addressed comprehensively so that heinous crimes committed against the people from North
East India, particularly in Delhi and NCR, can be stopped.


 social profiling of all people with Mongoloid looking faces is the greatest challenge faced by the
people of North East India in Delhi and NCR. It is the root cause of sexual abuse, social
discrimination, and racial attacks. Social profiling has made North East girls vulnerable targets in the
eyes of perpetrators.

The notion of social profiling must be defined. It is the opinion formed because of one͛s appearance,
and makes general assumptions or judgments about a person͛s culture or nature because of the
viewer͛s selective experiences. Once a community is socially profiled, a person͛s economic, social,
educational, and professional status does not matter and everyone is looked down upon socially or
racially. Social profiling is the reflection of a segregated society based on caste hierarchy and silent
apartheid.

Specifically, the mind-set or bias of people against North East communities is a major cause of sexual
abuse, social discrimination, and economic exploitation. Many people believe that people from
North East India are strangers, have a free or overly liberal culture, are cheap, do anything they like,
and that you can get sexual favours for free. Social profiling is also seen in the attitudes of local
police when they insult, deceive, ignore, and deny the complaints from North East victims and then
connive with perpetrators in many cases.

ë  a major dimension of the challenge is that education, employment, and livelihood are
affected by social profiling, racial discrimination, and gender-based violence. In most of the cases of
sexual abuse, rape, and racial attack, the victims were forced to move to another, more secure
locality. When they relocate, any business they were running is immediately affected and sometimes
they are not able to restart and eventually must return to their native state. After some incidents,
boys and girls are so traumatised that they become mentally ill and their lives are destroyed. The
very purpose for which people from North East India migrated is affected at many different levels.


 those working in the private sector, particularly those in non-organised sectors, face huge
hurdles. The pay is less, and an amount that hardly covers their living costs and support for family
members at home. Their jobs are not assured and, at any time, they can be terminated and even
terminated without pay. Many times, in the beginning of a job a certain amount is agreed upon but
just half is paid in the end.

 
, and last but not least, young North East girls are targeted by human trafficking agents.
Insufficient salaries and insecurity of jobs in private companies cause a desire for better and
permanent jobs. In the search, many girls and boys end up at human trafficking agencies. Thereafter,
the life and challenges of social profiling and racial discrimination move to another level which is a
far greater danger than what was faced so far.

The issue is big, and there is a need to seek remedies including more integration with input from law
enforcement agencies, social scientists, civil society, and government officials. We must keep in
mind that diversity in unity is the strength and beauty of India.



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