No Time For The Dead

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There is no Northeast beyond Calcutta. That is what many believe and often unfortunately that is what appears to be true. India's Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel as the Deputy Prime Minister when informed in 1949 that the "native state" of Manipur might be reluctant to merge fully with the Indian Union came out with the response, "Isn't there a Brigadier in Shillong?" (Baruah: Durable Disorders, OUP). The tone and tenor set by Patel, still rules New Delhi's vision of the Northeastern states and the mainstream Indian perception about the Northeastern States. They are lumped together, all individuality erased when it comes to governance or any other issue be it life, or death.

Amidst all the complaints of neglect of the Northeast an unfortunate precedence is being set in the manner India has suddenly started remembering its dead. The context is, of course, the terrorist attacks that took place last year across India. Sadly, while we sit for a wake in the memory of the dead in one region, the dead in another part of the country are forgotten. In a somewhat perverse manner it almost seems as if the people who were "lucky" to have died in a particular part of the country are being given preference. And the larger numbers of not-so-lucky-dead in India's trouble-torn Northeast, are being forgotten because they had the misfortune of dying in this not-so-sexy corner of the nation.

For the dead in the Northeast, Vallabbhai Patel's metaphorical Brigadiers are left to place a wreath on their graves, attend their funerals, or slice through silk ribbons for memorials and wear black badges to remember them. Or sometimes just shut up dissent without looking for the cause of anger. Probably, quick solutions help a growing nation.

On October 30th, 2008, the state of Assam witnessed a series of 9 blasts that killed 100 people. The same year, on 26th November, India's commercial capital Bombay came under attack. We were enraged as a nation. People came out in support of both states. But somehow the attack on Bombay stayed on in memory. Probably because the attack was on an iconic upper middle class hotel. The Indian elite got voluble in their outrage, in some cases only because they had once had coffee at that hotel. We all remember how the angry Bombayiites came out on the street.

The country's support was solid. A year on that support has grown and India as a nation seems more united. There are some war cries- those against Pakistan in particular, and some against bad governance in general.

Yet the people of Bombay- probably because they are working all the time- hardly found the time to stand in a queue and vote during when all these issues were raised in the state elections. Because like a spoilt child, Bombay knows India loves it. Other states are not so fortunate.

The dead in Assam were also remembered this year. There were some silent candlelight processions across Assam. Individuals came out and joined the long march for justice. The depth of a national level engagement that one is witnessing with regard to the Assam blasts is nothing in comparison to 26/11 Bombay attack. It seems that India as a nation does not have the time for the dead in Assam, but all the time for remembering the dead in Bombay. Militant attacks cause the same level of suffering to all its victims, no matter what the ideology is behind them, or which region they take place in. But as we remember the fallen, should we be so cynically divided in our attitudes? When I mentioned this to a friend from Nagaland he smiled. He reminded me that in 2008, there were 68 civilian deaths in his state due to militancy related violence. Do we even remember? Or do we just put the blame on someone else and call it NSCN mumbo jumbo?

In 2009, it seems that the nation builders do not have time for places like Dimapur, except of course during elections when the time is perfect to wear a tribal outfit and dance for the votes. What would have Sardar Patel, the Iron man done? Probably would have wanted his Brigadier to be in Northeast, to remember and most importantly sort it out.